Computer Science 200 – TME/Unit 3 - Chapter 11: The Human-Computer Interface – Internet Research #4
Numerous Web resources on designing good user interfaces are available. Find three, and compare their approaches to addressing human memory capabilities with the approaches discussed in this chapter.
Source: http://www.romanpichler.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SampleDesignConcept.jpg
In developing a website if the information is divided up into chunks then we are “essentially tricking short-term memory into remembering fewer items” according to Anderson et al. (2011). Regarding long-term memory it is helpful to provide “prompts” which can be compared to providing a list of recently opened documents when working within a word processing application. These concepts have been sought among the recommendations made by the following experts who have listed their techniques for good user interface design.
- Smashing Magazine: Their approach is to ensure that during the user’s experience they are easily able to “consume” the information. Personally, I believe dividing information into chunks could be a viable option in accomplishing this goal.
- Treehouse: They believe familiar user interface patterns will help people feel at home which can be considered providing “prompts” and makes use of long-term memory abilities.
- Nielson Norman Group: They point out the benefits of test-taking in order to enhance retention since it provides people with the opportunity to revisit what they’ve read. I enjoyed reading how they related this concept into good user interface design.
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References:
- Anderson, G., Ferro, D., & Hilton, R. (2011). Connecting with Computer Science (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.
- http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2009/01/12/10-useful-web-application-interface-techniques/
- http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/10-user-interface-design-fundamentals
- http://www.nngroup.com/articles/test-taking-enhances-learning/
