05.understanding the user's task

some examples of interface design ideas

Read this to prepare for class discussion

  1. Universal principles of design
    Heirarchy of needs, 124
  2. from Sharp, Rogers, & Preece,
    Chapter 2, Understanding and conceptualizing interaction
    • Section 2.2, Understanding the problem space and conceptualizing design, 36-40
    • Section 2.3, Conceptual models, 40-43
    • Section 2.6, Paradigms, theories, models, and frameworks, 55-61
  3. from Sharp, Rogers, & Preece,
    Chapter 3, Understanding users
    • Section 3.3.1, Mental models, 86-88
    • Section 3.3.2, Gulfs of execution and evaluation, 88-89
    • Section 3.3.3, Information processing, 89-91
  4. from Sharp, Rogers, & Preece,
    Chapter 10, Establishing requirements
    • Section 10.4, Data gathering for requirements, 363-370
    • Section 10.5, Data analysis, interpretation, and presentation, 370-373
  5. Uden, L., Valderas, P., & Pastor, O. (2008).
    An activity-theory-based model to analyse Web application requirements.
    Information Research, 13(2), paper 340.
    Read only the following sections:
    ⇒ Activity theory background
    ⇒ Activities, actions and operations
    ⇒ Applying activity theory to the analysis of Web application requirements
    ⇒ Benefits of activity theory for Web requirements

Optional readings which may come up in class discussions

ON METAPHORS

ON COGNITIVE TASK ANALYSIS

ON ACTIVITY THEORY

ON GOMS

ON FITTS' LAW

Useful, but not available online

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