Interface designing: Deep Background

Recently I have been going through the book Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design by Jenifer Tidwell. One of the sections that talked about deep background explains some very important and interesting details. I tried to apply the learning in one of the project I was recently working in and it came out well. Here’s an excerpt from the book –  

What:  Place an image or gradient into the page’s background that visually recedes behind the foreground elements.   

Use when:  Your page layout has strong visual elements (such as text blocks, groups of controls, or windows), and it isn’t very dense or busy. You want the page to look distinctive and attractive; you may have a visual branding strategy in mind. You’d like to use something more interesting than flat white or gray for the page background.   

Why: Backgrounds that have soft focus, color gradients, and other distance cues appear to recede behind the more sharply defined content in front of it. The content thus seems to “float” in front of the background. This pseudo-3D look results in a strong figure/ground effect — it attracts the viewer’s eye to the content. Fancy explanations aside, it just looks good.  

How:  Use a background that has one or more of these characteristics: Soft focus. Keep lines fuzzy and avoid too much small detail — sharp lines interfere with readability of the content atop it, especially if that content is text or small icons. (You can kind of get away with sharp lines if they are low-contrast, but even then, text doesn’t work well over them.)  

Color gradients. Bright, saturated colors are okay, but again, hard lines between them are not. Allow colors to blend into each other. In fact, if you don’t have an image to use in the background, you can create a simple color gradient in your favorite drawing tool — it still looks better than a solid color. (You don’t need to store or download pure gradients as images, either. On the Web, you can create them by repeating one-pixel-wide strips, either horizontally or vertically. In systems where you can use code to generate large areas of color, gradients are generally easy to program.)  

Depth cues. Fuzzy detail and vertical color gradients are two features that tell our visual system about distance. To understand why, imagine a photograph of a hilly landscape — the farther away something is, the softer and hazier the color is. Other depth cues include texture gradients (features that get smaller as they get farther away) and lines radiating from vanishing points.  

No strong focal points. The background shouldn’t compete with the main content for the user’s attention. Diffuse (weak) focal points can work, but make sure they contribute to a balanced composition on the whole page, rather than distract the viewer from seeing the parts of the page they should look at instead. As you design an interface with a deep background, consider what happens when the user changes the size of the page. How will the background accommodate a larger (or smaller) size? Will it rescale to fit, or will the window just clip an unscaled image? Clipping is probably less unsettling to the user; it’s how most web pages behave, and it feels more stable. Besides, you don’t have to worry about changing aspect ratios, which is problematic with many images.

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“It is especially important that the user-interface designer’s ego be submerged, so that the user’s needs, not the designer’s, are the driving factor. There is no room for a designer with quick, off-the-cuff answers.”           

-Foley, VanDam, Feiner, and Hughes
Computer graphics, principles & practice

Introduction to Instructional Design Theories

I wonder how many of us actually know the meaning of “Instructional Design Theory”.  Many a times we mistake the term Instructional Design Theory for Learning Theory.  There is difference between the two — let’s see what that difference is.

An Instructional Design Theory provides guidance on how to help people learn and develop and is prescriptive.  A Learning Theory describes how learning happens and is descriptive. For instance, the Learn One theory by Perkins suggests that to enhance learning for any performance we want to teach, the instruction should provide clear information, thoughtful practice, informative feedback, and strong intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.  This theory guides you about the ways in which you can enhance learning and therefore it is an Instructional Design theory. On the other hand, the Information Processing theory describes how new information enters the short-term memory before entering the long -term memory.  Therefore, it is a Learning theory.

Let’s look at some common characteristics of instructional design theories.  

·         Instructional design theories are design oriented, which means they focus on the different ways of achieving goals of learning and development. For instance, learning goal can be to “teach XYZ process”. So, an Instructional Design Theory would provide guidance on how this process can be taught.

·         These theories identify methods of instruction and different ways in which designers can and cannot use these methods. One of the methods of teaching the XYZ process could be to provide clear information about the process.

·         The methods suggested in instructional design theories can be further broken down into more detailed components. For instance, you can break the method of providing clear information into flow charts and scenarios.               

·         Instructional design theories follow probabilistic approach. This means that an instructional design theory increases the chances of attaining learning goals. These theories do not ensure that the learning goals will be attained. For instance, if you provide clear information using flow charts and scenarios for teaching XYZ process, you increase the probability that learner will understand the process.

I hope this clarifies our understanding of what Instructional Design Theories are!

Do we require our own Quality framework?

What is a Quality Framework?

A Quality framework can be defined as: 

• Systematic structure for self-evaluation

• Umbrella for quality practices

• Survey program to practice quality

• Practice that can be used for quality assessment

 A quality framework enables an organization focus on:

• Doing the right thing

• Doing the thing right

Companies to improve their business processes adopt various quality frameworks. Today, we have an array of quality disciplines to choose from. Some, such as Six Sigma for the plant, ISO 9000-9001 for the enterprise, and the Malcolm Baldrige program to improve overall performance, are commonly known. Others such as Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (CobiT), is popular among auditors, Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for software development, and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) for IT operations and services are also popular.

While there are certain common features among these quality frameworks, in most cases, they don’t conflict. Indeed, most large companies use two or three of them. For example, IBM uses ISO 9000, CMM, ITIL, Six Sigma and several homegrown quality programs.

But now-a-days if we analyze most of the very sophisticated companies don’t use any of them, preferring to roll their Own Quality Framework.

Isn’t this a better approach?

For instance, MasterCard International Inc. has adapted a framework according to its own way of doing business. It underwent an external assessment and tried to implement some ideas from the established quality processes, but it hasn’t adopted any of the frameworks formally. Outcome of this was reduced development time for new software releases from 18 months to 12 and has reduced the number of software defects as well.

So the idea should be roll your own and apply it just where it makes sense is often the best choice for organizations.

The choice can be made considering various dimensions of quality framework, such as relevance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, interpretability, comparability, coherence, and standardization.

Based on the above discussion I have few unanswered questions in my mind.

• Some organisations are using quality frameworks others are not. Does it really make a difference?

• What is important, the existence of a quality framework or quality of the organisation?

• Is it really important to adopt established quality frameworks or good idea is to create one?

 Let’s find an answer together…….

Testing Strategy is Important!!

So finally I am ready to write my first blog. For so long I was finding a topic to write my blog. I searched lot of blogging sites on the Internet………but nothing worked out. So here it is…I am trying to create a blog about Quality awareness, like test strategy, test tools, test plans, test cases, and many such technologies and concepts, specifically applicable in the world of e-learning.

My first topic in this area is about Test Strategies. Let’s start with the general definition of test strategy.

What is a strategy? Why does testing need one?
A strategy outlines what to plan, and how to plan it. A successful strategy is your guide through change, and provides a firm foundation for ongoing improvement. Unlike a plan, which is obsolete from the point of creation, a strategy reflects the values of an organization – and remains current and useful. When an organization tests its products or its tools, it tries to compare them against its expectations and values. By its nature, testing introduces change as problems are identified and resolved. A test strategy is necessary to allow these two impulses to work together. Furthermore, testing can never be said to be ‘complete’, and a core skill in testing is the justified management of conflicting demands; without a strategy, these judgments will be inconsistent to the point of failure.

Is test strategy a document?
A test strategy is not a document. It is a framework for making decisions about value, and has strong links to the unique values of an organization. It is part of the creative process. Test strategies can cover a wide range of testing and business issues, values, and decision-making framework.

Does an E-learning application need to have a test strategy?
The increased use of the Internet in learning and the advancements of new authoring and web tools in computer-assisted learning have created challenges and opportunities for e-learning developers, especially as far as Web-based pedagogy is concerned. Most researchers and educators have found the Web as a potential resource to support learning pedagogy. It is also important to formulate how available technology can be used to facilitate desired learning objectives within the psychological and pedagogical constraints.

Building an e-learning application is no different from building many other types of software application. Whether the e-learning software is designed to support Instructor Led Classroom training, Synchronous or Asynchronous e-learning delivery, or whether the software should provide a comprehensive Learning Management or Learning Content Management System. It is assumed that the case for e-learning has been made, and that the general e-learning application requirements are agreed.

In order to provide effective learning solutions, we need to set a quality standard for e-learning based applications. To achieve this quality we need to have an effective test strategy designed from the start of the project.

In most organizations e-learning projects are poorly served by a one-size-fits-all approach to their testing strategies. In order to design effective test strategy for an e-learning project we need to understand that e-learning application is divided in three area of the application:

Pedagogical Area:     Learning goals/objectives
                                           Learning material
                                           Target (end) users
                                           Cognitive mapping
                                           Interactivity

Technological Area: System availability
                                           Mode of delivery
                                           H/W resources
                                           Internet bandwidth
                                           Course engine/Programming tools

Usability Area:           Look and Feel
                                          Learner’s perspective

Test Strategy for E-learning Applications
While not a checklist, you might expect to see some of the following in your own test strategy for an e-learning application:

Project plans, risks, and requirements
Relevant regulations, policies, or directives
Required processes, standards, and templates
Supporting guidelines
Stakeholders and their test objectives
Test resources and estimates
Test levels and phases, such as content review, edit review, technical review, and functionality review, etc.
Test environment such as level of automation and manual tests
Completion criteria for each phase
Required documentation and review methods

Other than the generic points we need to mention following points also:

Description and characteristic of content/instructional strategy used
Instructional elements used such as content, graphic, audio, etc.
Testing/reviewing approach such as checklist based testing
Change management
Required documentation and styles and standards followed for review

Whatever is mentioned in my blog is as per my experience in the area of e-learning as a QC. This is not a conclusion but a start to a discussion on effective testing in the area of e-learning-based applications. Much need to be discussed and talked about. So lets explore!!!!

Usability! Usability? Usability:)

In our day to day work, we often talk about usability. We talk about user-friendly approach, easy navigation, user-centric design, color theories, design principles and many other things.  But, what exactly usability is? Is this about technology, design principles or human perceptions? Let’s find out… 

What is Usability?

Usability measures the quality of a user’s experience when interacting with a product or system – Be it a web site, a software application, mobile technology, or any user-operated device.
In general, usability refers to how well users can learn and use a product to achieve their goals and how satisfied they are with that process. — www.usability.govUsability has five quality components:

• Learnability: How easily users can accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
• Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly and efficiently can they perform tasks?
• Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of time, how easily can they recall and reestablish proficiency?
• Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?
• Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design? User Experience!

Utility is a key factor, which refers to the design’s functionality: Does it do what users need? Usability and utility are equally important: It matters little that something is easy if it’s not what you want. It’s also no good if the system can hypothetically do what you want, but you can’t make it happen because the user interface is too difficult.On the Web, usability is a necessary condition for survival. If a website is difficult to use, people leave. If the homepage fails to clearly state what a company offers and what users can do on the site, people leave. If users get lost on a website, they leave. If a website’s information is hard to read or doesn’t answer users’ key questions, they leave. Note a pattern here? There’s no such thing as a user reading a website manual or otherwise spending much time trying to figure out an interface. There are plenty of other websites available; leaving is the first line of defense when users encounter a difficulty.

The Goal

The overall goal is to create content that is perceivable, operable and understandable by the broadest possible range of users and compatible with their wide range of assistive technologies, now and in the future. The basic principles include:

1. Content must be perceivable.
2. Interface elements in the content must be operable.
3. Content and controls must be understandable.
4. Content must be robust enough to work with current and future technologies. 

Usability is now recognized as an important software quality attribute, earning its place among more traditional attributes such as performance and robustness.  

The first law of e-commerce is that if users cannot find the product, they cannot buy it either. So let’s make it a habit to follow basic steps and enhance user experience.  I am sure it will be WOW!! Experience; and not OUCH!! J