Midterm Exam

BCS 228 Human Machine Interaction

Spring Semester 1999

 

Write your name, date and "BCS228 Midterm" on the cover of each bluebook.

Put all answers in your bluebooks.

 

PART I. Answer BOTH questions (A and B)

A. Give each stimulus below, the appropriate search / attentional label: either "serial" (requiring attention) or "parallel" (preattentive).

  1. Finding a red "X" in a group of green "O"s.
  2. Finding a red "X" among green "X"s and red "J"s.
  3. Finding a black vertical bar among white vertical bars and black horizontal bars.
  4. Finding a white horizontal bar among white vertical bars.
  5. Finding a black vertical bar among white vertical and white horizontal bars.

 

B. Briefly define what is meant by "the voice of the customer."

 

 

 

PART II. Answer just ONE of the following three questions (A or B or C).

 

A. A colleague tells you that she plans to display text one-quarter inch high on a display and asks you if it will large enough for the user to read easily. What questions do you need to ask her?

 

B. Explain how a designer can create a pattern of red and yellow pixels to provide the sensation of the color of orange to the user in an icon or graphic on a computer monitor.

 

C. List and explain at least 4 methods (cues) by which you might enhance the perception of depth when representing a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional visual display? Provide small sketches to illustrate these principles.

 

 

(See back)

 

 

PART III. Answer just ONE of the following two questions (A or B)

A. What are some of the human characteristics that you might include in a user profile. Explain which ones you would concentrate on and which you might consider less important in the design of a medication dispenser for heart medicine.

 

B. How many different user profiles might you envision needing if you worked at Boeing on the design of a commercial airline interior. List them and briefly describe the key differences between them.

 

 

 

 

PART IV. Answer just ONE of the following two questions (A or B)

A. Two approaches to design, an iterative "Spiral model" and a "Waterfall (Structured design method)" were covered in Bailey and in class lectures. Discuss the pros and cons of each model.

 

B. Create one detailed and measurable usability requirement for a mechanical pencil. Provide enough detail so that the instructor could apply it to a mechanical pencil and clearly know if the pencil passes or fails this requirement.