Investigating CLI and GUI Designs Based on User Feedback
Abstract
User experience (UX) is a highly complex and notoriously difficult-to-study area of software design. One reason for this difficulty is that researchers often look at examples of high-quality UIs and then explain why they think they’re good. A better way to study UX is to compare different UIs that offer the same functionality for the same piece of software. We conducted one such experiment. According to the results collected from our survey, text-based UIs are difficult for most people to use; graphical UIs should be preferred. Accepted, industry-standard principles adhere to visual minimalism, usage of vector graphics instead of bitmaps, easy first-time-user experience, consistency, designs that give users control of the software, and knowing users before they start using your software. Furthermore, we also recommend not relying too heavily on user feedback as users don’t always understand, realize, or use the software for long enough to know what makes its current UI effectively or ineffectively designed. If feedback is to be used to make specific design decision(s), it should be specific and thorough, consisting of several detailed and specific questions; the questions should be as specific as the design choice being made and justifications for doing it one way over another.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Computer Science
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Sudharsan Iyengar
Start Date
4-19-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
4-19-2023 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
25
Investigating CLI and GUI Designs Based on User Feedback
User experience (UX) is a highly complex and notoriously difficult-to-study area of software design. One reason for this difficulty is that researchers often look at examples of high-quality UIs and then explain why they think they’re good. A better way to study UX is to compare different UIs that offer the same functionality for the same piece of software. We conducted one such experiment. According to the results collected from our survey, text-based UIs are difficult for most people to use; graphical UIs should be preferred. Accepted, industry-standard principles adhere to visual minimalism, usage of vector graphics instead of bitmaps, easy first-time-user experience, consistency, designs that give users control of the software, and knowing users before they start using your software. Furthermore, we also recommend not relying too heavily on user feedback as users don’t always understand, realize, or use the software for long enough to know what makes its current UI effectively or ineffectively designed. If feedback is to be used to make specific design decision(s), it should be specific and thorough, consisting of several detailed and specific questions; the questions should be as specific as the design choice being made and justifications for doing it one way over another.
