This document proposes a method for integrating ergonomic guidelines into graphical user interface (GUI) controls to automate the evaluation of interactive systems. It involves developing customized controls that inherit standard control functions but also check themselves against an ergonomic guidelines database. The approach was validated by applying it to evaluate the interface of a transport network information support system. Benefits include easy, automated evaluation and real-time feedback to designers. Future work aims to expand the set of guidelines checked, model guideline definitions, and apply the approach to web applications.

1. Towards ergonomic guidelines integration
within graphical interface controls for the
evaluation of the interactive system
Application to a transport network Information Support System
Selem Charfi, Abdelwaheb Trabelsi, Houcine Ezzedine,
Christophe Kolski
Hammamet May, 31th 2011

2. Plan
1. Introduction
2. The interactive systems evaluation based on
ergonomic guidelines validation
3. Ergonomic guidelines integration within GUI
controls
4. Application to transport network Information
Support System (ISS)
5. Conclusion & Research Perspectives
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3. 1- Introduction
 The evaluation process is important => good
ergonomic quality interactive system
 Failures non-tolerant interactive system (monitoring
system)
 Evaluation methods are various
 Interactive system life cycle phase
 Cost (in material resources and evaluation time)
 Quality factors : the transportation system evaluation
 The utility
 The usability
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4. 1- Introduction
 HCI evaluation method operates on a given principle.
 User actions analysis
 electronic informer: MESIA, EMA, Sherlock, Usine ...
 Conversing with users (designers) => identify usability
problems (Dedicated questionnaires, Usability focused interviews ,
Cognitive Walkthrough method, …)
 Early evaluation based on oriented use traces
 Validating ergonomic guidelines in the HCI:
 ERGOVAL, Sierra, EvalAccess, Destine
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5. 2- The interactive systems evaluation based
on ergonomic guidelines validation
 Compliance
 User interfaces
 Ergonomic guidelines and recommendations issued from
the software usability
 Static presentation
 Evaluator and a designer during the evaluation
process
 Graphical controls attributes values
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6. 2- The interactive systems evaluation based
on ergonomic guidelines validation
 Provided services
1. Criticism or recommendations
2. Assistance in the interactive systems evaluation
3. Ergonomic guidelines violations
 Ivory and Hearst => automation level
Capture
Analysis
Criticism
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7. 3- Ergonomic guidelines integration within
GUI controls
 Validate the guidelines through
customized controls.
 The component evaluates itself
 Inherit from the controls supplied by the
design environment
 Added to the toolbar
 Same functions and methods as those
supplied with most development
environments.
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8. Based Ergonomic Guidelines validation controls
Designer
Controls Initialization Evaluator
Ergonomic
Guidelines
Database
Ergonomic Guideline Validation
Education
Transport
Ergonomic criticism and
Medical
recommendation generation
Global and specific report on
ergonomic guidelines validation
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9. 3- Ergonomic guidelines integration within
GUI controls
 Advantage of the proposed approach
 Easy to use in the evaluation process
 The interface designer does not have to manually check the
compliance of controls to the ergonomic guidelines
 Can be applied in the interface design at early stages
 Improvement suggestions are proposed to the designer
automatically
 Assistance is provided in parallel with the interface design
phase
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10. 3- Ergonomic guidelines integration within
GUI controls
Examples of aspects covered
by the evaluation oriented
Controls_Dimension
Information_Density
controls.
Images_Dimention
Glabal_Density
Items_Number
Writing_Color
Default_Value
Writing _Size
Writing_Font
Background
Component
My_Button X X X X X
My_RadioButton X X X X X
My_CheckBox X X X X X X
My_TextBox X X X X X X X
My_Label X X X X X X
My_ComboBox X X X X
My_TabControl X
My_ListBoxSelection X X X X X X X X
My_PictureBox X X X
My_Form X X X X X
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11. 3- Ergonomic guidelines integration within
GUI controls
public class My_Button : System.Windows.Forms.Button
{
ArrayListError_List = new ArrayList ();
struct Evaluation
{string error; string recommendation;}
public int density = 0;
public Boutton(): base ()
{
writing_size (Errors_List, this.Controls[0].Size.ToString());
writing_font (Errors_List, this.Controls[0].Font.ToString());
gloabl_density(Errors_list, density);
...
if (Errors_List.Count>0)
{ string errors="";
string recommendation = "";
for (int i=0; i<Errors_List.Count;i++)
{ errors +=Errors_List[i].error + 'n';
recommendation+=Errors_List[i].recommendation+'n';
…
}
Evaluation_Form EF= new Evaluation_For(errors, recommendations);
EF.show();
}
}
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12. 4- Application to transport network
Information Support System (ISS)
 Support system for information to regulators in the
control room of the public transportation network
 => Perform tasks optimally either in normal or
degraded network mode.
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13. 4- Application to transport network
Information Support System (ISS)
1 2 3 4
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14. 4- Application to transport network
Information Support System (ISS)
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15. 4- Application to transport network
Information Support System (ISS)
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16. 5- Conclusion and research perspectives
 Interactive system ergonomic quality evaluation
 Proposal for the validation of ergonomic guidelines in
graphical interfaces
 Easy to apply.
 HCI Automated evaluation
 Built on graphical controls
 Inspect their own validity in relation to ergonomic guidelines.
 Technically validated by an experimental evaluation of a
passenger Information Support System.
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17. 5- Conclusion and research perspectives
As research perspective,
 Ergonomic guidelines external of the controls
 Integrate new guidelines
 Ergonomic guidelines modeling tool
 Ergonomic guidelines definition language.
 Controls to evaluate web applications
 Integrate other controls
 Couple this approach with other approaches (dynamic
evaluation)
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18. We welcome your question,
suggestions and comments
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19. Towards ergonomic guidelines integration
within graphical interface controls for the
evaluation of the interactive system
Application to a transport network Information Support System
Selem Charfi, Abdelwaheb Trabelsi, Houcine Ezzedine,
Christophe Kolski
Hammamet May, 31th 2011