Rethinking the progress bar

ABSTRACT Progress bars are prevalent interface elements in modern software. Typically, a linear function is employed, in which the progress of the bar is directly proportional to how much work has been completed. However, numerous factors cause progress bars to proceed at non-linear rates. Additionally, humans perceive time in a non-linear way. This paper explores the impact of various progress bar behaviors on user perception of process duration. We present a comprehensive experiment that was devised and conducted to determine the user perception of different progress bar behaviors. The results are used to suggest several design considerations that can be applied to enhance progress bars and ultimately improve users' computing experience

Active progress bars : facilitating the switch to temporary activities

International audienceIn this paper, we seek to find a better way of effective task management when a progress bar interrupts user's primary activity. We propose to augment progress bars with user controlled functionalities facilitating the switch to temporary activities. We detail a taxonomy of waiting period contexts and possible temporary tasks, then report on 5 participatory design, and a follow-up survey of 96 respondents. Finally we describe an early prototype of active progress bars, and report on initial use

Real-Time Displaying Quality Maps of Silicon Wafers

Cílem této bakalářské práce je navrhnout a implementovat softwarový systém, který dokáže v reálném čase sbírat data z průběhů měření křemíkových plátů. Může se jednat o desítky až stovky měření a data z těchto měření jsou uživatelům vykreslována (taktéž v reálném čase). Práce obsahuje popis procesu výroby a testování integrovaných obvodů. Následně pak návrh architektury systému aplikací, vnitřní architektury serveru a grafického uživatelského rozhraní klientské aplikace. V poslední části je ukázáno, jakým způsobem bylo implementováno vykreslování křemíkových plátů na platformě JavaFX 2.2 a hybridní vícevláknová architektura serveru.The goal of this bachelor's thesis is to design and implement a software system that can collect real-time data from measurements of silicon wafers. There could be tens or hundreds data sources of measurements and data from these measurements can be rendered (also in real time). This work contains a description of the process of manufacturing and testing of integrated circuits. Subsequently, there is description of system architecture design, interior architecture of real-time server and GUI of client application. In the last section, there is shown how rendering of silicon wafers was implemented on platform JavaFX 2.2 and also implementation of hybrid multi-threading server architecture.

The Magic of Slow-to-Fast and Constant: Evaluating Time Perception of Progress Bars by Bayesian Model

Objective: We aimed to use adaptive psychophysics methods, which is a Bayesian Model, to measure users' time perception of various progress bar quantitatively. Background: Progress bar informs users about the status of ongoing processes. Progress bars frequently display nonuniform speed patterns, such as acceleration and deceleration. However, which progress bar is perceived faster remain unclear. Methods: We measured the point of subject equality (PSE) of the constant progress bar toward four different 5-second progress bars with a non-constant speed. To measure PSE, in each trial, a constant progress bar and a non-constant progress bar were presented to participants. Participants needed to judge which one is shorter. Based on their choice, the model generated the time duration of constant progress bar in next trial. After 40 trials for each non-constant progress bar, the PSE was calculated by the model. Eye tracking was recorded during the experiment.Results: Our results show that the constant progress bar and speed-up progress bar are perceived to be faster. The anchoring effect fits the results of our study, indicating that the final part of the progress bar is more important for time perception. Moreover, the eye-tracking results indicate that the progress bar is perceived to be slower is related to the overload of cognitive resources.Conclusion: The constant progress bar and speed-up progress bar are perceived as the quickest. Application: The results suggest that UX design can use constant or speed-up progress bar, in order to improve user experience in waiting

Active progress bars : aiding the switch to temporary activities

International audienceCan we design an interface to help people make use of the idle time spent looking at progress bars? We propose to augment progress bars with user-controlled functionalities facilitating the switch to temporary activities. We propose a taxonomy of waiting period contexts and possible temporary tasks, then report on participatory design sessions, and a follow-up survey. Finally we describe an early prototype of active progress bar and report a small controlled experiment used to identify the impact of the tool on primary task satisfaction. The findings suggest that Active Progress Bars lead to significantly higher satisfaction when compared to a control condition

The Perception of Speed and Emotional Response in Intensely Visualized Progress Indicators

Tato práce se zaobírá návrhem, implementováním a testováním indikátorů postupu. Jedná se o vizuálně odlišné a specifické indikátory. Rozebírá analogie různých dnešních podob indikátorů a jich principy. Jsou uvedeny hypotézy ovlivňující kvalitu indikátorů. Dále studuje rychlostní porovnání a emoční odezvu nových návrhů, pomocí testovací aplikace, která sbírá výsledky větší vzorky participantů. Na konci práce jsou výsledky zpracovány a analyzovány.This paper deals with designing, implementing and testing of progress indicators. Indicators are specific and visually different. It discusses analogies with current indicators and their principles. There are listed hypotheses affecting the quality of indicators. It studies speed comparisons and emotion responses of the new designs with the help of test application which collects the results from bigger amount of participants. The results are processed and analyzed at the end of this paper.

Where Am I? A Meta-Analysis of Experiments on the Effects of Progress Indicators for Web Surveys

The use of progress indicators seems to be standard in many online surveys. Researchers include them in surveys in the hope they will help reduce drop-off rates. However, there is no consensus in the literature regarding their effects. In this meta-analysis, we analyzed 32 randomized experiments comparing drop-off rates of an experimental group who completed an online survey in which a progress indicator was shown to drop-off rates of a control group to whom the progress indicator was not shown. In all the studies, a drop-off was defined as a discontinuance of the survey (at any point) after it has begun, resulting in failure to complete the survey. Three types of progress indicators were analyzed: constant, fast-to-slow, and slow-to-fast. Our results show that, overall, using a constant progress indicator does not significantly help reduce drop-offs and that effectiveness of the progress indicator varies depending on the speed of indicator: Fast-to-slow indicators reduced drop-offs, whereas slow-to-fast indicators increased drop-offs. We also found that among the studies in which a small incentive was promised, showing a constant progress indicator increased the drop-off rate. These findings question the common belief that progress indicators help reduce drop-off rates

Time delays and system response times in human-computer interaction

This study sought to determine a type of graphical representation of system response time that would be most beneficial to the user in terms of task performance. Specifically, I examined which type of progress bar would allow the user to return to working with the system most efficiently while performing other concurrent tasks, and how well the user performed these tasks. The different types of progress bars studied included segmented and continuous progress presentations, and linear, accelerating, and decelerating progress behaviors. The results indicate that different representations of system response time affected performance on the two tasks, with the continuous progress bar resulting in the best performance out of the two progress bar types and the linear behavior resulting in the best performance out of the behaviors. The results also show that different progress bar speeds and types should be used depending on the desired effect of the progress bar on users

WaitSuite: Productive Use of Diverse Waiting Moments

The busyness of daily life makes it difficult to find time for informal learning. Yet, learning requires significant time and effort, with repeated exposures to educational content on a recurring basis. Despite the struggle to find time, there are numerous moments in a day that are typically wasted due to waiting, such as while waiting for the elevator to arrive, wifi to connect, or an instant message to arrive. We introduce the concept of wait-learning: automatically detecting wait time and inviting people to learn while waiting. Our approach is to design seamless interactions that augment existing wait time with productive opportunities. Combining wait time with productive work opens up a new class of software systems that overcome the problem of limited time. In this article, we establish a design space for wait-learning and explore this design space by creating WaitSuite, a suite of five different wait-learning apps that each uses a different kind of waiting. For one of these apps, we conducted a feasibility study to evaluate learning and to understand how exercises should be timed during waiting periods. Subsequently, we evaluated multiple kinds of wait-learning in a two-week field study of WaitSuite with 25 people. We present design implications for wait-learning, and a theoretical framework that describes how wait time, ease of accessing the learning task, and competing demands impact the effectiveness of wait-learning in different waiting scenarios. These findings provide insight into how wait-learning can be designed to minimize interruption to ongoing tasks and maximize engagement with learning

La vitesse de défilement des barres de progression influence-t-elle la perception du temps d’attente ?

This research focuses on the satisfaction and waiting times perceived by a user during the moments where the interaction between the user and the system is temporarily interrupted (file download, setup of a program, etc.). These waiting times are often sources of anxiety and irritation. They go usually with the presentation of an animated progress bar. The objective of this research is to study the impact of different variable-rate progress bars by varying the speed of scrolling. Thus, we are interested in the effects of acceleration and deceleration between progress bars positions. The results confirm the existence of a causal link between perception of waiting time and satisfaction. In addition, a progress bar with a decelerating speed is significantly more appreciated by the users. The results may provide valuable information for the design of computer interfaces.Cette recherche s’intéresse à la satisfaction et au temps d’attente perçu par l’utilisateur au cours des périodes où son interaction avec le système est momentanément suspendue (chargement d’un fichier, installation d’une application, etc.). Ces temps d’attente, souvent sources d’anxiété et d’agacement, sont généralement agrémentés par la présentation d’une barre de progression. L’objectif de cette recherche est d’étudier l’impact sur l’utilisateur des variations du défilement de ces barres de progression. Ainsi, nous nous intéressons plus particulièrement aux effets d’accélération et de décélération de leur remplissage. Les résultats confirment l’existence d’un lien causal entre perception du temps d’attente et satisfaction. De plus, une barre de progression qui décélère est significativement plus appréciée des utilisateurs. Les résultats obtenus pourront servir de recommandations pour la conception des interfaces