Beyond Speed- Addressing Modern User Frustrations in Applications

Beyond Speed- Addressing Modern User Frustrations in Applications

User Frustration

Describe three reasons users are still frustrated with modern applications.

Inefficiency, learning difficulties, and lack of user satisfaction are some of the issues that users face when using modern applications (Ismail et al., 2016). Efficiency in modern applications means that users can complete tasks with less effort and within a short time. For example, if users spend more time than necessary to complete a task such as a money transfer on Internet banking, it is considered inefficient. Modern applications should facilitate efficiency by enabling the user to have an easy way of doing things. The less time it takes a user to execute a task, the better because a user can handle more tasks. Also, users develop a negative attitude and become impatient when tasks take too long to complete on modern applications. The use of modern applications should be easy to learn (Ismail et al., 2016). Meaning that users should be able to learn through basic observation. For example, users should be able to observe moves on a video game application and understand how to play. Also, a user should find it easy to understand an interface and know what to do next. For example, an ATM interface should be clearly labeled and understandable so that a user can choose an option and complete a transaction successfully. Lack of user satisfaction is the third issue experienced by users on modern applications (Ismail et al., 2016). Users always prefer applications that satisfy their needs. However, it is difficult to develop one application that completely matches the needs of all users. Users have different needs due to their diverse characteristics. For example, elderly and young users do not have the exact needs when it comes to the use of modern applications. Other factors that differentiate users include culture, language, and other special needs.

Suggest one method for reducing the frustrations for each of the reasons you supplied in Question 1.

Testing and user feedback are important in identifying user frustrations (Saleh, Ismail & Fabil, 2017). Involving users in testing modern applications would allow developers to identify how efficient an application is, how easy it is to learn, and how satisfied the users are. On inefficiency, situations such as a long list of options on a small interface would be easily identified during user testing and feedback. Interfaces that have too many objects and are overcrowded would be identified. Because users would be unable to understand what is going on, making it difficult to learn how the application works. Testing and user feedback would also help identify unsatisfied user needs. This could be solved by implementing the missing features in the application or providing the application in different versions. For example, testing and feedback could identify a missing language, such as Portuguese, that could be easily implemented by adding an option of installing or downloading the application in a language of choice. Other user needs would include having multiple interface options. This would enable different users to select an interface that is suitable for them. For example, elderly people would prefer a plainer interface than teenagers would prefer. Another preference would be an interface that has some background sound. This would be fun for children, while it would not be a preference for some adults.

Describe methods for determining if user frustration is caused by poor system design or by the natural frustration associated with learning a new software product.

Application testing would facilitate the identification of code optimization and incorrect object labeling problems that are poor system design problems (Saleh et al., 2017).  If a user clicks or selects an option on an application and the application takes time to process the action, then that is a problem (Saleh et al., 2017). Such a problem could be a poor system design issue rather than a problem in learning how to use the application. For example, the application development team could have omitted code optimization, which is important in ensuring that an application is executed without utilizing too many system resources (Saleh et al., 2017). Another problem would be when a user selects an object expecting a certain response, but the response observed is completely different. This would affect user efficiency and application learning. Such a problem could be a result of poor system design, where an object was labeled incorrectly.

Heuristic evaluation could also be used to identify poor system design (Saleh et al., 2017). This evaluation is conducted by experts who study application interfaces. If an interface is overpopulated with objects, a user might find it difficult to learn the application. Such a problem is considered a poor system design problem rather than a user learning problem. If an interface is less populated, a user has a higher chance of learning the application, unlike when it is overpopulated. The study of an interface could also help identify if the interface is user-friendly. For example, the use of the wrong colors could make the interface of an application less interesting and, hence, less appealing to users (Saleh et al., 2017). If users do not find the interface appealing, they will not be willing to spend time learning the application. This means that users would be unable to learn the application because of poor system design and not because it is a new software product.

Suggest at least three methods to reduce frustrations among the disabled population and suggest how this population can be better served.

Most disabilities can be addressed by understanding the needs of the users of a software product (Kulkarni, 2019). For example, those who have problems with their eyesight can be assisted by incorporating screen readers on the interface. The screen readers can be used to magnify text that appears too small for the users (Kulkarni, 2019). They can also be used to highlight text using different shades for improved reader ability. For persons with hearing impairments, captioning could be used to let them understand how to use the application and receive feedback whenever they use the application. An example would be when using an application and a sound plays whenever an error occurs. Instead of an error sound, a message could be displayed to communicate with the user. For those with limited physical abilities, like those who cannot type, an application could include a speech-to-text feature. A user would then speak, and the text would be used to make a selection from an options list, or it could be used to directly instruct the application on what to do. Technologies keep changing and as they do, more methods could be incorporated to facilitate their use by persons with disabilities.

References

Ismail, N. A., Ahmad, F., Kamaruddin, N. A., & Ibrahim, R. (2016). A Review on Usability Issues in Mobile Applications. Journal of Mobile Computing & Application, 3(3), 47-52. Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jmca/papers/Vol3-issue3/H03034752.pdf

Kulkarni, M. (2019). Digital accessibility: Challenges and opportunities. IIMB Management Review, 31(1), 91-98. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0970389617301131

Saleh, A., Ismail, R., & Fabil, n. (2017, December). Evaluating Usability for Mobile Application: A MAUEM Approach. Paper presented at ICSEB 2017: 2017 International Conference on Software and e-Business. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324043797_Evaluating_Usability_for_Mobile_Application_A_

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User Frustration

The quality of the user experience is very important to the success of an application. In the early days of computing, users often experienced long delays since computing power was poor and networks had comparatively slow throughput. Modern systems have largely eliminated these delays due to increased network and computing power, yet users still report a high level of frustration.

Beyond Speed- Addressing Modern User Frustrations in Applications

Write a four- to five-page paper in which you:

Describe three reasons users are still frustrated with modern applications.
Suggest one method for reducing the frustrations for each of the reasons you supplied in Question 1.
Describe methods for determining if user frustration is caused by poor system design or by the natural frustration associated with learning a new software product.
Suggest at least three methods to reduce frustrations among the disabled population and suggest how this population can be better served.
Use at least three quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.