Unit 6 Design and Usability | How can I enhance the usability of a design?

1. Constraint
A method of limiting the actions that can be performed on a design.
2 types of constraint
     a. Physical Constraints
-The physical properties of objects constrain possible operations, each object has physical feature.
Some examples of physical constraints like which part can be together or can't be together, objects that we can pick up or moved.

For example as the lego above, there are some parts can match to be together, and there are some part doesn't match. Moreover, it provides a limit where two lego can match together. The limit also known as constraint.

     b. Psychological constraints
-In this society, there are often limitation in social behaviour of different cultures. behavior is determined by the combination of internal knowledge and external information and constraints

From the picture above, when we saw this do not litter signboard, we automatically will avoid to do this action and find the bin provided in this place.

2. Cost Benefit
-When a design is designed, the cost benefit of the product is always calculated to determine whether  the benefit value is higher than the cost value or vice-versa and also how does the cost benefit of the product affects user.

For example this product, it has a very high cost, but there are people who will buy it for the sake of its cost benefit. The user will feel satisfy when they go out with this handbag because it is branded. It makes the user feel superior with it. 

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3. Visibility
The usability of a system is improved when its status and methods of use are clearly visible. The actions that a user can perform on a device should be obvious by just looking at the device itself.

Example: The function of the remote control and the keyboard can be determine easily because it has all the labels of the function on the button. Therefore, the usability of the design is improve due to its visibility

4. Progressive Disclosure
A strategy for managing information complexity in which only display the necessary or requested information instead of display all information and thus make the user confused or frustrated. This strategy is to prevent the information overload.

The system will hide the unnecessary information and the extra information will only display when you click it.

5. Iconic Representation
The use of pictorial images to make actions, objects, and concepts in a display easier to find, recognize and remember. The image is use to improve the recognition and recall of signs and control.
4 types of iconic representation:
     a. Similar icons - Images that visually analogous to an action, object or concept.

     b. Example icons - Images that commonly associated with action, object or concept.

     c. Symbolic icons - Images that represent an action, object or concept at higher level of abstraction.

Danger                WIFI

     d. Arbitrary icons - Image that we already learned and the image has no relationship to the action, object or concept. Arbitrary image has become standard as it already used for a long period of time.

6. Wayfinding
The process of using spatial and environmental information to navigate to a destination which involved 4 stages:
     a. Orientation - determine one's location relative to nearby objects and the destination
     b. Route Decision - make decision to choose the route in order to get to the destination
     c. Route Monitoring - monitor the route that had been chosen to confirm it is leading to the correct destination
     d. Destination Recognition - recognize the destination

For example, on the picture above, it shows the floor map of FSKPM, it has the orientation where it shows us where we are, provided with description for each label to enable user to make their route decision. User are also easily monitor their route with this map.

Unit 5 Design and Learning | How can I help people learn from a design?

1. Chunking
 -Chunking is a technique of combining information into limited number of units to increase recall       performance and retain information.
Example:

Floor directory of  FSKPM, UNIMAS

The floor directory has chunk the information of the rooms at FSKPM into different parts according to the level of floor.

2. Classical Conditioning
-It is a learning process that occurs between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Classical conditioning is a type of learning that influences our behaviour.

Example: From the picture above, the restaurant is showing the menu to the customer on the banner. The banner has all the food pictures which act as an environmental stimulus when customer saw the food, they will feel hungry and looks delicious and so, they went in the restaurant. 

3. Serial Position Effect
-Serial position effect is looking at how the arrangement of objects and its impact towards our memory. There are mainly two type, primacy effect and recency effect, where people remember the first item and the last item the most.

from the picture above we could see that every time when we click on the tab of a document file, it always start with save button and end with an exit button. 

4. Picture Superiority Effect
-Pictures are more easily to recognized and recalled than words.
Example:

Use picture to explain the rules in Faculty is more easy to attract attention instead of using the words.

5. Von Restorff Effect
- Von Restorff Effect is where we can easily differentiate an object than the others because it stands out than the other object. It is also known as isolation effect.

From the picture above, we could easily detect the mouse because its orange colour stands out among all the green colour.

6. Forgiveness
-Design should help people to avoid errors and minimize the negative consequences of errors when they do occur
a. Good Affordances - physical characteristics of the design that influence its correct use

The blue plastic adapter enables user to plug in the two-pin socket into the three-pin plug safely.

The card holder is designed with four edges that protrude inwards to give a tighter grip to the card and prevent it from falling out.

b. Reversibility of Actions - actions can be reversed if an error occurs

The undo button functions to enable user to go back to the previous stage. User will not lose his work after he make a mistake.

c. Safety Nets - device or process that minimizes the negative consequences of a catastrophic error or failure. The main electric fuse in every homes is designed to ensure safety. If any appliances cause short circuit, the main fuse will trip stopping electric current that may potentially start a fire.

d. Conformation - verification of intent that is required before critical actions are allowed

The computer system will ask the conformation from the user before delete the file. This is to avoid the user from accidentally delete the important documents.

e. Warnings - signs, prompts or alarms used to warn of imminent danger

When the battery of a laptop is low, the system will warn the user to either shut down or charge the laptop.

f. Help - information that assists in basic operations, troubleshooting and error recovery

If user face any problem, they can visit "window help and support" system to troubleshoot the problems and find the solutions.

7. Operant Conditioning
 - A form of learning which involved either positive (reward) or negative reinforcement (punishment). This technique is used to modify behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors and ignoring or punishing undesired behaviors.
Positive reinforcement - increase the probability of a behavior to being repeated
Negative reinforcement - decrease the probability of a behavior to being repeated

Example: Loyalty card

Customers can get reward points when they purchase at the particular shop and the points can use to get free gift or discount from the particular shop. So, the customers will tend to spend more in order to get more reward points (positive reinforcement).