Interface Simulation and Analysis

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Interface Simulation and Analysis

• Evaluating a cell phone interface

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Interface Simulation

• Flexible, versatile, extensible
• Ability to implement in common web-based
  markup/programming languages
• HTML, JavaScript, CSS
• Easier and less expensive than physical mockup
• Allows rapid testing of many different
  configurations

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Simulation in Alpha

• Four-Function Calculator
• Kyocera 2235 Cell Phone

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Interface Simulation

• Challenges and complications
• Coding device functionality is not difficult
• Representing gfx/text interface is difficult
• Representing complicated menu structure can be
  difficult
• Comm 540 is not a programming course ?
• Interesting and informative experience, but
• Need for evaluation

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Interface Evaluation

• A look at existing technology
• How well-designed is the interface?
• How does it hold up under different tasks and
  different users?
• How logical is the internal structure of the
  interface?

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Interface Evaluation

• Cell phones as an ideal technology for evaluation
• Young technology
• Rapidly developing technology
• Overwhelmingly popular technology
• Many different implementations of same basic
  functionality

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Kyocera 2235

• Introducing the Kyocera 2235!
• The phone with the cool blue glow
• One of Verizons popular models over the past
  year
• Fairly representative of mid-range cell phone
  design
• Kyocera web site provides some interesting online
  resources
• http//www.kyocera-wireless.com/2200_phone/2235_kn
  ow.htm

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Research Methodology

• Determine representative users
• Determine representative tasks
• Evaluate users on tasks
• Evaluate phones menu structure

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Participants

• Participant 1 (me, baseline?)
• 23 years old, user of this phone
• Participant 2
• 19 years old, college freshman, user of almost
  identical phone
• Participant 3
• 21 years old, college junior, user of same
  brand/similar phone
• Participant 4
• 44 years old, college senior, user of very
  different phone
• Participant 5
• 70 years old, worked in business, never used a
  cell phone

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Tasks

• Make a call
• One of the most fundamental tasks on a cell phone
• Look up a specific number
• Also a very common task
• Identify number types (cell, home, work)
• Organizational functionality
• Calculate 3217 x 4193
• Access non-phone-related tools
• Non-mental math

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Number Types

• Cell Work Home

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(No Transcript)
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Task Analysis

• How many steps does each task require?
• How long did it take each person to perform each
  task (or with what accuracy)?
• What kinds of results should we expect?

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What is a Task Step?

• 1 step progression through 1 level of the
  interface hierarchy
• Keying in 607-592-1234 is 1 step, not 10
• Keying in 607-592-1234 Send is 2 steps, not
  11

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Task Steps

• Make Call 2 steps
• Number Lookup 4 steps (or 2 steps )
• Number Type ID 1 step (n/a)
• Calculate 3 steps

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Task Results Summary
Participant Make Call Number Lookup Number Type ID Calculate
1 5 seconds 16 seconds 3/3 26 seconds
2 4 seconds 14 seconds 3/3 22 seconds
3 8 seconds 20 seconds 3/3 37 seconds
4 12 seconds 25 seconds 2/3 gave up
5 gave up gave up 2/3 skipped
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Task Results Implications

• Routine tasks (make call, number lookup) seem
  intuitive to users of other phones
• Non-phone-specific task (calculator) may be
  difficult for users of non-Kyocera phones
• Operation of cell phone largely unclear to
  non-cell-user
• Number type iconography for cell and home are
  clear to all work unclear to non-Kyocera users
• Results suggestive, but not generalizable

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Hierarchy Analysis Card Sort!

• Index cards to represent each menu item
• randomized
• Asked participants to do 4 things
• Group cards into categories
• Prioritize within categories
• Prioritize among categories
• Name groups/categories

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Card Sort Results - Summary
Participant Time Categories
Actual Phone 7
2 18 minutes 8
3 22 minutes 6
4 26 minutes 11
5 13 minutes 5
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Things to Watch Out For

• Some names modified to make purpose clearer
• Display -gt Display Settings
• Add New -gt Add New Contact
• Mystic Ching -gt Mystic Ching Game
• Potential ambiguity
• Some items used as category names
• Network Settings etc. (usually settings)

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More Things to Watch Out For
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Kermit
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(No Transcript)
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Card Sort Results Analogous Category Names
Actual Phone Contacts Messages Settings Tools Games
Participant 2 Voice Services Settings Voice Services Settings Accessories Settings, Extras Settings
Participant 3 Rapid Contacts, Contacts Messages Settings Tools or Extras
Participant 4 Phonebook Text In/Text Out, Incoming Settings, Message Settings, Misc Settings Games, Tools
Participant 5 Business Business Settings, Messages Personal Stuff, Im Bored
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Interesting Results

• Tendency to separate add from view functions
• Add New Contact vs. View All Contacts
• Tendency to categorize contact list/messaging
  functions together
• Tools and Games often separated
• Unlike phone, Personal Contacts always before
  Business Contacts
• Contacts, Messages categories invariably precede
  Settings, Tools/Games

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Potential Problems?

• Non-Kyocera users confused about Countdown
• Everybody confused by presence of both Message
  Settings and Messaging Settings peculiar
  redundancy in phone

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Further Exploration

• Classic complaint power on/off button
• Text input order of punctuation?
• . _at_ , - ? / ( ) _
• Why is comma not second? (Do we really need
  commas for phone text-messaging?)
• Why is question mark so deep? (Arent questions
  the essence of many text messages?)

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In Conclusion

• And dont forget, more importantly than anything
  else, cell phones should never have subliminal
  messages.