Call

GUI applications

Our approach

The unique focus here involves navigational efficiency (and clarity). "You have one chance to make a good first impression." True not only for people, but for whole applications. We make that first screen work. Our usability testing ensures that it works.

Benefits to count on:

  • Systematic process that guarantees user-friendly software
  • Phased achievement milestones
  • Efficient task flows
  • Reduced help desk and training
  • Reduced data entry errors
  • Happier, less-stressed CSRs and other computer-intensive employees
  • Happy customers of shrink-wrapped software
Step Activity
1. Have an idea: COULD you save $$ with a re-design of your application?

If your text-based or GUI application is fast, training is minimal, and users are happy. Why switch? However, if your main menu options grew haphazardly like barnacles on a ship, thus forcing your users to return to the main menu and re-enter a customer name, it's costing you money. We look for elements that contribute to awkward navigation, especially excessive use of drop-down menus and "stove-pipe" navigation. Solution: we re-engineer the task flow. We re-engineer the navigation. Many re-designs see a 25%-40% savings in time. Figure 25% of an 8-hour day. You could save the salary of ¼ person per year! It adds up.
2. Expert review of current application.

If you wonder about potential savings, we can provide an "expert review" – an ergonomic doctor's visit to check your possible savings. Memory and training-intensive applications raise user-stress and consequent turnover. Expensive. We...

  • Check navigation (most applications have issues)
  • Look for excessive jargon and abbreviations (confuses trainees)
  • Evaluate screen clutter: ragged left margins and poor grouping intimidates new and casual users
  • Check procedures and methods guides
  • Find arbitrary task flows, lack of left-right, top-down work patterns: issues that confuse new and casual users
3. Create an efficient "user interface structure" (UIS) for your user interface (UI).

Remember the phrase "You have one chance to make a good first impression"? While true for meeting people, it's also true for users meeting the first screen on an application. The first screen must present a familiar, clear, and lucid "story" to the user. It must fit their job. It can help users learn their job! We gather data on functions and mock up the top screen plus 3 or 4 second-level screens. We test and revise. We call this a User Interface Structure project. After this project, your developers can start coding back-end functions.
4. Tackle the big design challenges: mid-level and detailed design.

Some issues are more thorny than others. How do you handle "adding" a vendor while in a billing module? This requires a mid-level architectural investigation. We address the tough issues of this and detailed design to provide examples for your developers. They can carry it through to the other screens. Or if you're pressed for time, we can do as much as you need. By the way, we test our solutions. Perfection accompanies the process.
5. Expert review of developer-designed screens.

Users fail to identify developer design problems (research shows they're wrong 60% of the time). Our experience teaching GUI design and testing many designs gives us an edge in using "expert knowledge." An expert review lets us identify the major issues that would interfere with detecting real problems during a usability test. Why pay for subjects to test on the gross issues? We teach expert review, too! Research shows the first expert reviewer catches about 40 to 50% of problems. Catch an additional 10% with each additional reviewer up to 80 to 90%. 100% requires usability testing with domain knowledge.

6. Test mid-level and detailed design.

If you have three different types of users, we make sure each group can use the vocabulary and mid-level navigation we create for their separate situations or modules. To get subtle problems we need more for each type – 10 to 12 subjects. To get problems that should show up more often, we can get by with 4 to 7 subjects for each group. User types include novice and casual, as well as experts. Buying test time is like buying insurance!

7. Create a GUI standard.

Why have 20 developers re-invent screen styles when we can give them templates? We can create a standard for your current application or for cross-application use. We select about 8 to 10 screens from one or more applications that represent tasks that will show up more than once. We consider: form filling, search and list, CRUD functions (Create, Review, Update, and Delete), display only, tables, etc. For a small development group that works together, pictures can do it. For distributed, larger groups, we add descriptive text with design checklists.

P.S., we can create a corporate "look" for your GUI that matches your corporate image guidelines.
HFI's user experience consulting services
Call 1-800-242-4480, or Request more information
Consulting overview sheet
Download (77K pdf file)

Get your project plan

Ask our UX expert

Privacy policy

Reviewed: 18 Mar 2014

This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which Human Factors International, Inc., an Iowa corporation ("HFI") collects, uses, maintains and discloses information collected from users (each, a "User") of its humanfactors.com website and any derivative or affiliated websites on which this Privacy Policy is posted (collectively, the "Website"). HFI reserves the right, at its discretion, to change, modify, add or remove portions of this Privacy Policy at any time by posting such changes to this page. You understand that you have the affirmative obligation to check this Privacy Policy periodically for changes, and you hereby agree to periodically review this Privacy Policy for such changes. The continued use of the Website following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes an acceptance of those changes.

Cookies

HFI may use "cookies" or "web beacons" to track how Users use the Website. A cookie is a piece of software that a web server can store on Users’ PCs and use to identify Users should they visit the Website again. Users may adjust their web browser software if they do not wish to accept cookies. To withdraw your consent after accepting a cookie, delete the cookie from your computer.

Privacy

HFI believes that every User should know how it utilizes the information collected from Users. The Website is not directed at children under 13 years of age, and HFI does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age online. Please note that the Website may contain links to other websites. These linked sites may not be operated or controlled by HFI. HFI is not responsible for the privacy practices of these or any other websites, and you access these websites entirely at your own risk. HFI recommends that you review the privacy practices of any other websites that you choose to visit.

HFI is based, and this website is hosted, in the United States of America. If User is from the European Union or other regions of the world with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law and User is registering an account on the Website, visiting the Website, purchasing products or services from HFI or the Website, or otherwise using the Website, please note that any personally identifiable information that User provides to HFI will be transferred to the United States. Any such personally identifiable information provided will be processed and stored in the United States by HFI or a service provider acting on its behalf. By providing your personally identifiable information, User hereby specifically and expressly consents to such transfer and processing and the uses and disclosures set forth herein.

In the course of its business, HFI may perform expert reviews, usability testing, and other consulting work where personal privacy is a concern. HFI believes in the importance of protecting personal information, and may use measures to provide this protection, including, but not limited to, using consent forms for participants or "dummy" test data.

The Information HFI Collects

Users browsing the Website without registering an account or affirmatively providing personally identifiable information to HFI do so anonymously. Otherwise, HFI may collect personally identifiable information from Users in a variety of ways. Personally identifiable information may include, without limitation, (i)contact data (such as a User’s name, mailing and e-mail addresses, and phone number); (ii)demographic data (such as a User’s zip code, age and income); (iii) financial information collected to process purchases made from HFI via the Website or otherwise (such as credit card, debit card or other payment information); (iv) other information requested during the account registration process; and (v) other information requested by our service vendors in order to provide their services. If a User communicates with HFI by e-mail or otherwise, posts messages to any forums, completes online forms, surveys or entries or otherwise interacts with or uses the features on the Website, any information provided in such communications may be collected by HFI. HFI may also collect information about how Users use the Website, for example, by tracking the number of unique views received by the pages of the Website, or the domains and IP addresses from which Users originate. While not all of the information that HFI collects from Users is personally identifiable, it may be associated with personally identifiable information that Users provide HFI through the Website or otherwise. HFI may provide ways that the User can opt out of receiving certain information from HFI. If the User opts out of certain services, User information may still be collected for those services to which the User elects to subscribe. For those elected services, this Privacy Policy will apply.

How HFI Uses Information

HFI may use personally identifiable information collected through the Website for the specific purposes for which the information was collected, to process purchases and sales of products or services offered via the Website if any, to contact Users regarding products and services offered by HFI, its parent, subsidiary and other related companies in order to otherwise to enhance Users’ experience with HFI. HFI may also use information collected through the Website for research regarding the effectiveness of the Website and the business planning, marketing, advertising and sales efforts of HFI. HFI does not sell any User information under any circumstances.

Disclosure of Information

HFI may disclose personally identifiable information collected from Users to its parent, subsidiary and other related companies to use the information for the purposes outlined above, as necessary to provide the services offered by HFI and to provide the Website itself, and for the specific purposes for which the information was collected. HFI may disclose personally identifiable information at the request of law enforcement or governmental agencies or in response to subpoenas, court orders or other legal process, to establish, protect or exercise HFI’s legal or other rights or to defend against a legal claim or as otherwise required or allowed by law. HFI may disclose personally identifiable information in order to protect the rights, property or safety of a User or any other person. HFI may disclose personally identifiable information to investigate or prevent a violation by User of any contractual or other relationship with HFI or the perpetration of any illegal or harmful activity. HFI may also disclose aggregate, anonymous data based on information collected from Users to investors and potential partners. Finally, HFI may disclose or transfer personally identifiable information collected from Users in connection with or in contemplation of a sale of its assets or business or a merger, consolidation or other reorganization of its business.

Personal Information as Provided by User

If a User includes such User’s personally identifiable information as part of the User posting to the Website, such information may be made available to any parties using the Website. HFI does not edit or otherwise remove such information from User information before it is posted on the Website. If a User does not wish to have such User’s personally identifiable information made available in this manner, such User must remove any such information before posting. HFI is not liable for any damages caused or incurred due to personally identifiable information made available in the foregoing manners. For example, a User posts on an HFI-administered forum would be considered Personal Information as provided by User and subject to the terms of this section.

Security of Information

Information about Users that is maintained on HFI’s systems or those of its service providers is protected using industry standard security measures. However, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and HFI cannot guarantee that the information submitted to, maintained on or transmitted from its systems will be completely secure. HFI is not responsible for the circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures relating to the Website by any Users or third parties.

Correcting, Updating, Accessing or Removing Personal Information

If a User’s personally identifiable information changes, or if a User no longer desires to receive non-account specific information from HFI, HFI will endeavor to provide a way to correct, update and/or remove that User’s previously-provided personal data. This can be done by emailing a request to HFI at hfi@humanfactors.com. Additionally, you may request access to the personally identifiable information as collected by HFI by sending a request to HFI as set forth above. Please note that in certain circumstances, HFI may not be able to completely remove a User’s information from its systems. For example, HFI may retain a User’s personal information for legitimate business purposes, if it may be necessary to prevent fraud or future abuse, for account recovery purposes, if required by law or as retained in HFI’s data backup systems or cached or archived pages. All retained personally identifiable information will continue to be subject to the terms of the Privacy Policy to which the User has previously agreed.

Contacting HFI

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, you may contact HFI via any of the following methods:
Human Factors International, Inc.
PO Box 2020
1680 highway 1, STE 3600
Fairfield IA 52556
hfi@humanfactors.com
(800) 242-4480

Terms and Conditions for Public Training Courses

Reviewed: 18 Mar 2014

Cancellation of Course by HFI

HFI reserves the right to cancel any course up to 14 (fourteen) days prior to the first day of the course. Registrants will be promptly notified and will receive a full refund or be transferred to the equivalent class of their choice within a 12-month period. HFI is not responsible for travel expenses or any costs that may be incurred as a result of cancellations.

Cancellation of Course by Participants (All regions except India)

$100 processing fee if cancelling within two weeks of course start date.

Cancellation / Transfer by Participants (India)

4 Pack + Exam registration: Rs. 10,000 per participant processing fee (to be paid by the participant) if cancelling or transferring the course (4 Pack-CUA/CXA) registration before three weeks from the course start date. No refund or carry forward of the course fees if cancelling or transferring the course registration within three weeks before the course start date.

Cancellation / Transfer by Participants (Online Courses)

$100 processing fee if cancelling within two weeks of course start date. No cancellations or refunds less than two weeks prior to the first course start date.

Individual Modules: Rs. 3,000 per participant ‘per module’ processing fee (to be paid by the participant) if cancelling or transferring the course (any Individual HFI course) registration before three weeks from the course start date. No refund or carry forward of the course fees if cancelling or transferring the course registration within three weeks before the course start date.

Exam: Rs. 3,000 per participant processing fee (to be paid by the participant) if cancelling or transferring the pre agreed CUA/CXA exam date before three weeks from the examination date. No refund or carry forward of the exam fees if requesting/cancelling or transferring the CUA/CXA exam within three weeks before the examination date.

No Recording Permitted

There will be no audio or video recording allowed in class. Students who have any disability that might affect their performance in this class are encouraged to speak with the instructor at the beginning of the class.

Course Materials Copyright

The course and training materials and all other handouts provided by HFI during the course are published, copyrighted works proprietary and owned exclusively by HFI. The course participant does not acquire title nor ownership rights in any of these materials. Further the course participant agrees not to reproduce, modify, and/or convert to electronic format (i.e., softcopy) any of the materials received from or provided by HFI. The materials provided in the class are for the sole use of the class participant. HFI does not provide the materials in electronic format to the participants in public or onsite courses.