User patterns - A checklist for design review

This list is developed mainly from "What users do?" chapter of the book Patterns for effective Interaction Design- Designing Interfaces by Jenifer Tidwell

What is the role of an Interaction Designer?
Ans. Its enabling user to meet his goals rather than designing a particular form well, if need be... there should be no form at all.

Key points to learn about users:
- goals in using the software
- special tasks they do in this context
- language and words they use to describe these tasks
- skill at using softwares similar to what you are designing
- attitude to the task at at hand and type of SWs

Ways to get these answers,
- Direct Observation : puts you directly in to user's world, lot of context information and opportunity to see rather than relay on user's perception of himself in the task
- Case studies : gives views to few user types and particular scenarios... use them to build across spectrum of scenarios
- Surveys : good to get a quantitative feel
- Personas : helps to understand what to do once you gather the data.

Broad User categories based on general S/W usage expertise:
- Intermediate to expert: would use Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Code development environments, Sys admins for web servers
- Occasional User: Kiosks in tourist centers, museums, purchase pages for online stores, ATMs
- In the middle of the continuum: Microsoft office, Email clients, Cell phone apps

Finally the Patterns:
- Safe Exploration
help exploration without getting stuck or lost
(1)multilevel undo
(2)allow navigation backwards

- Instant Gratification
want to accomplish NOW
(3)instant feedback
(4)start with the "typical starting point", aniticipate what the user wants
(5)introduction is important
(6)avoid time taking processes: long registration forms, long set of instructions, slow to load screens, ads

- Satisficing
this is good enough, don't want to spend more time learning to do it better
(7) text: allow scanning and skimming through, no hidden imp instructions in huge text instructions, design text effectively: labels, short, point-wise, use vocabulary of the user
(8)layout: to communicate meaning; modularize, parse details: color and form, categorize
(9)navigation: provide escape hatches, avoid visual complexity, backward and forward navigation both are important
(10) handle old habit well: while redesigning take care of old habits, breaking old habits and learning something new isn't easy.

- Changes in Midstream
user changes mind about what to do
(11)provide opportunities deviate: dont loack the user into choice poor environment with no global navigation
(12)allow process to stop: allow "re-entrance", save and get back later

- Deferred Choices
"I don't want to answer that now, just let me finish", follows Instant gratification. reasons could be no information, or not interested in doing it now.
(13)Don't ask several seemingly unnecessary questions, allow "re-entrance"... make them accessible in relevant places
(15)pose questions in context, relate the questions to tasks
(16)use "good defaults"

- Incremental Construction
(17)processes go as much backward as forward: allow for incremental changes
(18)give feedback of the whole
(19)induce a state of flow

- Habituation
"that gesture works everywhere else why not here?"
(20)consistency across applications: frequently used actions become reflexive... be consistent with universal actions like cntrl+s for save
(21)increase efficiency: provide shortcuts for repetitive tasks and also undo for these traps

- Spatial Memory
"It was on the left corner, where did it go?"
(23)take care while redesigning of the spatial memory of the existing users
(24)one reason why dynamic menus dont work
(25)top of the list, bottom of the list are most remembered spatially, so make sure they stay put while considering redesigning

- Prospective Memory
"I'm putting this here to remind myself to deal with it later"
eg: sticky notes, windows left open, annotations to put directly into documents, flags
(26)allow for such reminders
(27)don't assume while auto-organizing/sorting
(28)recall last few objects, save - unfinished forms
(29)how can you gather reminders from different sources at one place?

- Streamlined Repetition
"I have to repeat this how many times?"
(30)allow for automation, eg: macros, find and replace in word application, cut, copy paste

- Keyboard Only
"Please don't make me use the mouse"
(31)tab traversal
(32)key board shortcuts
(33)for screen-reader s/ws
(34)key mode only is perticularly important from data entry applications

- Other People's Advice
"what did everyone say about this?"
(35)social aspect of the s/w
(36)learn by example, trends