Usability Testing

Gould & Lewis: 3 Principles of design

Early focus on the user
Empirical measurement
Iterative design

Usability Testing = empirical

measurement

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Informing your design decisions

Gestalt Laws one source of information

Proximity
Similarity
Closure
Continuity
Symmetry
Relative size
Figure and Ground
Common fate

Later Additions
Division (Kostelnick and Roberts, 1998)
Connectedness (Palmer and Rock, 1995)

Empirical Studies
Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Proximity

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.189.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Similarity

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.190.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Closure

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.195 - 197

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Continuity

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.193.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Symmetry

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.193.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Relative Size

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.197.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Figure and Ground

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.198.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

Gestalt Laws: Figure and Ground

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.198.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

10

Gestalt Laws: Common Fate

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

11

Gestalt Laws: Division

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

12

Gestalt Laws: Connectedness

Ware C. (2004). Information Visualization: Perception for Design: Elsevier Inc: San Francisco,
CA, p.192.

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

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Empirical Studies
Miles Tinker
Readability research

Stone and Glock

Studies in how visuals effect procedural
instructions

Kosslyn
Studies in understanding perception of charts and
graphs

Design Research can address/help:

How to solve design issues
How to provide a design rationale
Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

20

Charts, Graphs, Diagrams and Maps

Graph
Quantitative measures
Some Maps if they lay-out distance

Charts and Diagrams

Qualitative
Specifies relationships
Diagrams = schematic pictures of objects
or events

Maps
Spatial layout
Monday 2 Se

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21

When to use a Graph

Illustrate relations among measures
Not for absolute measures
Considersations
Relevance
Appropriate Knowledge
Know your audience

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

22

Pie or Divided Graphs

Emphasize the components of a whole

Monday 2 Se

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23

Line Graphs
Quantitative data
Good for Interval
Scales
(Time,Temp,Money)
Interactions

Monday 2 Se

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24

Bar Graphs
Quantitative data
Comparisons
Vertical vs.
Horizontal
When in doubtuse
vertical

Side by side graphs

show comparisons

Monday 2 Se

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25

Step Graphs
Quantitative Data
Illustrate trends
among >2 members
of a nominal or
ordinal scale
Use a line graph if
the values vary
continuously

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

26

Scatter Plots
Quantitative Data
Regression Lines

Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

27

Stacked Bar
Quantitative Data
nominal scale
Many of the same
properties of divided
bar graphsexcept
overall height

Monday 2 Se

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Layer Graph
Quantitative Data
Overall height
indicates cumulative
total
http://www.babynam
ewizard.com/namevo
yager/lnv0105.html

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Assignment 1
Software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Genre: Poster (20 x 30)
Purpose: To support a speaker from
your company/organization when
talking about the companys products.
Users:
The speaker
One of three different audiences (focus
each poster on only one audience)
Monday 2 Se

TC 310 Fall 2006

37