User SupportChapter 8

Overview

Assumption/IDEALLY: If a system is properly design, it should be completely of ease to use, thus user will require little or no help/training.

But: It is far from true even for the best-designed systems available.

Thus, a helpful approach is to assume that …Users will require assistance at various

times >> design HELP into system

Types of assistance >> varies and is dependent on many factors; Their familiarity of the system The job they are trying to do (and others..)

Basic requirements of assistance available but unobtrusive accurate and robust consistent and flexible

Overview

Types of Support

1. Quick reference2. Task specific help3. Full explanation4. Tutorial

Types of support

1. Quick reference reminder of details; assumes familiarity & has

used before eg command syntax, options, etc.

Usage: telnet [-8] [-#] [L] [-a] [-d] [-e char] [-l user] [-n tracefile] [-r] [host-name [port]]

2. Task specific help addresses problems

encountered with particular tasks

focused on what is currently being done

Types of Support

3. Full explanation for more experienced and inquisitive (curious)

users likely to include information not needed now E.g., Unix man command

4. Tutorial aimed at new users Provides step-by-step instruction (how to use

tool)

Types of support

Four types are complementary Required at different points based on user’s

experience with the system and fulfill needs What users want? Definitions, examples, known

errors, error recovery information, command options, accelerators

What is the different btw help systems and documentation? Help system: problem oriented & specific Documentation: system oriented & generic

Requirements of User Support

1. Availability2. Accuracy and Completeness3. Consistency4. Robustness5. Flexibility6. Unobtrusiveness

Requirements

Availability accessible any time during system interaction

Accuracy and completeness Must support the whole system accurately

(updated) & completely (all parts)

Consistency consistent in content, terminology and style of

presentation

Requirements Robustness

Help system itself should be robust (correct error handling and predictable behavior)

Users should be able to rely on getting assistance when required

Flexibility Allow user to interact appropriate according to his

needs Unobtrusiveness

shouldn’t prevent user from continuing with normal work; not interfering with users’ system

Approaches to User Support

1. Command Assistance2. Command Prompts3. Context-Sensitive help4. On-line tutorials5. On-line documentation6. Wizards7. Assistants

Approaches to user support Command assistance

Basic approach User requests help on a particular command and

is present with a help screen or manual page E.g. UNIX man help system or DOS help

command or Windows help user must know what to look for; seeking reminder or detailed information

Command prompts provide information when error occurs good for syntactic errors won’t tell you if you need a different command

Approaches to user support

Context sensitive help Appears according to the context in which it is

called, and will present help accordingly depends on what user is doing eg. completing a dialog, tool tip

Approaches to user support

Approaches to User Support On-line tutorials

introduces user to components of system User can progress at own speed, can repeat

tutorial if needed includes examples, automated demonstration Have no intelligence – they know nothing about

the user and their experiences. useful, but inflexible

On-line documentation printed material in electronic form Designed to provide full description of the system’s functionality and behavior in a systematic manner E.g. readme files continually available but can be difficult to

browse Thus, online documentation that uses

hypertext allows it to be more accessible esp. for inexperienced users

Approaches to user support

Approaches to User Support Wizards

task specific tool that leads user through task step-by-step, using information supplied by user in response to the questions given

User will answer ‘questions’ along the way constraining - may not offer options, may request

information that user does not have

Approaches to User Support

Assistants Tools that monitor user

behavior and offer suggestions or hints when they recognize familiar sequences

unobtrusive and under user control

‘Clippy’ not unobtrusive, suggestions inappropriate

Intelligent- Type of Help: Adaptive Help Systems Use knowledge of the user, task, domain and

instruction to provide help adapted to user’s needs.

A class of interactive systems also known as intelligent systems. E.g., domain-specific expert systems, intelligent tutoring systems

How does it operate? By monitoring user’s activity and construct model of user (experience, preferences, mistakes or combination of some/all). With these info, the system will present help relevant to user’s current task and suit user’s experience.

Sound fantastic! But, in practice, it is not as simple as it sounds. Why?

Problems: Knowledge requirements considerable, but

data on interaction are difficult to interpret Issue of control - should it take an active role

& remove some control from user? What should be adapted? What is scope of adaptation?

Intelligent- Type of Help: Adaptive Help Systems

Designing User Support Systems

User support is not an ‘add on’ - it should be designed integrally with system.

Should concentrate on content and context of help rather than technological issues

Focus on two main issues: presentation issues and implementation issues

Designing User Support : Presentation issues 1. How is help requested?

Decision to be made – how the user will access help

1. Command2. button3. function (on/off)4. separate application

2. How is help displayed?

Decision to be made - How user will view the help

1. New window2. whole screen or split screen3. pop-up box4. hint icons

Designing User Support : Presentation issues

Designing User Support : Presentation issues

3. Effective presentation of help

Help screens and documentation should be designed similar to the interface designed – focus on effective writing and presentation

clear, familiar, consistent language instructional rather than descriptive language

E.g., To close the window, click on the box in the top right-hand corner of the windowNOT! (Windows can be closed by clicking on the box in the top right-hand corner of the window)

avoid of blocks of text (use logical sections) Provide summary and example

Focus on implementation decisions – physical constraints1. Is help

– operating system command – meta command – application

2. Structure of help data – single file – file hierarchy – database

Designing User Support : Implementation issues

3. What resources are available? – screen space – memory capacity – speed

4. Issues – flexibility and extensibility – hard copy – browsing

Designing User Support : Implementation issues

Summary

Concerned with user support in the form of help and documentation

‘Help’ should be an essential part of the system design

Users require different types of help, depending on context and circumstances, and the user support facilities should support.

Different style of help support different requirements and different types of users