Category — Website Usability

The Microsoft Kinect Gaming System is set to revolutionize the world of video games as we know it and concurrently change the way people interact with their entertainment choices. Kinect, a controller free console for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming console, is a novel type of user interface that corporeally integrates the user with the program—the actions on the user’s screen are controlled completely by the user’s physical movements.

The Kinect system currently really still is one of a kind in the video game world because unlike the Nintendo Wii, there is no control to hold or buttons to push, but it is likely that others will soon follow the path. The Kinect user interface is operated by three camera sensors and voice recognition technology from the four microphones within the console.  The combination of the cameras and the microphones allows the console to read the user’s full range of movements and then transfers them to the avatar on the screen.  Therefore, AI plays a significant role in the operations of Kinect, as it really is a gaming system that understands the user just as much as the user understands it.  While some may find the idea of AI disturbing (probably those who have read too many disastrous dystopian novels) for the most part, players have raved about the Kinect user interface and are eager to own one of their own.  It is safe to say that Kinect will likely be a smashing success—what will they come up with next?!

The Plane Finder app is undoubtedly a remarkable display of augmented reality technology, an emerging class of apps for smartphones which attempt to interface with the environment by overlaying digital information on top of the real world.  The fact that the simple act of pointing your phone at a distant jet in the sky can disseminate all of the above-mentioned information in seconds is unarguably extraordinary but… is it necessary?  As apps continue to churn out at a record pace, it is becoming more and more apparent that some apps are just plain frivolous or outlandish to some smart phone users.  Why, for example, do we need an app to tell us so much detailed information about a plane flying above our heads?  How often do you really take note of the planes flying over your head, other than to notice the noise (if it is even close enough to be audible)? How many people are really going to use this app or will they just download it for the novelty of the first few tries and then forget about it when the charm has worn off? This seems to be the new business model that some app designers are following. It’s the novelty and fascination of the next great app, the excitement about a new interface design, or simply the child in us that drives this trend in mobile applications. It is one thing to have an eternally handy app for your city’s public transportation system, or for Facebook, Twitter etc.  But an app to identify planes flying overhead? This development may seem silly to some, but it appears to work. The creators of the Plane Finder app should be applauded for their ingenuity and achievement but one can’t help but wonder not only what app developers will come up with next, but also who will actually need it.

If the development process pans out according to Nokia’s plan then MeeGo’s future hallmark will be its ability for easy customization, thus setting it apart from other popular operating systems. The ability to customize the MeeGo operating system will allow users to create unique user interfaces according to their particular needs and tastes. With customization and flexibility comes a larger market because the MeeGo OS can come from various phone makers, in addition to permitting customization for wireless carriers.  MeeGo is hoping that customizability will enable each user to employ the OS with their own touch and preferences leading to highly individualized and ultimately loyal users.  Time will tell if MeeGo can live up to Nokia’s touting, but it sure seems smart to take advantage of users desiring to have or create something unique or fantastic—customizability is a trend that is spreading fast.

Although Nokia and Intel’s new MeeGo operating system is still in the development phases, Nokia has been releasing periodic images of screenshots of the user interface design and recentlyeven released a video of the OS’ user interface, a marketing strategy most likely employed to whip up product hype and whet the appetites of users.  MeeGo is a software environment comprised of Linux-based tools which use familiar user interface designs and run on mobile devices such as smartphones, netbooks and tablets. The smartphone user interface is one of the newest additions to the MeeGo, and it is open to customization which will likely give it a competitive edge in the UI design crowd.

Brian Barrett of gizmodo.com recently reviewed the new Xbox Live app user interface design for the Windows 7 phone for the US news site msnbc.com.  Microsoft’s new smartphone is set to be released to the public in October 2010. The buzz surrounding the phone shows that expectations are high, and we will see if the UI design merits this euphoria.

User interface design review

According to Barrett, the Xbox application user interface design will be “familiar” in terms of what users are used to seeing on their regular Xbox consoles. This is a smart move by Microsoft in terms of usability as users like applications that are familiar and thus easier to employ with fluency.  By tapping on the Xbox tile users will be met with their avatar and their last game achievement (the game achievement can be updated from both the phone and the Xbox console).  Users will also be able to view invites from friends and previously downloaded games.

There are some new features that have been added especially for the Xbox Live app but Barrett maintains that these “are some clever ways Microsoft has optimized the experience for mobile” (msnbc.com).  For example, the user’s 3D avatar will “get dizzy” and fall down when the phone shakes and any unlocked avatar item can be accessed from the phone no matter the source of the action. These new features are slight and help to facilitate the relationship between the Xbox console and the Xbox Windows 7 app, thus reinforcing the concept of user familiarity.
If Barrett’s report is accurate, then users can look forward to an Xbox application that is familiar and intelligent without too many frills and nonsense.  Micrsoft didn’t try to get too creative on this one, just smart enough to be subtle and for their sake successful.

Samsung and LG have apparently recognized that if they want to compete with the iPhone and its popular smartphone brethren, they are going to have to put a lot more focus on vamping up their mobile user interface designs. So after a somewhat desultory start in the smartphone game, the two Korean companies are taking a scholarly approach to breathing new life into their mobile UI designs by enlisting the services of two university professors.  Jung Ji-Hong, a former professor at Visual Communication Design at Kookmin University, will join Samsung as Vice President of their Mobile Design Group.  At LG, Lee Kun-pyo will head up the Design Management Center as Executive Vice President.  Kun-pyo is the former dean of the Department of Industrial Design at Korea Institute of Advanced Technology and comes to LG with an expertise in user interface and human centered design.

Although Samsung and LG are the second and third largest handset manufacturers in the world behind Nokia (Tech Crunchies), both companies have struggled to find success (or maybe a better way to put it is their place) in the smartphone market.  The Samsung Galaxy S has been relatively fruitful but in comparison to the iPhone and Blackberry consumer feeding frenzy, both companies haven’t exactly been able to bait the waters with their products.   The hiring of UI/UX design experts shows that Samsung and LG not only acknowledge their smartphone weakness, but also concede that user interface design strategies need to be the crux of mobile product marketing and sales.  The fact that the UX/UI experts come from universities indicates that both companies want to be at the cutting edge of new developments in the UI/UX design worlds.   LG already plans to release a line of Optimus smartphones and both companies plan to have Android tablets by the end of 2010.  Time will tell if the UID academic infusion translates to smartphone success.

This is the second part of my blog on the memorability of interface designs.

What factors make an interface design more memorable?

According to TNL.net, there are two main factors that make a user interface design intuitive and memorable. One of these is through the use of visual cues. The very first thing that users are always confronted with is, obviously, the interface design that they lay eyes on. A good degree of visual cues are needed in order to allow users to scan and understand, for example, a web page quickly. Icons, symbols and other visual cues allow the user to make related associations with the task at hand. For example, when a user sees the „Home“ icon that looks like a small house he will be able to make the association, intuitively, that this icon will take him to the homepage. Visual cues that are logical and familiar to users allow them to make logical and familiar associations that make the user interface more memorable.

This applies not just to software but also to hardware ranging from microwaves to cars and can be traced back to Ivan Pavlov and the Behaviorism paradigm of Psychology. While performing an action on a user interface design, a user may often receive an unexpected reaction. If a positive emotional response is elicited from the user the chances are higher that the user will remember how the action was performed and what result occurred. In the same vein, an action that elicits a negative emotional response will also be remembered more easily by the user. No feedback whatsoever does not do much to engender the formation of new memories! The point is, both reactions make the feature more memorable because we tend to remember our emotional response to unexpected reactions. Of course, you might try to ensure that it is positive emotional responses rather than a negative one that reinforces the behavior.

Testing user interface designs for memorability

User input is needed in order to assess whether or not an interface design is memorable. An effective way to obtain user input on the memorability is to usability test the interface design. A good method is to assess how users use and remember your interface design by sitting them down in front of it and having them run through it. You should do this in several sessions. It is important that you use more than one user, as all users do not remember system tasks in the same way. You should do several rounds of testing, spacing the “run-throughs” by minutes, hours, and maybe even a few days. Note both the users’ unexpected reactions and their intuitive reactions to the visual cues. Interview and record your users’ feedback about the memorability of the interface design or have them fill out a survey — it is your choice how to collect the data. After you have obtained initial results, you can make the initial necessary changes to your interface design. Repeat iteratively until the user feedback shows that your interface design has attained a satisfactory level of memorability.

This is part one of my blog on the memorability of an interface design, its importance and factors to consider when working to improve memorability.

What is memorability?

Memorability, in the context of user interface design and usability, refers to the degree of an interface design’s ability to be re-used by users without them having to re-learn the system all over again. The learnability of an interface design refers to the ease of use of learning to use a system for the very first time. But will users remember how to complete tasks after a gap of days, weeks or even months? The time it takes to re-learn a system or correct mistakes from incorrect use directly diminishes productivity, not to speak of the user’s motivation. This is where an interface design has to be maximized for memorability to ensure that it is easy for users to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible.

Why is memorability important in the context of user interface design?

As neuroscience does indeed improve, it is now known that not using certain brain functions can lead to parts of the brain that handle those functions atrophying. In other words if we don’t use the cells often enough we can loose them. So it is with the navigation of interface designs. Each interface design takes some time to get used to and operate productively. Every time a user has forgotten how to use an interface, time is wasted and/or errors occur. If your interface design has poor memorability then users may even stop using it once they return to it and find that they can’t use it expediently anymore.

What to consider when designing for memorability of an interface design

There could be an inordinate number of reasons why a user could use an interface design wrongly. The key here is that learning and memory function best when the basics of the system are intuitive. Users learn and remember an interface design based on intuition of how to use the tools given to them. Yet, intuitive interface designs can be challenging to create because, after all, people are different. What can be intuitive for one group of people may not be for another group! One has to consider the target user of an interface design to make proper decisions. Is it an interface design for a tool aimed at computer scientists who have high technical proficiency? Is it aimed at consumers without intricate IT know-how? Is it aimed at young teenagers? This is where industry conventions are your best friend. If every word processing tool uses copy paste by clicking on Ctrl + C then that should be a standard you stick with when creating an interface design for such a tool. Another crucial thing to ensure is that users of different proficiency levels can use an interface design. Systems need to be designed to keep the basics intuitive with room for more complex operations to be performed as users become more experienced.