Concepts of Interface Usability and the Enhancement of Design through Eye Tracking and Psychophysiology

摘要

This paper outlines and discusses the dominant usability guidelines and concepts that should be a core feature in the design process of user interfaces for complex systems. The concepts include the impact of color, ambient light, dark adaptation, symbol and icon, consistency, information layout, and auditory stimulus. This paper also investigates alternative methods of user interface evaluation, which are psycho-physiological in nature, such as biometrics and eye-tracking. The biometrics covered include heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin conductance; the eye-tracking measures include eye blinks, gaze, fixations, percentage of eyelid closure, and pupil dilation. There is a considerable volume of literature detailing the benefits of eye tracking, although this technology is still advancing to a truly reliable and accurate level. The main concerns with the biometrics mentioned is their sensitivity to other variables and how this impacts the ability to interpret and trust data. The author is particularly interested in usability in the maritime domain, therefore a lot of the examples provided refer to usability issues within Navy and the Submarine environment.