Provide Effective Feedback and Guidance and Assistance 611

Step 9: Provide Effective Feedback and Guidance and Assistance 611

Table 9.1: Suggested Design Principles for Providing Online Advice Based on the GOMS Model

USE GOALS IN ONLINE AIDING TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Describe what can be done in task-oriented terms (interface actions and objects) for improved initial skill learning.

2. Provide an adjustable level of detail on interface procedures for accommodating the information needs of a wide range of users.

3. Provide procedurally incomplete advice so that users can actively learn for improved long-term performance with and understanding of the interface.

4. Provide feedback to users that may help remind them of appropriate procedures to use, particularly when recovering from errors.

5. Develop modular assistance and instructional dialogs that can be used to describe similar and dissimilar procedural elements of the interface.

USE OPERATORS IN ONLINE AIDING TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Describe simple actions, such as pressing specific keys or finding specific objects on the display, that are common to many interface procedures, to assist the user in current task performance.

2. Provide detailed information on interface procedures that inexperienced users can actively learn and that more skilled users can combine with other procedural knowl- edge to improve long-term performance and understanding of the interface.

3. Monitor users’ actions to provide context-sensitive Help or to diagnose user problems actively.

USE METHODS IN ONLINE AIDING TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Present step-by-step interface procedures to assist the user with specific problems.

2. Improve user understanding and acceptance of online advice.

3. Decrease the cognitive load of users who are learning a new interface task by providing an explicit procedure for users to follow.

4. Provide procedural demonstrations of interface procedures so that users can quickly learn simple operations.

5. Map sequences of users’ actions to a reduced set of interface goals to help provide context-sensitive advice to users.

USE SELECTION RULES IN ONLINE AIDING TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Help users choose between multiple interface methods.

2. Provide users with an understanding of representative tasks to increase their knowl- edge of when to apply specific interface skills.

From Elkerton (1988).

612 Part 2: The User Interface Design Process

Kind . The two most common reasons people use Help are: (1) Confusion exists about something located on the screen, and (2) information about a specific func- tion is needed. All system usability problems should be systematically identified through testing and evaluation. Monitoring users’ actions can also be a useful tool in identifying user problems. Online Help can then be developed to address these problems.

Training . Inform users of the availability and purpose of various types of Help. Never assume that this will be obvious. Availability . Make Help available at all points in the dialog. It is especially critical that Help be available consistently in all similar situations. For example, if one particular system menu has Help, ensure that all menus provide Help. If no Help is available for a specific situation, inform the user of this and provide directions to where relevant Help may exist, including hard-copy materials.

Structure . The Help response should be as specific as possible, tailored to the task and the user’s current position. When accessed, the Help facility should be aware of the kind of difficulties a person is having and respond with relevant informa- tion. Only the information necessary to solve the immediate problem or to answer the immediate question should be presented. If the Help facility is unsure of the request, it should work with the user through prompts and questions to resolve the problem.

A Help facility should be multilevel, proceeding from very general to succes- sively more detailed and specific explanations to accommodate a wide range of users. The first level should provide brief definitions and rules, simple reminders, and memory joggers sufficient for skilled users. The second level should incorporate more detailed explanations in a textual format. The final, and deepest, level should provide guidance in the form of task-oriented examples.

Interaction . A Help facility should be retrievable simply, quickly, and consistently by a key action, selection, or command. Leave Help displayed until the user explicitly exits Help, or performs the action eliminating the need for Help. Instructions for exiting Help process should always be provided. These may take the form of displayed pushbuttons, function keys, or something similar.

Help should not disrupt processing. Easy return to the point of the problem should be permitted. Ideally, the problem or work should be retained on the screen when Help is accessed, but this will not always be possible unless the sys- tem provides a windowing capability.

Location . When Help is displayed, minimize the obscuring of relevant screen con- tent. If Help is displayed within a window, position priorities are right, left, above, and below.

Content . The Web has introduced many new terms into both the designer and user’s vocabulary. Users may not understand or be familiar with many terms . User terms may also differ from the designer’s terms. In providing Help, always explain what is being referred to. Even if a person knows how to use a screen ele- ment, the term a person uses to describe it may not be the same term that a designer would use. Minimize Help’s length, whenever possible. Carroll et al.