Human Computer

Interface
Understanding Human-Computer
Interaction
• Knowledge about the interplay among
users, tasks, task contexts, IT, and the
environments in which the systems are
used comprises the basis of human-
computer interaction
Fit

• The “fit” between the HCI elements of

the human, the computer, and the task
that needs to be performed leads to
performance and well-being
The “fit” among the human, computer, and task
affects performance and well-being
Well-Being

• Concern for a human’s overall comfort,

safety, and health
• Psychological attitudes are also
important
Ergonomics

• Systems analysts should consider an

ergonomically sound working
environment even though they usually
don't have much control over the design
of the workspace
Ergonomics

• Some of the important working

environmental variables to be
considered are
• Room color and lighting
• VDT or LCD screens
• User keyboards
• Computer desks
• User seating
Designing for Cognitive Styles of
Individual Users
• Making sure data is made available in
different forms
• Tables
• Graphs
• Text
• Different times
Physical Considerations in HCI
Design
• Vision
• Hearing
• Touch
Interface Design Objectives

• Match the user interface to the task

• Make the user interface efficient
• Provide appropriate feedback to users
• Generate usable queries
• Improve productivity of computer users
Types of User Interfaces

• Natural-language interfaces
• Question-and-answer interfaces
• Menus
• Form-fill interfaces
• Command-language interfaces
• Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
• Web interfaces
Natural-Language Interfaces

• Permit users to interact with the

computer in their everyday or "natural"
language
• Implementation problems and
extraordinary demand on computing
resources have so far kept natural-
language interfaces to a minimum
Question-and-Answer
Interfaces
• The computer displays a question to the
user on the display
• The user enters an answer
• The computer acts on that input
information in a preprogrammed manner
• Users unfamiliar with applications may find
question-and-answer interfaces most
comfortable
Menus

• Provides the user with an onscreen list of

available selections
• Not hardware dependent
• Can be put aside until the user wants to use
them
• Can be nested within one another to lead a
user through options in a program
• GUI menus
• Object menu
Form-Fill Interfaces (Input/Output
Forms)
• Onscreen forms or Web-based forms
displaying fields containing data items or
parameters that need to be communicated to
the user
• Advantage
• The filled-in form provides excellent
documentation
• Disadvantage
• Users experienced with the system or application
may become impatient
An example of the form-fill interface from
Form Flow by Jetform
Graphical User Interfaces

• Provide users constant feedback on task

accomplishment
• An appropriate model of reality or an
acceptable conceptual model of the
representation must be invented
Other User Interfaces

• Pointing devices
• Touch-sensitive screens
• Speech recognition and synthesis
Speech Recognition and Synthesis

• The user speaks to the computer, and

the system is able to recognize an
individual’s vocal signals, convert them,
and store the input
• Continuous speech systems
• Speaker independence
Evaluating Interfaces

• Training period for users should be acceptably

short
• Users early in their training should be able to
enter commands without thinking about
them, or referring to a help menu or manual
• The interface should be seamless so that
errors are few, and those that do occur are
not occurring because of poor design
• Infrequent users should be able to relearn the
system quickly
Minimal User Action

• Keying codes instead of whole words

• Entering data that are not already stored on
files
• Supplying the editing characters
• Using default values for fields on entry
screens
• Designing an inquiry, change, or delete
program so that the user needs to enter only
the first few characters of a name or item
description
This tab control dialog box has seven tabs. The chosen
tab “Paper” appears as if it is in front of the other tabs
Feedback for Users

• All systems require feedback to monitor

and change behavior
• Feedback compares current behavior
with predetermined goals and gives
back information describing the gap
between actual and intended
performance
Types of Feedback

• Acknowledging acceptance of input

• Recognizing that input is in the correct form
• Notifying that input is not in the correct form
• Explaining a delay in processing
• Acknowledging that a request is completed
• Notifying that a request was not completed
• Offering the user more detailed feedback
Including Feedback in Design

• Can be a powerful reinforcer of users’

learning processes
• Serve to improve user performance with
the system
• Increase their motivation to produce
• Improve the fit among the user, task
and the technology
Designing Effective
Input
Input Design Objectives

• The quality of system input determines

the quality of system output
• Well-designed input objectives
• Effectiveness
• Accuracy
• Ease of use
• Consistency
• Simplicity
• Attractiveness
Form Design

• Guidelines for good form design

• Make forms easy to fill out
• Ensure that forms meet the purpose for
which they are designed
• Design forms to assure accurate
completion
• Keep forms attractive
Form Completion

• To make forms easy to fill out, the

following techniques are used:
• First, design forms with proper flow, from
left to right and top to bottom
• Second, group information logically using
the seven sections of a form
• Third, provide people with clear captions
• Captions tell the person completing the form
what to put on a blank line, space, or box
Seven Sections of a Form

• The seven sections of a form

• Heading
• Identification and access
• Instructions
• Body
• Signature and verification
• Totals
• Comments
Caption Types

• Captions may be one of the following:

• Line caption, putting the caption on the
same line or below the line
• Boxed caption, providing a box for data
instead of a line
• Vertical check off, lining up choices or
alternatives vertically
• Horizontal check off, lining up choices or
alternatives horizontally
Meeting the Intended Purpose

• Systems analysts may use different types

of specialty forms for different purposes
• Specialty forms can also mean forms
prepared by a stationer
• The disadvantages of the specialty forms
are
• High cost
• Users can get bogged down with the red tape
generated by meaningless multiple-part forms
Attractive Forms

• To be more attractive, forms should

look uncluttered, and elicit information
in the expected order
• Aesthetic forms or usage of different
fonts within the same form can help
make it more attractive
Controlling Business Forms

• Controlling forms include

• Making sure that each form in use fulfills
its specific purpose
• That the specified purpose is integral to
organizational functioning
• Preventing duplication of information
collected and the forms that collect it
• Designing effective forms
Screen Design Guidelines

• Guidelines for good screen design

• First, keep the screen simple
• Second, keep the screen presentation
consistent
• Third, facilitate user movement among
screens
• Finally, create an attractive screen
Three Screen Sections

• To keep the screen simple, it is divided

into three sections:
• Heading
• Body
• Comments and instructions
Screen Design Concepts for
Simplicity
• Simplistic design includes maximizing or
minimizing the window size as needed
• Clicking the right mouse button is often
used to display more options for the
window
Consistency

• Consistency is achieved by displaying

information in the same area or by
grouping information logically
• Consistency means using the same
terms and acronyms on several screens
Facilitating Movement

• Guidelines for facilitating movement

from one screen to another
• Scrolling the screen back and forth
• Calling up another screen for more detail
• Using onscreen dialogue through the
prompts
• Web pages may use buttons or commands
to facilitate scrolling and screen movement
Facilitating Movement

• Further guidelines
• The three clicks rule says that users should
be able to get to the screens they need
within three mouse or keyboard clicks
• Character-based screens scroll by
displaying new screens, using standard
function keys
• GUI screens should not scroll
• Web screens often scroll
Designing an Attractive Screen

• To make the screen attractive use

• Different thickness of separation lines
between subcategories
• Inverse video and blinking cursors
• Icons which are pictorial onscreen
representations symbolizing computer
actions
• Different combinations of colors
• Different type fonts
Using Icons in Screen Design

• Icons are used in graphical screens to

run programs and execute commands
• Graphical User Interface (GUI) are used
in conjunction with a mouse for making
selections and entering data
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Controls
• GUI controls or fields
• Text boxes
• Check boxes
• Option or radio buttons
• List and drop-down list boxes
• Sliders and spin buttons
• Image maps
• Text area
• Message boxes
Text Boxes

• Text boxes should be large enough to

accommodate all the field characters
• Captions should be to the left of the
text box
• Character data should be left aligned
within the box
• Numeric data right aligned
Check Boxes

• Check boxes are used for nonexclusive

choices
• Captions are placed to the right of the
check box
• If there are more than 10 check boxes,
group with a border or white space
Option Buttons and Drop-down
List Boxes
• Option or radio buttons are used for
mutually exclusive choices
• Often they are placed in a border called
an option group
• List and drop-down list boxes are used
to select one choice out of many
Sliders, Spin Buttons, and
Image Maps
• Sliders and spin buttons are used to
change data that have a continuous
range of values
• They are often accompanied by a text
box for entering exact numerical values
• Image maps are used to select values
within an image
• The x and y coordinates are sent to the
program
Text Area

• A text area is used for entering a larger

amount of text
• These areas may have text that wraps
when the text reaches the end of the
box
• There are two ways to handle the text
• Hard return is used to force new lines
• Use word wrap within the text area
Message Boxes and Command
Buttons
• Message boxes are used to display
warning and other messages in a
dialogue box
• They have an OK button or an OK and a
Cancel button
• Command buttons perform an action
• The text is centered inside the button
Tab Control Dialogue Boxes

• Tab control dialog boxes help organize

GUI features (controls) for users
• Each tab dialog box should have three
basic buttons:
• OK
• Cancel
• Help
Web Page Dialogue Boxes

• A new type of dialogue box has the look

and feel of a Web page
• Buttons are called places and are
hyperlinked to items a user would wish
to access
Color

• The five most legible

foreground/background color
combinations for display monitors are
• Black on yellow
• Green on white
• Blue on white
• White on blue
• Yellow on black
Skins

• Skins are graphical overlays that allow

customers to change the appearance of
a Web site depending on their
preferences for a particular kind of
image
Internet and Intranet Design
Guidelines
• Guidelines for creating intranet and
Internet input pages
• Use a variety of text boxes, push buttons,
radio buttons, drop-down lists, and other
GUI features
• Provide clear instructions
• Include radio buttons when users must
make a bipolar choice
Internet and Intranet Design
Guidelines
• Further intranet/Internet guidelines
• Create a feedback screen that lists error
messages if a form has not correctly been
filled out
• Provide a scrolling text box if you are
uncertain how much text will be entered
• If the form is lengthy, divide it into several
simpler forms on separate pages
Designing Accurate
Data Entry Procedures

© 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall

Accurate Data-Entry Objectives

• Effective coding
• Efficient data capture
• Effective data capture
• Assuring data quality through validation
Effective Coding

• Data that are coded require less time to

enter
• Coding helps to reduce the number of
items entered
• Coding can help in sorting of data
during the data transformation process
• Coded data can save valuable memory
and storage space
Human Purposes for Coding

• Keeps track of something

• Classifies information
• Conceals information
• Reveals information
• Requests appropriate action
Keeping Track of Something

• Simple sequence code

• Alphabetic derivation codes
Simple Sequence Codes

• A number that is assigned to something

if it needs to be numbered
• No relation to the data itself
Using a simple sequence code to indicate
the sequence in which orders enter a
custom furniture shop
Simple Sequence Codes
(Advantages)
• Eliminates the possibility of assigning
the same number
• It gives users an approximation of when
the order was received
Simple Sequence Codes
(Disadvantages)
• When you do not wish to have someone
read the code to figure out how many
numbers have been assigned
• When a more complex code is desirable
to avoid a costly mistake
Alphabetic Derivation Codes

• A commonly used approach in

identifying an account number
Identifying the account of a magazine subscriber with an
alphabetic derivation code
Alphabetic Derivation Codes
(Disadvantages)
• When the alphabetic portion is small or
when the name contains fewer
consonants than the code requires
• Names like ROE - become RXX
• Some of the data may change
Classification Information

• Affords the ability to distinguish

between classes of items
• Must be mutually exclusive
• Classification codes
• Block sequence codes
Classification Codes

• Used to distinguish one group of data

with special characteristics from another
• Can consist of either a single letter or a
number
• A shorthand way of describing a person,
place, thing, or event
• Listed in manuals or posted so that
users can locate them easily
Classification Codes

• Use a single letter for a code

Grouping tax-deductible items through the
use of a one-letter classification code
Block Sequence Codes

• An extension of the sequence code

• Data are grouped according to common
characteristics
• Simplicity of assigning the next
available number (within the block) to
the next item needing identification
Using a block sequence code to group
similar software packages
Concealing Information

• Codes may be used to conceal or

disguise information
• Cipher Codes
Cipher Codes

• The direct substitution of one letter for

another, one number for another, or one
letter for a number
Encoding markdown prices with a cipher code is a way
of concealing price information from customers
Revealing Information

• Sometimes it is desirable to reveal

information to specific users through a
code
• Makes the data entry more meaningful
for humans
• Significant-Digit subset codes
• Mnemonic codes
• Unicode
Significant-Digit Subset Codes

• Used to help describe a product by

virtue of its membership in many
subgroups
• Possible to locate items that belong to a
certain group or class
• Inquiries may be performed on a
portion of the code
• Useful for a marketing product
Using a significant-digit subset code helps employees
locate items belonging to a particular department
Mnemonic Codes

• A mnemonic (pronounced nî-môn'-ïk) is a

human memory aid
• Any code that helps the data-entry person
remember how to enter the data or the user
remember how to use the information is a
mnemonic
• Using a combination of letters and symbols
affords a clear way to code a product so that
the code is easily seen and understood
Mnemonic codes function as memory aids by
using a meaningful combination of letters and
numbers
Function Codes

• Short numeric or alphanumeric codes

used to spell out precisely what
activities are to be accomplished
Function codes compactly capture
functions that the computer must perform
General Guidelines for Coding

• Be concise
• Keep the codes stable
• Ensure that codes are unique
• Allow codes to be sortable
• Avoid confusing codes
• Keep the codes uniform
• Allow for modification of codes
• Make codes meaningful
Be Concise

• Overly long codes mean more keystrokes and

consequently more errors
• Long codes also mean that storing the
information in a database will require more
memory
• Short codes are easier for people to
remember and easier to enter
• If codes must be long, they should be broken
up into subcodes
Keep the Codes Stable

• Stability means that the identification

code for a customer should not change
each time new data are received
• Don’t change the codes in a mnemonic
system
Ensure That Codes Are Unique

• For codes to work, they must be unique

• Do not assign the same code number or
name to the same items
Allow Codes to Be Sortable

• Make sure that users can do what you

intend to do with the codes you create
• Numerical codes are much easier to sort
than alphanumeric data
Avoid Confusing Codes

• Avoid using coding characters that look

or sound alike
Combining look-alike characters in codes
can result in errors
Make Codes Meaningful

• Effective codes contain information

• Should make sense to people using
them
• Easier to understand, work with, and
recall
Starting with a Good Form

• With effective forms, it is not necessary

to reenter information that the
computer has already stored, or data
such as time or date of entry that the
computer can determine automatically
Choosing a Data-Entry Method

• Keyboards
• Optical character recognition
• Magnetic ink character recognition
• Mark-sense forms
• Bar codes
• RFID
Keyboards

• Special function keys to open programs

• Keys used to scroll and explore the Web
• Keys that can be programmed with
macros to reduce the number of
keystrokes required
• Ergonomic keyboards and infrared or
Bluetooth-enabled keyboards
Optical Character Recognition

• Increased speed
• Eliminates many of the time-consuming and
error-fraught steps of other input devices
• Decentralizes responsibility for quality data
directly to the unit that is generating it
• The transformation of faxes into documents
that can be edited
Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition
• A reliable and high-speed method that is not
susceptible to accepting stray marks
• If it is required on all withdrawal checks, it
serves as a security measure against bad
checks
• Data entry personnel can see the numbers
making up the code if it is necessary to verify
it
Bar Codes

• Affords a high degree of accuracy for

data entry
• Saves labor costs
• Allows the automatic capturing of data
• Tracking of credit card purchases
Bar coding, as shown on this label for grocery product, affords
highly accurate data entry. Used with the permission of the Uniform
Code Council, Dayton, Ohio
RFID

• Allows the automatic collection of data

using RFID tags that contain a chip and
an antenna
• Passive RFID tags
• Active RFID tags
• Privacy is a concern
Ensuring Data Quality through
Input Validation
• The critical importance of catching
errors during input, prior to processing
and storage cannot be overemphasized
• Potential problems
• Validating input transactions
• Validating input data
Validating input is important to ensure that most
potential problems with data are eliminated
early
The Process of Validation

• Check first for missing data

• Check the syntax
• Check the semantics
• GUI screens can help to reduce the
number of human input errors when
they incorporate radio buttons, check
boxes and drop-down lists