How Assessing Plasticity Design Choices Can Improve UI Quality: A Case Study

International audienceIn Human Computer Interaction, plasticity refers to the capacity of User Interfaces (UIs) to withstand variations of context of use while preserving quality in use. Frequently, insuring more or less smooth transition from one context of use to the other (from the end-user perspective) is conducted ad hoc. To support a more systematic approach for characterizing UI tuning in terms of quality in use along context of use variations, we present an exploratory study focused deliberately on platform aspects. The design process of this particular case study is detailed and all design decisions have been recorded in terms of their influence on UI ergonomic quality, using Ergonomic Criteria. The interesting result is that most design choices when changing the platform lead to the reexamination of the initial designs. Ongoing work is done to support the insight that considering plasticity seems to help in explicitly broadening UI design choices and sharpening the solution

Optimizing Usability Studies by Complementary Evaluation Methods

This paper examines combinations of complementary evaluation methods as a strategy for efficient usability problem discovery. A data set from an earlier study is re-analyzed, involving three evaluation methods applied to two virtual environment applications. Results of a mixed-effects logistic regression suggest that usability testing and inspection discover rather disjunctive sets of problems. A resampling analysis reveals that mixing inspection and usability testing sessions in equal parts finds 20% more problems with the same number of session

For a psycho-engineering approach to HCI

Projet PSYCHO ERGORésumé disponible dans le fichier PD

Living Lab Research Landscape: From User Centred Design and User Experience towards User Cocreation

International audienceNew paradigms, such as Open Innovation (Chesbrough, 2003) and Web 2.0 (O'Reilly, 2004) as well as Living Labs operating as a User Centred Open Innovation Ecosystem (Pallot, 2009), promote a more proactive role of users in the R&D process. However, a number of existing methods for involving users are abundantly described in the literature, such as Lead User (Von Hippel, 2005), User Driven Innovation (Von Hippel, 1986), User Centred Design (Von Hippel, 2005) and User Created Content (O'Reilly, 1998) as well as User Co-Creation (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2000). This paper explores the domain landscape of Living Lab research, based on the landscape of human-centred design research (Sanders & Stappers, 2008; Sanders, 2008) and later introduced in the domain of Living Lab research (Mulder & Stappers, 2009). It also discusses the links with existing theories such as Social Capital Theory (Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998) and Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986) as well as Socio-Emotional Intelligence Theory (Goleman, 1998). It also explores the creation of User Group Experience concept for bringing the socio-emotional perspective (Norman, 1995; 1998; 2004; 207; Goleman, 1998) into User Experience (Fleming, 1998) that appears too much focusing on individual users and usability.Cet article présente une cartographie des recherches menées en lien avec les living labs

Evaluating a user interface with ergonomic criteria

Projet PSYCHO ERGOThe usefulness of a set of ergonomic criteria for the evaluation of user interfaces was assessed using a mixed two-factors experimental design. Two groups of usability specialists (Control, Criteria) were asked to evaluate the interface of a musical database management system in two phases. In the first phase of the experiment, all the participants relied solely on their expertise; in the second phase they were instructed to evaluate the management system again but this time through the replay of their previous interactions: participants in the Criteria group used a set of ergonomic criteria while the participants in the Control group did not. In the first phase, the two groups did not differ in terms of: (1) the number of usability problems detected, and (2) the proportions of usability problems uncovered as well as the proportion of usability problems found in common, with respect to the size of the aggregates. In the second phase however, the participants in the Criteria group had better performances than those in the Control group: they uncovered more new problems, and the proportion of problems uncovered as well as the proportion of problems found in common was greater as a function of the number of evaluators in the aggregates. To sum up, the criteria increased the evaluation performance of the experts

Espaces d'Informations Personnelles: Utilisabilité et Modification Utilisateurs

This paper presents a study on the usability of a new prototype system for managing personal information on the Internet (PIMI). The objectives are to assess its ease of use, and assess user modification as an evaluation technique. Thirty users participated in the experiment: the first part was a classical usability test (TUC) and a second part was a usability test with user modifications (TUM). A total of 51 usability problems were diagnosed. Among them, 32 with TUC, and 19 with TUM. Part of the latter (11) adds to those identified with TUC, and those previously diagnosed during a usability inspection (IU with Ergonomic Criteria). The active participation of users through customization scenarios seems to provide additional clues for evaluating usability and for design (new generic usability recommendations).Cet article présente une étude sur l'utilisabilité d'un nouveau prototype de système de gestion des informations personnelles sur Internet (PIMI). Les objectifs sont d'évaluer sa facilité d'utilisation, et d'évaluer la modification utilisateur comme technique d'évaluation. Trente utilisateurs ont participé à l'expérience : une première partie consistait en un test utilisateur classique (TUC) et une seconde partie était un test d'utilisabilité avec modifications utilisateur (TUM). Un total de 51 problèmes d'utilisabilité a été diagnostiqué. Parmi eux, 32 ont été identifiés avec TUC, et 19 avec TUM. Une partie de ces derniers (11) s'ajoute à ceux identifiés avec TUC, et à ceux diagnostiqués précédemment lors d'une inspection de l'utilisabilité (IU avec Critères Ergonomiques). La participation active des utilisateurs au travers de scénarios de personnalisation semble fournir des indices supplémentaires pour l'évaluation de l'utilisabilité et pour la conception (nouvelles recommandations génériques d'utilisabilité). Mots clés : Utilisabilité ; méthodes d'évaluation ; modifications utilisateur ; e-gov. ; informations personnelles. Abstract: This paper presents a study on the usability of a new prototype system for managing personal information on the Internet (PIMI). The objectives are to assess its ease of use, and assess user modification as an evaluation technique. Thirty users participated in the experiment: the first part was a classical usability test (TUC) and a second part was a usability test with user modifications (TUM). A total of 51 usability problems were diagnosed. Among them, 32 with TUC, and 19 with TUM. Part of the latter (11) adds to those identified with TUC, and those previously diagnosed during a usability inspection (IU with Ergonomic Criteria). The active participation of users through customization scenarios seems to provide additional clues for evaluating usability and for design (new generic usability recommendations)

Using K-MADe for learning task modeling: interests and difficulties

International audienceTeaching user-centred software design covers many aspects. One of the most important ones is task modeling. Since task modeling contributes largely to the ergonomic quality and acceptance of the resulting software, it is essential for task modeling concepts to be well understood by future software designers. To this end, this study aims at evaluating a task model (K-MAD) and its associated tool (K-MADe) as regards the task modeling training. This article describes the rationale of the study, the model and the software tool used, the teaching steps, and the experience feedback on the practical use of the software. The latter identifies the benefits and disadvantages of this practical use from the teaching point of view, but also from a practical standpoint, including in terms of evolution of the models obtained and of their edition.L'enseignement de la conception de logiciel centrée utilisateur concerne de nombreux aspects. Un de ces aspects les plus importants est la modélisation des tâches. La modélisation des tâches contribuant fortement à la qualité ergonomique et à l'acceptation du logiciel résultant, il est indispensable qu'elle soit la mieux comprise possible par les futurs concepteurs de logiciels. Dans ce but, cette étude cherche à évaluer un modèle de tâche particulier (K-MAD) et son outil associé (K-MADe) dans une démarche d'enseignement de la modélisation des tâches. Cet article décrit la problématique de l'étude, le modèle et le logiciel enseigné, les différentes phases de l'enseignement, et le retour d'expérience d'utilisation concrète du logiciel. Ce retour d'expérience identifie les apports et les inconvénients liés à cette utilisation, lors de son enseignement, et propose des pistes d'évolution des modèles obtenus et d'édition de ces modèles

Critères Ergonomiques pour les Interactions Homme-Environnements Virtuels : définitions, justifications et exemples

Ce rapport présente les définitions, justifications et exemples de recommandations associées aux Critères Ergonomiques adaptés aux Interactions Homme-Environnements Virtuels (IHEV). Les Critères Ergonomiques présentés sont fondés sur les Critères Ergonomiques décrits dans Bastien & Scapin (1993). On a procédé selon les mêmes étapes, lesquelles sont succinctement rappelées. Le recueil des résultats, leur décryptage et leur classification, sont présentées dans un premier temps. Une étape de validation de l'utilisabilité des critères sous la forme d'une tâche d'affectation est décrite et les principaux résultats sont fournis. Une seconde étape de validation concernant cette fois l'utilité des critères est également exposée à travers une comparaison des performances des critères, en situation d'inspection ergonomique d'Environnements Virtuels (EV), avec celles de deux autres méthodes : les Tests Utilisateurs et l'Inspection Libre. Enfin des perspectives d'autres expériences sont proposées, les limites du document et une mise en garde sur son utilisation précèdent la description complète des Critères Ergonomiques dédiés aux IHEV