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Human Factors - User Interface & Usability
User
Interface and Usability and the
User-Product
Interface
are the central and driving theme of WhiteLight Design's product
development services. The term user friendly
is often used as a synonym for usable or usability, though
it may also refer to accessibility. A user-centered
product design is typically a result of a systems approach to the usability engineering
lifecycle - which aims to improve the User - Product interface system. The design of a user
interface affects the amount of effort the user must expend to provide
input for the system, to interpret the output of the system and how
much effort it takes to learn how to do this. Usability is the degree to
which the design of a particular product or user interface design takes into account the
human psychology and physiology of the users, and makes the process of
using the product or system effective, efficient and "user friendly".
The goal of user –
product interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple,
logical and intuitive as possible; user-centered design. This includes
the use of
statistical analysis of static and dynamic anthropometric studies
(time & motion
studies)
combined with good semantics (physical layout - visual cueing) combined
with Graphic Design and Industrial Design which includes both
universal design and
localization -
language and cultural considerations
to facilitate a user friendly design.
Graphic design is very
important to user interface and product controls as to the perceived use, including applying branding and a
theme or style to the interface without compromising its intuitive
usability. The intuitiveness of a user – product interface may
depend on the regional environmental and cultural influences in regards
to historical and cultural influences, the geometric form &
styling, location, language, color and contrast cueing, designing
universally accepted products (geometric form) using semantics and
symbology from an artistic perspective as much as functionality, from a
technical engineering perspective. For example products are
designed on a smaller scale in Asian markets based on building and
social housing practices.
Example: HuMAXTM
Respiratory Humidification System
User Interface
- Control Panel (Graphic Design)
Respironics Corporation,
PA, GA & CA
Usability
Usability is often
associated with the functionalities of the product (cf. ISO definition,
below), in addition to being solely a characteristic of the user
interface (cf. framework of system acceptability, also below, which
separates usefulness into utility and usability). It is mainly a
characteristic of the user-product interface, but is also associated
with the functionalities of the product. It describes how well a
product can be used for its intended purpose by its target users with
efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction, also taking into account
the requirements from its context of use. These functionalities or
features are not always parts of the user interface (i.e. are you able
to reverse with your car or not), yet they are key elements in the
usability of a product.
Usability is now
recognized as an important product quality attribute improving function
and performance Universal usability refers to the design of
information and communications products and services that are usable for
every citizen..” The concept of universal usability (“usable by all”) is
closely related to the concepts of universal accessibility (“accessible
by all”) and universal design (“design for all”). These three concepts
altogether cover, from the user’s end to the developer’s end, the three
important research areas of information and communications technology (ICT):
use, access, and design.
Usability can also refer
to the methods of measuring usability and the study of the principles
behind an object's perceived efficiency or elegance. In
human-computer interaction and computer science, usability usually
refers to the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a
computer program or a web site is designed. The term is also used often
in the context of products like consumer electronics, or in the areas of
communication, and knowledge transfer objects (such as a cookbook, a
document or online help). It can also refer to the efficient design of
mechanical objects such as a door handle or a hammer.
Read on... User
Interface Design & Usability and user friendly Page 2
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