These Aren't the Commands You're Looking For: Addressing False Feedforward in Feature-Rich Software

The names, icons, and tooltips of commands in feature-rich software are an important source of guidance when locating and selecting amongst commands. Unfortunately, these cues can mislead users into believing that a command is appropriate for a given task, when another command would be more appropriate, resulting in wasted time and frustration. In this paper, we present command disambiguation techniques that inform the user of alternative commands before, during, and after an incorrect command has been executed. To inform the design of these techniques, we define categories of false-feedforward errors caused by misleading interface cues, and identify causes for each. Our techniques are the first designed explicitly to solve this problem in feature-rich software. A user study showed enthusiasm for the techniques, and revealed their potential to play a key role in learning of feature-rich software.

[1]  Robin Jeffries,et al.  Backtracking Events as Indicators of Usability Problems in Creation-Oriented Applications , 2012, TCHI.

[2]  Gregory D. Abowd,et al.  Interaction techniques for ambiguity resolution in recognition-based interfaces , 2007, SIGGRAPH '07.

[3]  Caitlin Kelleher,et al.  Stencils-based tutorials: design and evaluation , 2005, CHI.

[4]  Desney S. Tan,et al.  Phosphor: explaining transitions in the user interface using afterglow effects , 2006, UIST.

[5]  Andrea L. Ames.  Just what they need, just when they need it: an introduction to embedded assistance , 2001, SIGDOC '01.

[6]  Pierre Dragicevic,et al.  Using text animated transitions to support navigation in document histories , 2010, CHI.

[7]  Scott R. Klemmer,et al.  Design as exploration: creating interface alternatives through parallel authoring and runtime tuning , 2008, UIST '08.

[8]  David K. Farkas,et al.  The role of balloon help , 1993, ASTR.

[9]  Stephan Wensveen,et al.  But how, Donald, tell us how?: on the creation of meaning in interaction design through feedforward and inherent feedback , 2002, DIS '02.

[10]  Paul A. Beardsley,et al.  Design galleries: a general approach to setting parameters for computer graphics and animation , 1997, SIGGRAPH.

[11]  Gierad Laput,et al.  Tutorial-based interfaces for cloud-enabled applications , 2012, UIST.

[12]  Andy Cockburn,et al.  Causality: a conceptual model of interaction history , 2014, CHI.

[13]  Frank Linton,et al.  OWL: A Recommender System for Organization-Wide Learning , 2000, J. Educ. Technol. Soc..

[14]  Elise van den Hoven,et al.  Crossing the bridge over Norman's Gulf of Execution: revealing feedforward's true identity , 2013, CHI.

[15]  Tovi Grossman,et al.  ToolClips: an investigation of contextual video assistance for functionality understanding , 2010, CHI.

[16]  Andrea Bunt,et al.  Task-centric interfaces for feature-rich software , 2014, OZCHI.

[17]  David G. Novick,et al.  The micro-structure of use of help , 2009, SIGDOC.

[18]  Jennifer Mankoff,et al.  Providing integrated toolkit-level support for ambiguity in recognition-based interfaces , 2000, CHI Extended Abstracts.

[19]  Elizabeth D. Mynatt,et al.  Side views: persistent, on-demand previews for open-ended tasks , 2002, UIST '02.

[20]  Elizabeth D. Mynatt,et al.  Variation in element and action: supporting simultaneous development of alternative solutions , 2004, CHI.

[21]  Tovi Grossman,et al.  CommunityCommands: command recommendations for software applications , 2009, UIST '09.

[22]  Colin Potts,et al.  Design of Everyday Things , 1988 .

[23]  Scott E. Hudson,et al.  A framework for robust and flexible handling of inputs with uncertainty , 2010, UIST.

[24]  Kasper Hornbæk,et al.  Subjunctive interfaces: Extending applications to support parallel setup, viewing and control of alternative scenarios , 2008, TCHI.

[25]  William W. Gaver.  Technology affordances , 1991, CHI.