Reworking the User Interface during Convergence of Several Software Products

1987 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 710-714
Author(s):  
Lynn C. Percival
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Complex Environment ◽  
Operational Environment ◽  
Development Activity ◽  
Preliminary Testing ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Software Product

This paper documents the role of human factors engineers in some aspects of a development project for a large software product used in a complex operational environment. The process by which the user interfaces for several products were converged into a single one is described. Techniques for evaluating the user interface in this complex environment are discussed. The process involved preliminary testing to document problems, subsequent design and development activity, and verification testing to document improvements and remaining problems.

On quality assessment of electronic training course interfaces

2021 ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
T. B. Larina
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Human Machine Interaction ◽  
Software Products ◽  
E Learning

The development of e-learning, both in distance and mixed forms, becomes especially relevant in the modern educational process. A high-quality e-learning course is developed through the efforts of two parties: the teacher, who creates the methodological content, and the programmer, who creates the electronic shell of the course. The article substantiates the importance of quality issues in the development of a user interface for electronic educational resources, since the user of an electronic course deals with the direct implementation of educational material. The indicators for assessing the quality of software products in accordance with international and Russian standards and their applicability for assessing user interfaces of electronic educational resources are analyzed. The conclusion is made about the importance of the indicator “practicality” in relation to this type of software product as an indicator of an individual evaluation of the use of a product by a certain user or circle of users. The classical methods for assessing the quality of the human-machine interaction interface and the applicability of experimental and formal methods for assessing quality are considered. The analysis of modern approaches to the design of user interfaces based on UX/UI design is given. An assessment of the requirements and criteria for assessing the user interface from the standpoint of modern design is given. The tasks and features of the UX and UI components of the design process are analyzed. The essence of the modern term “usability” as an indicator of the interface evaluation is explained, and the qualitative evaluation criteria for this indicator are considered. The concept of UX testing is given, the main stages of this process are considered. The importance of taking into account the subjective psychological factors of interface perception is substantiated. The indicators for assessing the quality of user interfaces, based on the cognitive factors of its perception by a person, are analyzed.

Modeling Variant User Interfaces for Web-Based Software Product Lines

2009 ◽  
pp. 212-242
Author(s):  
Suet Chun Lee
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
User Interface ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Unified Modeling Language ◽  
Software Product Line ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Modeling Language ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Uml Extension

Software product line (SPL) is a software engineering paradigm for software development. A software product within a product line often has specific functionalities that are not common to all other products within the product line. Those specific functionalities are termed “variant features” in a product line. SPL paradigm involves the modeling of variant features. However, little work in SPL investigates and addresses the modeling of variant features specific to user interface (UI). Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the de facto modeling language for object-oriented software systems. It is known that UML needs better support in modeling UIs. Thus, much research developed UML extensions to improve UML support in modeling UIs. Yet little of this work is related to developing such extensions for modeling UIs for SPLs in which variant features specific to UI modeling must be addressed. This research develops a UML extension -Web User Interface Modeling Language (WUIML) to address these problems. WUIML defines elements for modeling variant features specific to user interfaces for Web-based SPLs. The model elements in WUIML extend from the metaclass and BasicActivity of the UML2.0 metamodel. WUIML integrates the modeling of variant features specific to user interfaces to UML. For example, in a Web-based patient registration software product line, member products targeting British users may use British date format in the user interface, while member products targeting United States users may use United States date format in the user interface. Thus, this is a variant feature for this product line. WUIML defines a model element, XOR, to represent such exclusive or conditions in a product line user interface model. WUIML would reduce SPL engineers’ efforts needed in UI development. To validate the WUIML research outcome, a case study was conducted. The results of this empirical study indicate that modeling UIs for Web-based SPLs using WUIML is more effective and efficient than using standard UML.

scholarly journals A Human Activity Approach to User Interfaces

1989 ◽  
Vol 18 (291) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Bødker
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
Specific Work ◽  
Work Activity ◽  
Computer Based

<p>This paper presents a framework for the design of user interfaces which starts out from the work situations where computer based artifacts are used: The framework deals with the role of the user interface in purposeful human work. Human activity theory is used in this analysis. The purpose of the paper is to make the reader curious and hopefully open his or her eyes to a somewhat different way of thinking about the user interface. The paper applies examples of real-life interfaces to support this process, but it is not the purpose of the paper to give a systematic presentation of empirical results. The paper focuses on the role of the computer application in use. Thus, it is necessary to deal not only with the relation between the human being and the computer, but also with other surounding conditions for work. Human experience and competence is dealt with as rooted in the practice of the group which conducts the specific work activity</p> <strong></strong>

Realization of professional oriented trajectories for development of students at distance learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
E. S. Vaseva ◽  
N. V. Buzhinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
User Interface ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Design Software ◽  
Product Presentation ◽  
Training Practice

The article actualizes the need to use distance learning as a way to ensure the availability of education. The factors that determine the need for organizing distance learning are considered. The conclusion is drawn about the need to comply with the requirements of the orientation of training for future professional activities in the process of distance learning. The ways of realizing professionally oriented trajectories are discussed. It is proposed to implement professionally oriented trajectories in the process of distance learning by providing variability in the choice of tasks and the level of their implementation. The experience of organizing the course "Training practice on the development of user interface for software products" for future IT specialists is given. Three levels of completing the tasks of the course are distinguished — advanced, decent, sufficient. The content of the practice is divided into several sections. The content of the tasks in each section is focused on a specific professional activity of a future IT specialist: user interface design, software product development, software product presentation, paperwork. Within each section, a student can get a basic, middle or high mark. A model of the student's correspondence to a certain level is proposed, depending on the marks received for each section. The model includes options for matching a certain level. The option can be chosen by the student himself.

A Social-Feedback Enriched Interface for Software Download

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Dini ◽  
Pierfrancesco Foglia ◽  
C. Antonio Prete ◽  
Michele Zanda
Keyword(s):  
User Interfaces ◽  
Reputation System ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Usability Study ◽  
Social Feedback ◽  
Software Products ◽  
User Behaviors ◽  
System A ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Software Download

Software downloading over the Internet is a major solution for publishers to deliver their software products. In this context, user interfaces for software downloading must be designed carefully. They should provide usable interactions and support users when deciding whether to accept the software product or not. This work proposes to enrich a common browser interface for software downloading with a reputation system - a mechanism for collecting and presenting user feedback. The reputation system is assessed with a usability study. The authors’ results show that positive user rankings are effective in increasing user download acceptances for well-known publishers and common name publishers, as well as in increasing acceptance motivations related to trust aspects. In addition, the presence of the reputation system reduces incoherent user behaviors.

Modeling Variant User Interfaces for Web-Based Software Product Lines

2009 ◽  
pp. 760-790
Author(s):  
Suet Chun Lee
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
User Interface ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Software Reuse ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Software Systems ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Uml Extension ◽  
Uml Extensions

Software product line (SPL) is a software engineering paradigm for software development. SPL is important in promoting software reuse, leading to higher productivity and quality. A software product within a product line often has specific functionalities that are not common to all other products within the product line. Those specific functionalities are termed “variant features” in a product line. SPL paradigm involves the modeling of variant features. However, little work in SPL investigates and addresses the modeling of variant features specific to UI. UML is the de facto modeling language for object-oriented software systems. It is known that UML needs better support in modeling UIs. Thus, much research developed UML extensions to improve UML support in modeling UIs. Yet little of this work is related to developing such extensions for modeling UIs for SPLs in which variant features specific to user interfaces (UI) modeling must be addressed. This research develops a UML extension, WUIML, to address these problems. WUIML defines elements for modeling variant features specific to UIs for Web-based SPLs. The model elements in WUIML extend from the metaclass and of the UML2.0 metamodel. WUIML integrates the modeling of variant features specific to UIs to UML. For example, in a Web-based patient registration SPL, member products targeting British users may use British date format in the user interface, while member products targeting United States users may use United States date format in the user interface. Thus, this is a variant feature for this product line. WUIML defines a model element, XOR, to represent such exclusive or conditions in a product line user interface model. WUIML would reduce SPL engineers’ efforts needed in UI development. To validate the WUIML research outcome, a case study was conducted. The results of this empirical study indicate that modeling UIs for Web-based SPLs using WUIML is more effective and efficient than using standard UML.

scholarly journals Taking advantage of the software product line paradigm to generate customized user interfaces for decision-making processes: a case study on university employability

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Vázquez-Ingelmo ◽  
Francisco J. García-Peñalvo ◽  
Roberto Therón
Keyword(s):  
User Interfaces ◽  
Software Product Line ◽  
Domain Engineering ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Product Lines ◽  
Code Generator ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Spanish Universities

University employment and, specifically, employability has gained relevance since research in these fields can lead to improvement in the quality of life of individual citizens. However, empirical research is still insufficient to make significant decisions, and relying on powerful tools to explore data and reach insights on these fields is paramount. Information dashboards play a key role in analyzing and visually exploring data about a specific topic or domain, but end users can present several necessities that differ from each other, regarding the displayed information itself, design features and even functionalities. By applying a domain engineering approach (within the software product line paradigm), it is possible to produce customized dashboards to fit into particular requirements, by the identification of commonalities and singularities of every product that could be part of the product line. Software product lines increase productivity, maintainability and traceability regarding the evolution of the requirements, among other benefits. To validate this approach, a case study of its application in the context of the Spanish Observatory for University Employability and Employment system has been developed, where users (Spanish universities and administrators) can control their own dashboards to reach insights about the employability of their graduates. These dashboards have been automatically generated through a domain specific language, which provides the syntax to specify the requirements of each user. The domain language fuels a template-based code generator, allowing the generation of the dashboards’ source code. Applying domain engineering to the dashboards’ domain improves the development and maintainability of these complex software products given the variety of requirements that users might have regarding their graphical interfaces.

scholarly journals QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A USER INTERFACE BASED ON THE MENTAL TIME OF PERFORMING THE USER TASKS OF THE SUBJECT AREA

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. K. Grigoriev ◽  
A. S. Ilyushechkin ◽  
M. A. Ovchinnikov
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
User Interface ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Interface Quality ◽  
Software Product ◽  
The Subject ◽  
User Tasks ◽  
Time Required

The overall development of information systems and their increasingly significant impact on all areas of the society expressed in such terms as "information society", etc., determines the increasing importance of user interfaces. Moreover, the quality and adequacy of the interface to the tasks of the subject area becomes the determining parameter when choosing a specific organization software product for computer support of the organization. The study of user interfaces involved with the 70s of the last century. Some methods of interface quality research, in particular, the GOMS method is used to date. However, the use of advanced training technology for mass professional users of information systems for the study of interfaces allows to effectively evaluate the interface in the learning process without using the GOMS method. This article is devoted to this issue. The article deals with the method of quantitative evaluation of the quality of the user interface in the form of such characteristics as errors and mental time of the tasks of the subject area. The structure of time of performing tasks of the subject area is analyzed. Mental time is allocated as the characteristic that chiefly determines the usability of the user interface. Mental time is based on the total time of the step, the calculation time at this step, and the mechanical time required for a person to perform an action that causes the step to be performed. It is shown that the use of anticipated training technology of mass professional user can significantly simplify the allocation of mental time by eliminating the time of the task computer. In the structure of time, the mechanical time required for a person to perform an action that causes the step to be performed is essential. In the GOMS method some standard numerical characteristics are used to estimate mechanical time. However, a hypothesis is put forward, and it is experimentally shown that a statistically significant minimum time for performing actions can be used as mechanical time. This hypothesis was experimentally confirmed. The method and results of this experiment are presented in the article. Developed on this basis, the methodology for assessing the quality of the interface can be used when retraining users in the process of transition of organizations to domestic software in order to evaluate the interfaces.

Digital education: Using electronic resources in psychological support of the educational process

2020 ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Ju. A. Tikhonova
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Education ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Software Products ◽  
School Year ◽  
Psychological Service ◽  
Software Product ◽  
The City

The article discusses the development trends of the modern preschool education system in the aspect of the activity of the teacherpsychologist of the preschool educational organization. The experience of using 1C software products in the practical work of the psychological service of kindergarten 318 of the city of Perm in the aspects of psychological monitoring of children’s readiness to study at school and correctional and developmental work with preschool children is presented. The components of the child’s psychological readiness for school are described. On practical examples, diagnostic methods for determining the level of readiness of children for schooling are analyzed. The data of testing kindergarten pupils at the beginning of the 2019/2020 school year on the parameters allowing to identify urgent problems and determine the direction of the necessary correctional development work are presented. Features of the practical application of the software product 1C:Preschool Psychodiagnostics in the process of psychological support of preparing children for school are considered. Methods are described, the scope of which is aimed not only at the study of personality traits, but also at its development. The possibilities of using games of the 1C:Educational Collection in the correctional and developmental work are disclosed. The description of game collections is given, options for their use are presented.

Analysing Mechanical Systems in Domestic and Foreign CAD Systems

2018 ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
V. A. Martynyuk ◽  
V. A. Trudonoshin ◽  
V. G. Fedoruk
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Material ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Cad Systems ◽  
Cad System ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Foreign Products ◽  
Nonlinear Algebraic Systems ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Pipeline Design ◽  
The Mathematical Model

The article considers applications of foreign CAD-systems in creating the challenging projects at domestic enterprises and design bureaus. As stated in the article "... presently, there is no domestic CAD-system that could completely replace such foreign products as NX, CATIA, Credo". Besides, due to international cooperation in creating the challenging projects (for example, the project to create a modern wide-body aircraft, proposed jointly with China), it makes sense to use the worldwide known and popular CAD systems (the aforementioned NX, CATIA, Credo). Therefore, in the foreseeable future, we will still have to use foreign software products. Of course, there always remains a question of the reliability of the results obtained. Actually, this question is always open regardless of what software product is used - domestic or foreign. This question has been haunting both developers and users of CAD systems for the last 30 to 40 years. But with using domestic systems, it is much easier to identify the cause of inaccurate results and correct the mathematical models used, the methods of numerical integration applied, and the solution of systems of nonlinear algebraic systems. Everything is much more complicated if we use a foreign software product. All advertising conversations that there is a tool to make the detected errors available to the developers, remain only conversations in the real world. It is easily understandable to domestic users, and, especially, to domestic developers of similar software products. The existing development rates and competition for potential buyers dictate a rigid framework of deadlines for releasing all new versions of the product and introducing the latest developments into commercial product, etc. As a result, the known errors migrate from version to version, and many users have accepted it long ago. Especially, this concerns the less popular tools rather than the most popular applications (modules) of a CAD system. For example, in CAD systems, the "Modeling" module where geometric models of designed parts and assembly units are created has been repeatedly crosschecked. But most of the errors are hidden in applications related to the design of parts from sheet material and to the pipeline design, as well as in applications related to the analysis of moving mechanisms and to the strength or gas dynamic analysis by the finite element method.The article gives a concrete example of a moving mechanism in the analysis of which an error was detected using the mathematical model of external influence (a source of speed) in the NX 10.0 system of Siemens.

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