BCS THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE FOR IT. BCS HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS BCS Level 5 Diploma in IT PRINCIPLES OF USER INTERFACE DESIGN

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1 BCS THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE FOR IT BCS HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS BCS Level 5 Diploma in IT PRINCIPLES OF USER INTERFACE DESIGN Monday 19 th March Afternoon Answer any FOUR questions out of SIX. All questions carry equal marks. Time: TWO hours. Answer any Section A questions you attempt in Answer Book A Answer any Section B questions you attempt in Answer Book B The marks given in brackets are indicative of the weight given to each part of the question. Calculators are NOT allowed in this examination. Page 1 of 5

2 Section A Answer Section A questions in Answer Book A A1 You are helping to develop and deploy a bespoke transaction logging and tracking system for use in a small company. A2 a) Describe what an ethnographic approach is in the context of User Interface Design. (2 marks) b) Describe TWO advantages of using an ethnographic approach. (4 marks) c) Describe TWO disadvantages of using an ethnographic approach. (4 marks) d) Describe THREE ways that users could be provided with help and documentation for the system, and describe the ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of each method described. (15 marks) You have been hired to design a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for a new app for mobile platforms which monitors and records exercise activities such as walking, running and cycling in real time. Describe the following in the context of this scenario: a) TWO principles you would follow in determining the placement of the controls for the user interface of the activity app to help avoid user error. (2 marks) b) In the context of GUI design, what is meant by rapid or throw-away prototyping. c) How you would perform rapid prototyping of the activity monitoring app. (8 marks) d) How you would conduct a cognitive walkthrough of the GUI using a fully-functional prototype of the activity monitoring app. Page 2 of 5

3 A3 As an HCI expert you are asked to assess the usability of a website selling mobility aids and disability assistance items. Your answers must be in the context of the scenario given above. a) Describe why is it particularly important to include accessibility in your usability evaluation. (3 marks) b) State and explain FIVE elements you would check to ensure accessibility guidelines are being followed on the web site. c) Describe how you would undertake an expert user evaluation of the website. (12 marks) Page 3 of 5

4 Section B Answer Section B questions in Answer Book B B4 During the past year the Blue-Sky University has been busy updating all of its websites with a particular focus on student support. One new feature will be the availability of lectures as webcasts, videos and podcasts. The new feature is to be designed using Scenario Based Design and you, as a member of the design team are, asked to do the following: a) Provide a description of hypothetical stakeholders relating to the new feature. b) Provide a problem scenario that describes interaction with the current page. c) Provide an activity design scenario which describes how the new feature might improve practices. d) Provide a brief annotated storyboard, with about four to six frames, showing the outline of how one particular user might interact with the new system. B5 The characteristics of human memory have implications for UX and human-computer interaction with implications for how user interfaces are designed. a) Explain what is meant by the term Short-Term Memory bottleneck. b) Explain the serial-position effect and the circumstances under which it might be observed during human-computer interaction. c) How can the designers of user interfaces overcome some of the problems of Short-Term Memory bottlenecks and serial-position effects through dialogue design? (15 marks) Page 4 of 5

5 B6 Task Analysis is an important component of user interface design and a number of methods, tools and techniques have been developed over the past 20 years. a) What are the main characteristics of Hierarchical Task Analysis? b) Provide a Hierarchical Task Analysis diagram for the simple task of making a cup of tea? c) Hierarchical Task Analysis is obviously based on hierarchies that are considered clear and easy to understand. However, the web and many user interfaces have a non-linear, hypertextual or star structure that is thought natural to users. Explain why users find star structures easy to use. END OF EXAM Page 5 of 5