HCI in Software process

Question 1

What is software engineering?

Answer 1

Software engineering is the discipline for understanding the software design process, or life cycle.

Question 2

Outline 3 activities in the life cycle

Answer 2

1. Requirements specification
2. Architectural design
3. Detailed design

Question 3

Explain 3 activities in the life cycle

Answer 3

1. Requirements specification - designer and customer try capture what the system is expected to provide can be expressed in natural language or more precise languages, such as a task analysis would provide
2. Architectural design - high-level description of how the system will provide the services required factor system into major components of the system and how they are interrelated needs to satisfy both functional and nonfunctional requirements
3. Detailed design - refinement of architectural components and interrelations to identify modules to be implemented separately the refinement is governed by the nonfunctional requirements

Question 4

Differentiate verification and validation

Answer 4

Verification means designing the product right and validation means designing the right product

Question 5

Describe the formality gap

Answer 5

validation will always rely to some extent on subjective means of proof

Question 6

What’s the ultimate test of usability based on measurement of user experience

Answer 6

Usability engineering demands that specific usability measures be made explicit as requirements

Question 7

Problem associated with Usability engineering

Answer 7

usability specification requires level of detail that may not be possible early in design

Question 8

Outline 4 usability specifications

Answer 8

1. usability attribute/principle
2. measuring concept
3. measuring method
4. now level/ worst case/ planned level/ best case

Question 9

Briefly describe 3 traditional usability categories

Answer 9

1. effectiveness
can you achieve what you want to?
2. efficiency
can you do it without wasting effort?
3. satisfaction
do you enjoy the process?

Question 10

What are prototypes?

Answer 10

These are temporary systems that simulate or animate some features of intended system

Question 11

List down three types of prototypes

Answer 11

1. throw-away
2. incremental
3. evolutionary

Question 12

Briefly describe any 2 prototyping techniques

Answer 12

1. Storyboards
   need not be computer-based
   can be animated
2. Limited functionality simulations
   some part of system functionality provided by designers, tools like HyperCard are common for these
   Wizard of Oz technique

Question 13

What is design Rationale?

Answer 13

Design rationale is information that explains why a computer system is the way it is

Question 14

List down 4 Benefits of design rationale

Answer 14

1 . communication throughout life cycle

2. reuse of design knowledge across products
3. enforces design discipline
4. presents arguments for design trade-offs
5. organizes potentially large design space
6. capturing contextual information

Question 15

explain two types of design Rationale

Answer 15

1 . Process-oriented
preserves order of deliberation and decision-making
e.g Issue based information system

2. Structure-oriented
   emphasizes post hoc structuring of considered design alternatives
   e.g design space analysis

Question 16

What about psychological design Rationale?

Answer 16

• aims to make explicit consequences of design for users
• users are observed on system
• psychological claims of system made explicit
• negative aspects of design can be used to improve next iteration of design