The New Science of Universal Usability

Ben Shneiderman ben@cs.umd.edu

Founding Director (1983-2000), Human-Computer Interaction LabProfessor, Department of Computer ScienceMember, Institutes for Advanced Computer Studies &Systems Research

University of MarylandCollege Park, MD 20742

Interdisciplinary research community - Computer Science & Info Studies - Psych, Socio, Poli Sci & MITH (www.cs.umd.edu/hcil)

Scientific Approach (beyond user friendly)Specify users and tasksPredict and measuretime to learnspeed of performancerate of human errorshuman retention over timeAssess subjective satisfaction (Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction)Accommodate individual differencesConsider social, organizational & cultural context

Design IssuesInput devices & strategiesKeyboards, pointing devices, voiceDirect manipulationMenus, forms, commands Output devices & formatsScreens, windows, color, soundText, tables, graphicsInstructions, messages, helpCollaboration & communitiesManuals, tutorials, training

U.S. Library of Congress

Scholars, Journalists, Citizens Teachers, Students

Visible Human Explorer (NLM)Doctors Surgeons

Researchers Students

NASA Environmental DataScientists Farmers

Land planners Students

NSF Digital Government Initiative

Find what you needUnderstand what you Find www.ils.unc.edu/govstat/Census,NCHS, BLS, EIA,NASS, SSA

iSonic: Sonification for MapsMotivation: improve vision-impaired users access to geo-referenced statistical data Approach: interactive sonificationData-to-sound mapping: Piano pitch -> value.

User study: 7 blind subjects, 6 hours eachUsers can recognize geographical patternsUsers preferred spatial audio map over table

www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/audiomap

International Childrens Digital Librarywww.childrenslibrary.org

Home Medical Deviceswww.cs.umd.edu/hcil/soh/ws_meddevice.htm Bathroom scale Thermometer Blood pressure Diabetes: Glucose Asthma: Breath Fat monitor EKG

Electronic Health Records: LifeLineswww.cs.umd.edu/hcil/lifelines/

Spotfire: DC natality data

Treemap: Stock market, industry clustered www.smartmoney.com/marketmap

www.hivegroup.comTreemap: Product catalogs

Treemap: Newsmap

Creativity Support ToolsMore people,More creative,More often

6th Creativity & Cognition ConferenceWashington, DC June 13-15, 2007Receptions at Natl Academy of Sciences & Corcoran Gallery of Art Expand community of researchersBridge to software developersEncourage art & science thinking

www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/CC2007

http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/CC2007/

Leonardos LaptopThe old computing is about what computers can do, The New Computing is about what people can domitpress.mit.edu/leonardoslaptop

www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/newcomputing

Requirements AnalysisIn a fair society, all individuals would have equal opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, the use of computer resources regardless of race, sex, religion, age, disability, national origin or other such similar factors. -- ACM Code of Ethics

Goals of Public AccessEnable participation by every citizen & visitor Voting LicensesSocial security services Passports RegistrationsPolice-fire-emergency Permits RegulationsNational-local government Offer services to all Healthcare Housing Education Employment, Shopping Museums Libraries Transportation Recreation Sports Tourism Entertainment

Universal Usability Challenges

Technology varietyFast & slow modems, small & large displaysDiverse platforms, multiple versionsUser diversityNovice & expert, old & youngUsers with disabilities, poor literacy, or low motivation Bridge the gap between what users know and what they need to knowMulti-layer interfacesHelp vs. ShowMe!Communications of the ACM, May 2000

Technology variety1 to 100 range in processor speeds 486 Pentium Multi-core

1 to 100 range in screen sizes

Palm devices Laptops Large Desktop or Wall Display 80,000 800,000 8,000,000 pixels

Software Versions Compatibility File conversion Multiple platformsDevice Independence Input: keyboard, speech,... Output: visual, auditory,... Conversion

User diversity: Accommodate all usersSkills Computer newbie to hacker Knowledge Domain novice to expert

Age Young to oldGender Male or Female

Income Impoverished to wealthy Disabilities Visual, auditory, motoric, cognitive Disabling conditions Mobility, injury, noise, sunlight

Race

Ethnicity

Religion

National Origin

Literacy Fluent to illiterate Multiple languagesCulture Western, Eastern, developing...Personality Introvert vs extravert Thinking vs feeling Risk aversion Locus of control Planful vs playful User diversity: Accommodate all users

Online help Context sensitive, tables of contents, Indexes, Keyword search, FAQs, answer gardens

Gaps in User Knowledge-StrategiesBridge the gap between what users know and what they need to know

Design Multi-Layered Task-orientedTraining Fade-able scaffolding Training wheels Minimalist

Online Learning (evolutionary, phased) Introductory tutorials Getting started manuals, Cue cards Walkthroughs/Demos Minimalist/Active

Community Newsgroups, online communities Chat rooms

Customer service Email Phone Help desks

Gaps in User Knowledge-StrategiesBridge the gap between what users know and what they need to know

Supplements Online manuals, paper Audio, video, Live lecture, peer training, personal trainer

Research Agenda for Universal Usability

For Desktop, Web, and Mobile Devices:Evidence-based GuidelinesAutomated analysis toolsImproved application generatorsImproved user customization tools Social facilitation

Tested with developers & users

Shneiderman & Hocheiser, Behaviour & Info Technology, 2001

HCI Challenges

Information AccessUniversal UsabilityTrusted VotingHealthcareInformation VisualizationCreativity Support Tools

HCI Challenges

Information AccessUniversal UsabilityTrusted VotingHealthcareInformation VisualizationCreativity Support ToolsEnvironmental SustainabilityEmergency/Disaster Response International Development

UN Millennium Development Goals Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development

To be achieved by 2015

Interdisciplinary Challenges

Modern problems are complexSolutions require multiple disciplinesLaboratory studies have limited relevanceNatural sciences are not sufficient

Historic Transformation

Existing sciences have reached limits: The End of Science: Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age, John Horgan End of PhysicsEnd of Computer ScienceEnd of History, Francis Fukuyama

Science 1.0Reductionist Controlled ExperimentsReplicabilityLaboratoryNatural World

Science 1.0 + Science 2.0Reductionist IntegratedControlled Case Experiments Studies Replicability ValidityLaboratory SituatedNatural World Made World

Science 1.0 + Science 2.0Reductionist IntegratedControlled Case Experiments Studies Replicability ValidityLaboratory SituatedNatural World Made World

Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis TestingPredictive Theories Predictive Theories Replications Replications

Science 2.0 Emerges Interdisciplinary study of the made world Socially embedded Bringing closer together - theory & practice - basic & applied research New research directions (Emerson, Dewey, James, Vygotsky, Simon, Suchman, Berners-Lee, and many of you!)

Science 2.0 Evaluation MethodsEthnographic Observational SituatedMulti-DimensionalIn-depthLong-termCase studies

Science 2.0 Evaluation MethodsEthnographic Observational SituatedMulti-DimensionalIn-depthLong-termCase studies Domain Experts & Communities Doing Their Own Work for Weeks & Months

Science 2.0 Evaluation MethodsEthnographic Observational SituatedMulti-DimensionalIn-depthLong-termCase studies MILCsShneiderman & Plaisant, BeLIV workshop, 2006

MILC example Evaluate Hierarchical Clustering Explorer

Focused on rank-by-feature framework3 case studies, 4-8 weeks (molecular biologist, statistician, meteorologist)57 email surveysIdentified problems early, gave strong positive feedback about benefits of rank-by-feature Seo & Shneiderman, IEEE TVCG 12,3, 2006

MILC example Evaluate SocialAction Focused on integrating statistics & visualization4 case studies, 4-8 weeks (journalist, bibliometrician, terrorist analyst, organizational analyst)Identified desired features, gave strong positive feedback about benefits of integration Perer & Shneiderman, 2007

Case Study Methodology1) Interview (1 hr)2) Training (2 hr)3) Early Use (2-4 weeks)4) Mature Use (2-4 weeks)5) Outcome (1 hr)

Short Range GoalsValidate benefits of new designsCollect evidence to support/reject hypothesis - rank-by-feature - integrating statistics & visualization Rapid refinements of toolsBenefits to users

Long Range GoalsHarness Collaboration Pair-wiseSmall TeamLarger GroupSocial Creativity

Long Range GoalsHarness Collaboration Pair-wiseSmall TeamLarger GroupSocial Creativity

Thomas Edison: 1% Inspiration, 99% Perspiration

Long Range GoalsHarness Collaboration Pair-wiseSmall TeamLarger GroupSocial Creativity

Thomas Edison 2.0: 1% Inspiration, 99% Collaboration

Long Range GoalsUnderstand dynamics ofTrustEmpathyResponsibilityPrivacyEtc.

Thomas Jefferson I feel... an ardent desire to see knowledge so disseminated through the mass of mankind that it may...reach even the extremes of society: beggars and kings. -- Reply to American Philosophical Society, 1808

25th Annual SymposiumMay 29, 30, 2008

www.cs.umd.edu/hcil

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