HCI M2

M2 –Explain the fundamental principles which have been applied to the designs.

What I have designed and what principles I have used within.

South Park Game

Input -

I have designed a start up screen which shows most of what I intend to be in the game.  The colour of the background for a start it is going to be a very opaque purple which has some colour but it isn’t that outstanding so it won’t affect the eye to a certain extent.  The four images will be more colourful than the actual background so it has that pop out effect and it will make them stand out, the reason behind that I wanted the user to see the main character well one of them, as I placed that image to the largest and the three other images the goblins which are the enemies. The text on the buttons and the title are of the same colour, slightly brighter than the background so very visible to any user. Last but not least the buttons, as I have the background in a purple colour I thought purple again but a darker more vibrant colour than before so they have the pop out effect again once more in my design. Close to each other so not a lot of movement from one to the other.

Output -

The input being the start screen and now for the output as I have made another screen but this time being an info page, this is where the user will find out parts of the game and the controls etc. Sticking with the purple theme I needed to think of what the text should be in so as the background is purple and button is purple I thought yeah purple again. A lot darker than the opaque background so it is very visible as the background is more white than purple, sub titles for the different parts of info to be bold and underlined so they are showing that they are titles rather than information. Same button layout but in the bottom right and only one to go back to the title screen, being in the bottom right for more space for text and images. The only two images I have put into the info page are powerups that you can find in the game, they are very visible as they are very colourful and hard to miss.

Database

Input

With my form I have stuck to the black and white theme, as it is easy to comprehend if you have any visual impairments. The text is very visible and the picture is very eye catching, due to the pop out effect. White and black always looks good I think, looking at the colour collaboration in P2 it shows only white on black but still that looks very good.

There is space between each input to the form but not too much so you know there is space but you can easily get to it with less movement.

Output

Nothing much I can say about this because the output of the form is just a database, access is very easy to use and the colours are very good.

HCP M1

M1 –Explain how an HCI could be adjusted for specialist needs.

There are many reasons for creating specialist interfaces for example for people with major disabilities. For people with these disabilities a designer must consider if the interface he is going to design must be speech-activated for visually impaired people.

Visual impairment is a difficulty in seeing images or texts clearly depending on their colours and size.
Therefore designers must adapt to these difficulties by researching and developing their designs. Bright colours are difficult to be seen on bright backgrounds for example if it was yellow text applied onto a white background. Dark coloured texts must be used on bright backgrounds in order for them to be clear and stand out.

Specialist HCI is also used with Text-to-Voice interface. It allows people who have reading difficulties and pronunciation difficulties to be able to hear the text instead of reading it. This could however be used to learn a different language or the way words are pronounced in different languages. A good program that uses this interface is the Google translator, it can be used to translate other languages and then turn them into speech or simply turn any text into speech.

Voice recognition is a type of specialist HCI that allows people to speak instead of typing. It works by recording words and converting them into text. It is highly beneficial for users with disabilities. It is useful for those who have problems while using their hands, either because of Arthritis, Stress or Depression. There is a big chance that some people who use keyboards now will suffer from Repetitive Strain Injury and some users CTS (Carpel Tunnel Syndrome).

The input and output I designed to a specialists needs is the Database, as the text and background are very visible to the eye, visually impaired may be able to view it, if not access is a simple program and will feature a voice recognition. White and black are very easy colours to understand and seen as though I have done my database on cars, it has to help every customer that comes in and out so when they are completing their forms they must at all times be able to read and input data. 

HCI P2

P2 – Explain the fundamental principles of HCI design.

Perception

Perceptions change from the developer and the users. Users are very unlikely to not understand the fine detail in a GUI and the value of positioning and colour of GUI on the desktop and how these features could affect ease of use. The developer, designer and the interviewer who interviews the clients can all be different people, so the developer and designer may not be completely aware of clients needs. Also clients may not be the users and so they won’t fully understand the requirements of all users’ needs.

Colour

Colour is a very important area which designers need to be aware of when designing GUIs. Microsoft Office uses grey as the main colour and blue for enhancing drop-down lists and title bars. A lot of users think that grey is boring and dull. However if it was changed to a different colour such as bright red it would be uncomfortable on people’s eyes, though people are affected differently by various colours.

Using the Colour collaboration above it shows which colours go with which and the developers need to choose which would be best for their GUI.

Luminance

The 3 colours in the trichromatic system are identified by 3 cells in the retina of the eyes. Theories have been developed that receptors take signals which take the form of red-green, yellow-blue and black-white. These types of signals are known as opponent colour channels because they transmit opposite colours. To display the best detail luminance contrasts should always be used.

Pop out effect

When there are many symbols and images aligning, colouring and adjusting them differently can make these images stand out from others. Making the images, text stand out is also known as a pop out effect. Our eyes detect colours using the 3 trichromatic systems, but we can be tricked into thinking that more than one colour have been used. When designing GUI which is to be used at night or in poor lighting then luminance might have to be essential.

Pattern

Pattern many developers refer it to a template but a user of the GUI and its layout would most likely think it is a picture. As an example a template is used for dialogue boxes in Microsoft, this gives the user connectedness. The Gestalt laws are used in GUI to describe pattern perception and form the rules for designs.

·         Proximity: items we see that are grouped close together.

·         Continuity: level nonstop lines are better read than fast varying lines.

·         Symmetry: symmetrical shapes are easier to see than irregular shapes.

·         Similarity: we view items that are the same as a group and items that are different as individuals.

Common Groupings

·         Fate: we view items that move together as a group.

·         Region: we view items that are enclosed together by some means, as a group.

·         Connected: we view items that are connected by continuous lines as linked to each other.

Behaviour Models

There are a number of models that predict the way in which an interface or user will behave. For example;

Predictive Models

Predictive models are used to predict how humans will interact with interfaces once it is made and sold to the public. Reaction time is the time that it takes to react to an interface – for example, how long will it take for a user to reach the mouse and click on an icon. The model for this is the KLM (Key-stroke Level Model). The Through-put is the time that it takes for the request to be executed. For example, in modern technology, the faster the processor is the better the throughput. Fitts’ Law is similar to KLM – the time it takes your arm to reach the device (for example, in a touch screen phone) is determined by Fitts’ Law.

Descriptive Models

 These types of models describe the functions of certain parts of the technology. The Key-Action Model details what the functions of each key of a technology is. For example, in a standard keyboard, each key has distinctive functions. There are also combinations of keys that are already set before the technology is given to the public. Control and S keys, for example, are the shortcut keys for saving something. The Buxton’s Free State Model (BTS) determines what kind of input techniques can be used whilst creating the interface. It should be kept in mind how users may want to interact and thus have all the options open for them.

Information processing

The concept of positioning and layering can be explained more if the objects have not been arranged correctly, then the GUI or some of it may disappear behind the main screen. The user would not know it was there or able to use it.

Information Processing

Information processing is basically how information is processed or how it will be processed and how fast it is done.

Humans as a component

It is important to remember that one of the key variables in HCI design is the human end user. This can be difficult to manage and recognise people’s needs and expectations. A risk assessment is one way to analyse task steps needed for the end user.

Human Information Processing

HIP is the way in which we understand information, evaluate it and use it. Our brains could be compared to the hardware of a computer and how our mind uses the information - the software.

Goals, Operators, Method and Selections

GOMS can estimate the time it takes for command or action to be followed. The designer identifies a goal by using a series of operators and lists the methods and selection in order to carry out the command. This way the designer can estimate the time it should take and identify any problems. The designer can then work out the best method of user interface based on the user’s requirements.

Specialist interfaces

To avoid production an interface that is not accessible for specialist uses such as for a user with a disability, you may consider designing an interface that uses voice recognition software for input or even output for the visually impaired. However, you will need to consider how easy it will be used if your user has a lisp or another speech impediment.

 For those users who both aurally and visually impaired, the best option is to use haptic technology. Haptic technology might also be the only option for someone who is severely physically challenged and unable to use their limbs. A design that enables the user to use a pointer and select the desired options could enable independence. Remote control devices can be used or a heads up display for both input and output.