Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Affordance: a key principle of HCI that states that the appearance of any control should suggest its functionality.
Browser forms: forms programmed using HTML and script languages that follow Internet conventions.
Check boxes: input controls that enable the user to select more than one option from a group.
Combo box: another variation of the list box that permits the user to enter a new value or select from the entries.
Desktop metaphor: a direct manipulation approach in which the display screen includes an arrangement of objects commonly found on a desk.
Dialog metaphor: a metaphor of HCI in which interacting with the computer is much like carrying on a conversation or dialog.
Direct manipulation: a metaphor of HCI in which the user interacts directly with objects on the display screen.
Document metaphor: a metaphor of HCI in which interaction with the computer involves browsing and entering data on electronic documents.
Human factors engineering (ergonomics): the study of human interaction with machines in general.
Human-computer interaction (HCI): the study of end users and their interactions with computers.
Hypermedia: technology that extends the hypertext concepts to include multimedia content such as graphics, video, and audio.
Hypertext: documents that allow the user to click on a link and jump to a different part of the document or to another document.
Interface design standards: general principles and rules that must be followed for the interface of any system developed by the organization.
List box: an input control that contains a list of acceptable entries the user can select.
Radio buttons (option buttons): input controls that enable the user to select one option from a group.
Spin box: a variation of the list box that presents multiple entries in a text box from which the user can select.
Storyboarding: a technique used to document dialog designs by showing a sequence of sketches of the display screen.
System interfaces: the parts of an information system involving inputs and outputs that require minimal human intervention.
Text box: an input control that accepts keyboard data entry.
Usability: the degree to which a system is easy to learn and use.
User-centered design: a collection of techniques that place the user at the center of the development process
User interfaces: the parts of an information system requiring user interaction to create inputs and outputs.
User’s model: what the user knows about using the system, including the problem domain “things” the user is manipulating, the operations that can be performed, and the procedures followed when carrying out tasks.
Visibility: a key principle of HCI that states that all controls should be visible and provide feedback to indicate that the control is responding to the user’s action.