The History About What Is Usability

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Abstract

This report details the development of an interactive shopping mall navigation system on a web enabled computer. This helps customer find their way around the shopping mall more easily and improve the knowledge of where things are located around shopping mall. This application includes a GUI, a database to keep track of information about stores and restaurants, and modules to implement the various functions of the system.

Acknowledgement

I would like to sincerely thank the individuals who guided us through my Project and who made my experience a memorable one. I would like to thank my project authenticator for providing me with the necessary information and resources to complete my project.

Introduction

The wall mounted maps and manual maps is used by all the customer or anyone unfamiliar with the shopping mall at Skyline Shopping Centre Croydon .But online mapping system have replaced paper maps and atlases in modern society. Contrasting these advances in automobile navigation, wall mounted maps and signs continue to be the primary reference for indoor navigation in shopping malls. In this project the development, implementation, and testing of a web-based indoor navigation system are described.

Objectives

Two main objectives were identified that summarize the challenges faced in this project.

First, a database to keep track of information about stores and restaurants, and modules to implement the various functions of the system. For example, this would include a search function to allow users to find services and utilities on shopping mall based on the information in the database and a function to determine the various facilities in the shopping centre.

Second, an intuitive user interface must provide the user with access to these features.

Background

In order to properly plan, design and implement a solution, it is necessary to fully understand the previous system. Here, each of the problem will be discussed existing work which is closely related will be reviewed, and techniques which are applicable to the project will be identified and evaluated.

Previous system

Skyline Shopping centre previously had a manual maps and wall mounted maps which created a usability issues . It made users in the shopping mall hard to find the shops and users were unknown with some facilities in the mall. It was difficult for customers to find the things around in the mall using the paper maps and was time consuming.

Problems

Interactive: The maps used before was only image, what you see is all you get. Users wont know the details of a particular stores or restaurant but just its name. By using this new web map, pop-up info boxes can be used showing details of every stores in a mall , with images attached to enhance user navigation.

Accessibility: The paper maps are scanned and photocopied for distribution which is a total waste of money and time. This new system expedite the map distribution process dramatically, as those web maps can be integrated into websites easily to make them publicly viewable, or burnt . Using this system is a perfect way to reach customers destination without spending a fortune. 

Updating problem: When the maps go out of date as it's much time consuming to insert changes in them. As a result, the older ones are discarded and the newer ones with the changes and additions take their place. However , the maps in this system can be updated easily.

What is usability?

Usability applies to all aspects of the system where users might interact. It involves optimizing the interactions users have with interactive system to enable them to carry out their activities.

Usability has multiple components and is traditionally associated with these six usability

goals

Effectiveness

Learnability

Efficiency

Memorability

Utility

Safety.

Usability is whether a system is being used or not, generally when people have a choice as to whether to use a system and that system is difficult to learn how to use, it will never become popular. Usability should be to do with easy learning of use, usable system is ‘the capability in human functional terms to be used easily and effectively by the specified range of users, given specified training and user support, to fulfill the specified range of tasks within the specified range of environmental scenarios. Usability of a system is

measured by how easily and how effectively it can be used by a specific set of users, given

particular kinds of support, to carry out a fixed set of tasks, in a defined set of environments’.

Therefore usability involves the users, tasks, tools and environment. This above definitions

allows usability to be expressed in measurable terms, this being good for my project as I

would like to be able to measure the usability of the System. if the functions of

the system do not match the user’s goals in their everyday work environments, then the

system will not be used.

Effectiveness

It refers to how good system is doing what it is supposed to do. System capable of allowing people to learn well, carry out the work properly as desired and access the information user need.

Learnability

The system should be easy to learn so that the user can easily start using the system. Highly learn-able systems allow users to reach a reasonable level of usage proficiency within a short time. The most common way to expressthe specified level of proficiency is simply to state that the users have to be able to complete a certain task successfully, or alternatively complete a set of tasks in a certain time

Efficiency

It refers to the way system supports users in carrying out their tasks or the system lets the user carry out the common tasks through a minimal number of steps.The system should be efficient to use, so that once the user has learnt the system a high level of productivity is possible.

Memorability

The system should be easy to remember, so that the user is able to return to the

system after some period of not using it, without having to learn everything all over again.

They have used a system before so do not need to learn it from beginning. Having an interface that is easy to remember is important for users who have temporarily stopped using thesystem because the usability of returning to a system is different from seeing it for the first time, for example returning after the Easter holiday.

Errors

The system should have a low error rate so that the users make few errors during the use of

the system and if they do make errors they can easily recover from them. An error is defined

as an action that does not complete the desired goal.