- From: Anne Pemberton <apembert@crosslink.net>
- Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:48:12 -0400
- To: <gv@trace.wisc.edu>, "GL - WAI Guidelines WG \(E-mail\)" <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Gregg, Thanks for sharing the results of this study. Yes, it doesn't answer the question on the table about the need for pictures with words. Also, the test subjects, which I'm assuming were "college students" at Indiana, are unlikely to include representative samples of folks with cognitive disabilities. Anne At 11:36 PM 4/27/2000 -0500, Gregg Vanderheiden wrote: >Interesting - but they didn't study the question we would like to see > >Is pictures and words better than words. > >PLEASE NOTE THAT a to e WERE NOT RESULTS BUT THE QUESTIONS. > >ONLY (a) TURNED OUT TRUE FOR THE STUDY > >Gregg > > > >PICTURES AND WORDS ON BUTTONS IMPROVE USABILITY-Testing the boundaries of >two user-centered design principles: metaphors and memory load, Vaughan, >M.W., International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 10(3), 265-282 >(1998). > >In a second study, Misha Vaughan (1998) at Indiana University attempted to >determine: >a. if an interface uses pictures and words on buttons, is it more usable >than an interface that uses only pictures, >b. if an interface uses familiar metaphors, will it be more usable than one >that uses system metaphors, >c. if an interface uses the user's natural language, will it be more usable >than an one that uses system language, >d. if an interface uses simple metaphors, is it more usable than one that >uses complex metaphors, and >e. if an interface uses shorter names for tasks and functions, is it more >usable than one that uses longer names. > >Participants were 108 experienced computer users. The results indicated that >only when an interface 'used pictures and words on buttons' did the >usability reliably improve. > > > > > >-- ------------------------------ >Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D. >Professor - Human Factors >Dept of Ind. Engr. - U of Wis. >Director - Trace R & D Center >Gv@trace.wisc.edu, http://trace.wisc.edu/ >FAX 608/262-8848 >For a list of our listserves send “lists” to listproc@trace.wisc.edu > > > Anne L. Pemberton http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1 http://www.erols.com/stevepem/Homeschooling apembert@crosslink.net Enabling Support Foundation http://www.enabling.org
Received on Friday, 28 April 2000 09:41:45 UTC