M&IB Devx - User Experience (Ux)

Understanding users and tasks is important when designing easy-to-use software because it allows designers to create a user-centered design. By understanding the needs, goals, and behaviors of the users, designers can tailor the software to meet their specific requirements. Similarly, understanding the tasks that users will perform with the software helps designers create intuitive and efficient interfaces that support the users' workflow. By prioritizing user and task understanding, designers can ensure that the software is easy to navigate, learn, and use, ultimately leading to a positive user experience.

A pair of radio buttons would be the correct control to use when creating a form to ask for someone's gender. Radio buttons allow the user to select only one option from a set of mutually exclusive choices, which is suitable for selecting between male or female. A drop-down menu would not be appropriate because it allows for selecting only one option, but does not visually indicate the choices. A pair of checkboxes would allow for selecting multiple options, which is unnecessary for this scenario. A spin box is used for selecting numerical values, not for selecting between two options.

Trigger words are indeed the words and phrases that are specifically chosen to prompt or entice people to take action, such as clicking on buttons or links. These words are carefully crafted to evoke curiosity, urgency, or interest, ultimately increasing the likelihood of engagement or conversion. Therefore, the statement "The words and phrases that make people click on buttons and links are called trigger words" is accurate.

Iterative design and user testing are the most important aspects of user-centered design. Iterative design involves continuously refining and improving a design based on user feedback and testing. This ensures that the final product meets the needs and preferences of the users. User testing involves gathering feedback from actual users through observation and interviews, allowing designers to identify any usability issues and make necessary adjustments. By incorporating both iterative design and user testing, designers can create a user-centered design that is intuitive, efficient, and meets the needs of the target users.

Waterfall design is not a key principle of user-centered design. User-centered design emphasizes early and continual focus on users and their tasks, empirical measurement of user behavior, and iterative design. Waterfall design, on the other hand, is a linear and sequential approach to software development where each phase is completed before moving on to the next. It does not involve active involvement of users throughout the design process, which is contrary to the principles of user-centered design.

A red route is the term given to a critical "user journey" with a system. It refers to the most important and frequently used path that a user takes while interacting with a system. This route is crucial for the user to achieve their intended goal and is often prioritized for optimization and improvement.

The question "Is it less than 100 words?" is not an important question to ask of a user story because the length of a user story does not determine its importance or effectiveness. User stories should be concise and focused, but the word count alone does not guarantee its quality. The important questions to ask of a user story include whether it is a complete activity, whether it is really a red route, and whether it is specific and measurable.

The ISO definition of usability includes satisfaction, efficiency, and effectiveness. Effectiveness refers to the extent to which users can achieve their goals accurately and completely when using a product. It measures how well a system performs the tasks it is designed for and how easily users can accomplish their objectives. In the context of usability, effectiveness is an important factor as it ensures that users can successfully accomplish their tasks without errors or difficulties.

The graph showing the number of participants who correctly and completely achieved each goal in a usability test report is a measure of effectiveness. It indicates how well the participants were able to accomplish their tasks accurately and successfully.

CARP is an acronym for a set of visual design principles. It stands for Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity. These principles are used to create visually appealing and effective designs. Contrast helps to create emphasis and make elements stand out. Alignment ensures that elements are properly arranged and organized. Repetition helps to create consistency and reinforce visual patterns. Proximity refers to the grouping of related elements to establish relationships and improve readability. Overall, these principles help designers create visually cohesive and engaging designs.

The ISO definition of usability states that it is the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use. This means that usability is determined by how well a product can be used in a particular situation or environment, taking into account the needs and goals of the users. The context of use refers to the specific circumstances and conditions in which the product will be used, such as the technology context or the environment.

Progressive disclosure is a design technique that aims to reduce screen complexity by initially showing users only a few of the most important options and then offering a larger set of specialized options upon request. This approach helps to prevent overwhelming users with too much information or too many choices at once, allowing them to focus on the most relevant options first and gradually explore additional features as needed.

The correct answer is "About 20". This suggests that most firms typically conduct around 20 user interviews when developing personas.

The suggested response of "How would you expect to return to the home page?" is a good one because it prompts the participant to think about their own expectations and assumptions regarding navigation on the website. This allows the moderator to gain insights into the participant's mental model and understand how they would naturally approach finding the home page. It also helps to avoid leading the participant or providing them with specific instructions, which could bias their behavior during the usability test.

The fourth cornerstone of contextual inquiry is "Context." Context refers to understanding the environment in which the user performs their tasks and how it influences their behavior and needs. It involves observing and documenting the physical and social surroundings, as well as the tools and technologies used by the user. This helps in gaining a holistic understanding of the user's experience and designing solutions that are tailored to their specific context.

The correct answer is "Recognition rather than recall" because the web form violates this heuristic by requiring users to remember or recall the field labels once they click inside the text input fields. Instead, the labels should remain visible or provide a clear indication of what information is expected in each field. This would make it easier for users to recognize and understand the purpose of each input field without relying on their memory.

The speaker in the UX presentation is talking about the three components of the "context of use" which are users, environments, and goals. These components are important to consider in UX design as they help designers understand the users' needs, the environment in which the product will be used, and the goals that the users want to achieve. By considering these components, designers can create user-centered designs that meet the specific needs and goals of the users in their particular context of use.

Visibility of system status is one of Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics. This principle emphasizes the importance of keeping users informed about what is happening within a system by providing clear and timely feedback. It ensures that users are aware of the system's current state, progress, and any errors or delays that may occur. By maintaining visibility of system status, users can make informed decisions and have a better understanding of how to interact with the system effectively.

ISO 9241-210 is the correct answer because it is the ISO standard that specifically defines a human-centered design process for interactive systems. This standard provides guidelines and requirements for ensuring that interactive systems are designed with the user in mind, taking into consideration their needs, capabilities, and limitations. It emphasizes the importance of user involvement throughout the design process and aims to create systems that are efficient, effective, and satisfying to use.

The explanation for the given correct answer is that a mental model is not the way designers choose to represent the working of the system to the user. Instead, it is how users actually think the system works. The way designers choose to represent the working of the system to the user is called the "implementation model" or the "design model". Therefore, the statement "A mental model is the way designers choose to represent the working of the system to the user" is false.

Eye tracking studies do not consistently show that users scan pages in a "T" shape. While some studies have found that users tend to scan in a horizontal movement across the upper part of the content area, this is not always the case. Eye tracking patterns can vary depending on the specific task, content, and user preferences. Therefore, it is incorrect to state that users always scan pages in a "T" shape.

The research question "What are the main usability issues with the RBS web site home page?" could be answered with a small number of participants because it focuses on a specific website and its home page. By observing and collecting feedback from just a few participants, it is possible to identify the main usability issues and make improvements accordingly. In contrast, the other research questions involve broader topics such as electronic voting systems, comparing multiple websites, or determining the price people are willing to pay for a service, which may require a larger sample size to obtain reliable results.

A detailed list of demographic characteristics is not a critical component of a persona because it focuses solely on the surface-level information about the user, such as age, gender, and occupation. While this information can be helpful, it does not provide insights into the user's motivations, behaviors, and needs. The other components, such as a description of key goals, a photograph, and a quotation, are more valuable as they provide a deeper understanding of the user's personality, aspirations, and challenges.