> I'm working with a group of software engineers that is currently gathering a
> 'body of knowledge' related to software engineering. The idea is that this
> body of knowledge will eventually lead curriculum in software engineering.
> They have so far decided that 'cognitive science' would be a useful topic
> (although, I myself am not so sure of that), but beyond this, what can I
> propose to this group as to what would be useful to take from psychology.
Donald Norman's work is significant here.
I teach my students about different mental models of the system. The
overlap (congruence) between the task-action mapping model (how the
user understands what they have to do in order to get the system to
perform ceratin actions) and the conceptual model (how the user
perceives the form and purpose of the system) must be high to achieve
a high degree of uasability in system design.
------------- (Venn diagram of
| T-A |----- congruence between
| model | | different mental
-------------- | models of system)
| Conceptual |
| model |
----------------
THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO INTERFACE DESIGN, but encompasses every
aspect of how the system works and is configured, in terms of how humans will
interact with it. DN's concept of AFFORDANCE (designing so that
purpose & function is communicated through form) is critical.
I quote DN's example of Frig/Freezer controls, which are designed as
separate slider-scales, whereas the two controls are interdependent.
This is NOT just an interface choice - the choice to make the two
controls interdependent at the design stage has significant
implications for how easily users will be able to control the
artifact, yet this aspect is ignored until the time comes to design
the interface. At this point the interface is designed misleadingly,
adding to the confusion, as there is no chance that the user will
develop congruent task-action mapping and conceptual models of the
device.
REFS:
- See Donald Norman (1988), 'The Psychology of Everyday Things', Basic
Books
- Some of these ideas have come from other authors, such as Harold
Thimbleby and Paul Booth.
Regards,
Susan Gasson
Visiting Assistant Professor, MIS
School of Management
State University of New York
Binghamton NY 13902-6015
Tel: (607) 777-2337
http:// http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~sgasson/
