A Software Tool For Evaluating Navigation
Rod McCall and David Benyon
Dept. of Computing,
Napier University
Edinburgh,EH14 ILT
{r.mccall,d.benyon}@dcs.napier.ac.uk
ABSTRACT
Traditional methods of evaluating the usability of software systems largely ignore the problem of navigation within computer based environments. In contrast the 'Navigation of Information Space' paradigm (Benyon and Höök, 1997) places the navigability of the system as central. In order to make the ideas of navigation available to system developers, we have produced a method of evaluation called ISEN (Information Space: Evaluating Navigation). This demonstration will show how the software version of the method can be used and how it provides a complementary approach to the evaluation of user-system interaction.
KEYWORDS:
Navigation, Information Space, Evaluation
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the research described in this demonstration is to develop a "navigational instrument" which will allow designers to evaluate the navigational features of systems they have designed. As well as being of value at the evaluation stage it is hoped that such an instrument will draw attention to navigational issues during the design process.
Following an extensive review of navigation (Dahlbäck, 1998; Munro, Höök and Benyon, 1998) from a wide variety of perspectives, such as traditional geography (Lynch, 1967), cognitive (Downs and Stea, 1977) and social approaches to navigation, we have arrived at a number of features that are central to the efficacy of navigation in information spaces. These have been combined into an evaluation approach known as ISEN (Information Space: Evaluating Navigation).
The current version of ISEN exists in two forms; a paper, checklist format and a software prototype. The demonstration will illustrate the use of the latter, which includes the basic forms in the checklist as well as graphical or audio examples and references to relevant literature. The software system uses the twelve areas identified in the checklist as important aspects of navigation: use of sound, use of metaphor, the distribution of objects in the space, the conceptual structure and dynamics of the space, navigational aids, transportation aids, informational signs, directional signs, consistency of signs, landmarks, users in space and finally user enjoyment of space.
BACKGROUND: WHY LOOK AT NAVIGATION?
As users we live, work and relax in information space (Benyon and Höök, 1997). In these spaces we try to find our way around (or navigate). There are three types of activity which we can consider as forms of navigation; wayfinding, explorationand identifying objects. Wayfinding consists of; orientating oneself in the environment, choosing the correct route, monitoring the route and recognising a destination has been reached (Downs and Stea, 1977). We see this as analogous to how we navigate
our way round in computer based environments. For example if a user is seeking to set one of the revisions options in Word, firstly they have to find where they are in the interface and choose the correct route (go to the Tools menu, select Options...). The users have to monitor their progress and need to be aware, for example, that by selecting Revision the relevant options have notbeen set. Finally they have reached the destination when they have set the correct options and clicked on the "OK" button.
Within any information space there exists a number of objects/artefacts (spatial phenomenon) which the user will need to get to know and understand. Shum (Shum, 1990) defined these in the context of hypertext systems in terms of locational information that deals with distance and direction and attributional information that deals with issues such as colour, sound and information content of the object. Borrowing ideas from urban planning (Lynch 1967) it is possible to use his basic concepts (landmarks, districts, paths, nodes and edges) and apply these to navigation in information spaces. Using landmarks as an example, research has indicated that clear landmarks do aid users in finding their way around. Also that in HCI terms grouping (creating districts) of related operations (icons or menu options) together helps users to gain a better understanding of where options are but also what they might do. In a similar way, we have taken ideas of exploration, awareness, social activities in space (such as asking others for directions rather than following maps) to
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