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encountering human error. Error should be reduced as much as possible in order to avoid frustration or injury. There are two main types of human errors which are categorized as slips and mistakes. Slips are a very common kind of error involving automatic behaviors (i.e. typos, hitting the wrong menu item). When we experience slips, we have the correct goal in mind, but execute the wrong action. Mistakes on the other hand involve conscious deliberation that result in the incorrect conclusion. When we experience mistakes, we have the wrong goal in mind and thereby execute the wrong action.
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reverse), they might step on the gas intending to drive, but instead accelerate into a garage wall or another car. In order to avoid modal errors, designers often employ modeless states in which users do not have to choose a mode at all, or they must execute a continuous action while intending to execute a certain mode (i.e. pressing a key continuously in order to activate "lasso" mode in
Photoshop).
101:. In this sense, it is not strictly a design role, and many usability engineers have a background in computer science because of this. Despite this point, its connection to the design trade is absolutely crucial, not least as it delivers the framework by which designers can work so as to be sure that their products will connect properly with their target usership.
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This tool is produced by Mind Design
Systems is available freely to federal government employees. According to the official company website this tool consists of two tightly-integrated applications. The first is the UTE Manager, which helps a tester set up test scenarios (tasks) as well as survey and
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The second UTE application is the UTE Runner. The UTE Runner presents the test participants with the test scenarios (tasks) as well as any demographic and survey questions. In addition, the UTE Runner tracks the actions of the subject throughout the test including clicks, keystrokes, and scrolling.
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to define problems that occur during the use of such a system. Usability
Engineering involves the testing of designs at various stages of the development process, with users or with usability experts. The history of usability engineering in this context dates back to the 1980s. In 1988, authors
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Even though slips are the more common type of error, they are no less dangerous. A certain type of slip error, a mode error, can be especially dangerous if a user is executing a high-risk task. For instance, if a user is operating a vehicle and does not realize they are in the wrong mode (i.e.
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In usability engineering, it's important target and identify human errors when interacting with the product of interest because if a user is expected to engage with a product, interface, or service in some way, the very introduction of a human in that engagement increases the potential of
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There are a variety of online resources that make the job of a usability engineer a little easier. Online tools are only a useful tool, and do not substitute for a complete usability engineering analysis. Some examples of these include:
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in the usability engineering lifecycle. Ensuring good usability via this process prevents problems in product adoption after release. Rather than focusing on finding solutions for usability problems—which is the focus of a
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are held by some to be a context, efficiency, and satisfaction with which specific users should be able to perform tasks. Advocates of this approach engage in task analysis, then prototype interface design, and
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demographic questions. The UTE Manager also compiles the test results and produces customized reports and summary data, which can be used as quantitative measures of usability observations and recommendations.
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Usability engineers conduct usability evaluations of existing or proposed interfaces and their findings are fed back to the designer for use in design or redesign. Common usability evaluation methods include:
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This is a product of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology. This toolkit is focused on evaluating the HTML of a website versus a wide range of usability guidelines and includes:
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This tool is a product of UsableNet.com and implements the section 508 Usability and
Accessibility guidelines as well as the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines.
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156:. The aim of these guidelines is to facilitate the use of a software application for people with disabilities. Some guidelines for web accessibility are:
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Usability
Evaluation and Interface Design: Cognitive Engineering, Intelligent Agents, and Virtual Reality, Volume 1 (Human Factors and Ergonomics)
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describes methods to use throughout a product development process—so designers can ensure they take into account the most important barriers to
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Usability engineers sometimes work to shape an interface such that it adheres to accepted operational definitions of
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Framework for
Logging Usability Data (FLUD) – a file format and parser for representation of user interaction logs
48:, respectively—published material on the subject, isolating the early setting of goals, iterative evaluation, and
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Web
Category Analysis Tool (WebCAT) – lets the usability engineer construct and conduct a web category analysis
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were also developed by the NIST. Usability.gov, a no-longer maintained website formerly operated by the US
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Web
Variable Instrumenter Program (WebVIP) – instruments a website to capture a log of user interaction
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The Human-Computer
Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies and Emerging Applications
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on those designs. On the basis of such tests, the technology is potentially redesigned if necessary.
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Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies, and Emerging Applications
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology has collaborated with industry to develop the
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Web Static Analyzer Tool (WebSAT) – checks web page HTML against typical usability guidelines
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VisVIP Tool – produces a 3D visualization of user navigation paths through a website
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Usability Engineering: Scenario-Based Development of Human-Computer Interaction
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Usability Engineering: Scenario-Based Development of Human-Computer Interaction
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The Section 508 government guidelines applicable to all public-sector websites.
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The ADA Guidelines for accessibility of state and local government websites.
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Making use : scenario-based design of human–computer interactions
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is a leader in the field of usability engineering. In his 1993 book
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Coakes, Elayne; Willis, Dianne; Lloyd-Jones, Raymond, eds. (2000).
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FLUDViz Tool – produces a 2D visualization of a single user session
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implementing the product. Nielsen’s work describes how to perform
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The Usability Engineering Lifecycle: A Practitioner's Handbook
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is a professional discipline that focuses on improving the
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Common Industry Specification for Usability – Requirements
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TreeDec – adds navigation aids to the pages of a website
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Usability Engineering: Process, Products & Examples
458:; Tara Scanlon; Carolyn Snyder; Terri DeAngelo (1998).
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specifications for successful usability in biometrics
681:The new SocioTech : graffiti on the long wall
630:The National Institute of Standards and Technology
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23:of interactive systems. It draws on theories from
169:The IBM Guidelines for accessibility of websites.
97:—a usability engineer mainly concentrates on the
115:International Organization for Standardization
711:Usability.gov - Improving the user experience
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160:The Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines.
635:The Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines
252:Software applications and development tools
370:(2nd ed.). Boston: AP Professional.
52:as key activities. The usability expert
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292:The Usability Testing Environment (UTE)
148:Usability, especially with the goal of
462:Web Site Usability: A Designer's Guide
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709:General Services Administration,
658:The Interaction Design Foundation
654:"What is Usability Engineering?"
117:approved definitions (see e.g.,
728:"The DESIGN of EVERYDAY THINGS"
392:. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
143:General Services Administration
111:user requirements documentation
1:
685:. London: Springer. pp.
42:Digital Equipment Corporation
500:Faulkner, Xristine (2000).
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713:, accessed 5 November 2022
519:Smith, Michael J. (2001).
261:The Web Metrics Tool Suite
595:; Julie A. Jacko (2007).
573:Leventhal, Laura (2007).
305:The UsableNet Liftmachine
82:and how to use usability
481:Mayhew, Deborah (1999).
366:Nielsen, Jakob (1993).
202:Cognitive task analysis
105:International standards
207:Cognitive walkthroughs
554:Jacko, Julie (2012).
502:Usability Engineering
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368:Usability engineering
313:Notable practitioners
222:Heuristic evaluations
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17:Usability engineering
241:Think aloud protocol
95:interaction designer
543:John Millar Carroll
485:. Morgan Kaufmann.
466:. Morgan Kaufmann.
440:. Morgan Kaufmann.
418:. Morgan Kaufmann.
412:John Millar Carroll
150:Universal Usability
113:. For example, the
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212:Contextual inquiry
187:Evaluation methods
606:978-0-8058-5870-9
584:978-0-13-157008-5
577:. Prentice Hall.
565:978-1-4398-2943-1
539:Rosson, Mary Beth
530:978-0-8058-3607-3
511:978-0-333-77321-5
492:978-1-55860-561-9
473:978-1-55860-569-5
447:978-0-12-518406-9
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620:Digital.gov
329:Alan Cooper
233:RITE method
50:prototyping
696:1852330406
663:2023-08-19
640:References
354:Steve Krug
226:Interviews
85:heuristics
72:efficiency
29:psychology
758:Usability
123:usability
121:part 11)
21:usability
752:Category
545:(2002).
436:(1993).
414:(2002).
388:(2000).
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237:Surveys
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