Lessons Learned from Applying Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Techniques to the Redesign of a User Interface

This research details the finding on web page design principles focusing on the Human
Computer Interaction (HCI) aspect. The focus was derived from the Top Ten (10) Web
Page Design Mistakes (2003) by Jakob Nielsen, a well-known guru of HCI and
usability. In this technological era, there are thousands and millions of web sites and
pages but how many of these pages are properly designed? Web page designers
nowadays focus too much on the functionality of a system instead interface design
which actually projects an application's uniqueness and key messages that creates the
desired emotional response from the users involved The objectives of this research
includes investigation of principles applied in HCI for web page interface design,
redefinition of the erroneous web pages and formulation of domain-specific rules to
ensure the effectiveness, practicality and acceptance of these techniques. Usability lab
testing, questionnaires, prototype screens are done to focus on evaluation, based on the
usability criteria of web pages identified from many credible sources. This research was
done based on the fact that Internet users' preference and ease of browsing plays a vital
role in deciding the acceptance of a web page. A powerful system would be left behind
by users if it is not user friendly or designed according to the standards, principles and
guidelines of HCI. The methodology used concentrates on a problem-specified
framework which was developed by the author. There were six (6) processes involved
namely Identification of target users, User consultation, Task analysis, Usability and
accessibility assurance, Consideration of web design issues and Formulation of user
interface design specification. The final result of this study is a domain specific
guideline of HCI for web page design customized for profit making organizations and
individuals. In conclusion, HCI principles is inseparable when it comes to web
designing issues and this will continue to be vital as long as web page exist and is used
by many.