Human Factors Redesign and Test of a Graphics System

Abstract

This paper describes two versions of a small interactive graphics system. The two versions have essentially the same function, but differ in the design of the man-machine interface. The first version was designed from the “inside out”, without explicit consideration given to ease-of-use. The second version was redesigned specifically from the “outside in” with major emphasis on human factors considerations. Behavioral experiments comparing the two versions showed significant differences in ease of learning the two systems. The intent of the paper is 1) to make explicit in a small, easily understandable example, the rationale behind some of the human factors design decisions, and 2) to show that differences in human interface design can result in measurable differences in ease of use.