SAP Usability Glossary L-T

[ A B C D E F G H I J K ] L M N O P Q R S T [ U V W X Y Z ]

Version 1.0, 03/18/2003

The following glossary lists and explains usability terms which are relevant for the SAP software world. The information was taken from several sources and adapted to the needs of this glossary. Among the sources are: www.whatis.com, the book authored by Larry Constantine and Lucy Lockwood "Software for use: a practical guide to models and methods of usage-centered design", the book authored by JoAnn Hackos and Janice Reddish "User and Task Analysis for Interface Design", information contained in articles and guidelines in the SAP Design Guild, own contributions (a.o. photos and graphics).

In this version, some ISO definitions have been added.

Note: There is some overlap with the SAP Web Glossary. See there for more Web-related topics.

Label

ISO Definition: Short, descriptive title for an entry or read-only field, table, control or object. In some applications, labels are classified as protected fields. Labels include headings, field prompts, descriptive text (e.g. icon labels). (Source: ISO 9241-12 (1998-12-01) ISO/TC 159)

Level of Experience

ISO Definition: (Different) user segments of the user population.

Note: The experience level of the user on computer systems as well as the experience level with the task domain are important considerations when deciding upon appropriate menu dialogue techniques. (Source: ISO 9241-14 (1997-06-00) ISO/TC 159)

List

Horizontal or vertical presentation of "data" items in a display which usually changes according to the states of the application (Source: ISO 9241-12 (1998-12-01) ISO/TC 159)

Low Fidelity Prototype

Prototype which captures only the conceptual aspects of an application. This is typically a paper prototype, less often a prototype based on HTML or presentation software (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint^(TM)).

Figure: A low fidelity prototype in the form of a paper prototype.

Menu

ISO Definition: Set of selectable options.

Note: Menu options may be presented to the user by means of visual display devices (textually or symbolically), or audibly. A menu may contain multiple option groups, but unless only one choice is allowed across groups, each group would be considered a menu. Highlighted words, symbols, or other material in texts (sometimes called "implicit" or "embedded" menus) are not considered menus within the context of ISO 9241-14. (Source: ISO 9241-14 (1997-06-00) ISO/TC 159)

Menu Access

ISO Definition: Method by which the user obtains the menu.

Note: Typical means for accessing menus include:

• keying in keywords or command words or their abbreviations (e.g., command-line input);
• pressing an appropriate key or button (e.g., function key, mouse button);
• locating and selecting a specific position or object on the screen with a pointing device (or directly with the finger);
• vocal request.

(Source: ISO 9241-14 (1997-06-00) ISO/TC 159)

Menu Bar

ISO Definition: Horizontal set of options, usually located at the top of a work area or window, which invoke lower-level pull-down menus or initiate specific actions. (Source: ISO 9241-14 (1997-06-00) ISO/TC 159)

Menu Option

ISO Definition: Selectable choice presented (textually, symbolically, or auditory) within a menu panel. (Source: ISO 9241-14 (1997-06-00) ISO/TC 159)

Menu Structure

ISO Definition: Relationships among a set of menus.

Example: Hierarchical tree structure or network structure (Source: ISO 9241-14 (1997-06-00) ISO/TC 159)

Metaphor

Use of concepts and properties which are already familiar to the user and from which the user can predict the function, behaviour and organizational structure of the system (Source: ISO 9241-16 (1999- 09-01) ISO/TC 159)

MiniApp

MiniApps are the predecessors to iViews; they are small applications that populate the home view of the mySAP.com Workplace. They are tailored to the needs of the user and its role and provide essential information and basic functionality.

Users may personalize the home view (MiniApp view) and select the MiniApps they need for doing their jobs.

Figure: An alert MiniApp

Note: MiniApps are no longer supported by the current SAP Portals environment; they are replaced by iViews. However, it is possible to develop new MiniApps for the mySAP.com Workplace where it is still in use.

For more information and guidelines see the SAP iView Guidelines in the Resources section of the SAP Design Guild.

Norm

Usability norms are regulations for the design of the user interface of applications. Norms may be

• international and national ones (like DIN 66234/8 or ISO 9241/8), which have the character of laws
• platform-dependent ones, like the Windows Style Guide or the Apple Human Interface Guidelines
• company-specific ones, like SAP's R/3 norms.

The SAP R/3 norms were later published in the form of a style guide and are now included in the Resources section in the SAP Design Guild.

Paper Prototype (Paper Mockup)

A user interface design showing layout and organization on paper (Constantine & Lockwood). This method has been promoted, among others, by Jared Spool and Karen Holtzblatt/Hugh Beyer.

Figure: Two examples of paper prototypes

Creating paper prototypes is a team effort; here the team is split into three groups that create alternative prototypes

Having finished the prototypes, a member of each group presents the group's prototype to the team; then the pros and cons of each prototype are evaluated

Persona

Unique element of Goal-Directed® design: An archetypal user who embodies the goals of relevant users of a software.

The design team creates personas using the information of a prior investigation (site visit). A persona is an archetypal user of the product, based on the design team's investigation work. The team creates a cast of personas for each project. Each persona gets a biography, job description, photograph, and, most important, a list of goals. These goals are what drives the persona to succeed; if the goals are not met, the persona will not be happy. Each persona with unique needs is designated as a primary persona, and typically gets her own interface, which will be designed to meet her unique goals.

By designing for a specific person the team tries to avoid the pitfall of the elastic user. The elastic user is a conglomeration of all possible types of users that is - according to Cooper - impossible to design for successfully.

Personalization

Personalization comprises those steps for individualizing an application, that are performed by users themselves (preliminary).

See also Customization.

Physical Model

Element of the Contextual Design methodology. Shows the physical environment as it supports the work.

Figure: Example of a physical model

Portal

Portal is a new term, generally synonymous with gateway, for a Website that is or proposes to be a major starting site for users when they get connected to the Web or that users tend to visit as an anchor site. There are general portals and specialized or niche portals. Some major general portals include Yahoo, Excite, Netscape, Lycos, CNET, Microsoft Network, and America Online's AOL.com. Examples of niche portals include Garden.com (for gardeners), Fool.com (for investors), and SearchNT.com (for Windows NT administrators).

A number of large access providers offer portals to the Web for their own users. Most portals have adopted the Yahoo style of content categories with a text-intensive, faster loading page that visitors will find easy to use and to return to. Companies with portal sites have attracted much stock market investor interest because portals are viewed as able to command large audiences and numbers of advertising viewers.

Typical services offered by portal sites include a directory of Websites, a facility to search for other sites, news, weather information, e-mail, stock quotes, phone and map information, and sometimes a community forum. Excite is among the first portals to offer users the ability to create a site that is personalized for individual interests. (From www.whatis.com)

The mySAP Enterprise Portal is SAP's offering in the portal arena. See the company Website for more information on this product.

See the third edition in the Editions section of the SAP Design Guild for a more thorough discussion of portals.

Product Design Center (PDC)

Group at SAP that coordinates the product design. The PDC is responsible for:

• Coordinating cooperation with design partners
• Supporting design within SAP's core technology development

Prototype

Prototypes can be a valuable tool for designing applications. They can help to evaluate design alternatives at any stage of the development process. During the conceptual phase the basic design elements can be explored and tested with users (low fidelity prototypes). When designing the actual screens, the layout and more detailed interaction issues can be evaluated and tested. Later "high-fidelity" mockups can be used to provide a "preview" of the final application.

For more information see Resources -> Using Prototypes in the SAP Design Guild.

ISO Definition: Representation of all or part of a product or system that, although limited in some way, can be used for evaluation (Source: ISO 13407 (1999-06-01) ISO/TC 159)

Prototyping, Rapid Prototyping

Method of building mockups that simulate certain aspects of software, typically of its user interface. Prototypes can be created using a variety of methods: paper prototypes, software prototypes based on HTML (HTML prototypes), presentation programs, or programming languages.

See Prototypes; for more information see Resources -> Using Prototypes in the SAP Design Guild.

Review, Usability

See Usability Review

Role, User

See user role

SAP

Acronym for "Systems, Applications, Products" (German: Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte). SAP AG, headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, is the third-largest software company in the world and the world's largest inter-enterprise software company, providing integrated inter-enterprise software solutions as well as collaborative e-business solutions for all types of industries and for every major market. Founded in 1972 by five former IBM systems engineers, SAP now employs more than 28,000 people in more than 50 countries, among them more than 6000 software developers around the world. SAP AG employs a central usability group (UEC), and decentral user interface designers (UID) based in the applications.

For more information on SAP AG see the company's Website at www.sap.com -> Company.

SAP Design Guild

In the SAP Design Guild - the Website you are just visiting -, SAP offers its design resources: be it style guides, methods, or insights on how a user-centered development process should be carried out and how the mind change within a company towards user-friendly software can be facilitated. This Website is also a stage for UI people; here they can exchange information and opinions on visual and user interface design issues.

The SAP Design Guild Website was established in April 2000 and comprises the following sections:

• Home and Services - Get you going.
  Information, tips and tricks for using the SAP Design Guild more efficiently
  The Home &Services section of the SAP Design Guild Website offers services to our visitors,such as the Info Area with its FAQs,tips,useful links,a sitemap,as well as the search and contact pages.
• Resources - Get all you need
  Guidelines, cookbooks, papers, advice, and more.
  The Resources section provides all of SAP ’s user interface and graphic design resources. Here,visitors can access guidelines,cookbooks and papers covering every aspect of designing software for the SAP product family.
• Editions -Get connected
  Experts comment on trends in user interface and graphic design.
  This section presents our editions,which typically appear semiannually.Here,experts from outside and inside SAP contribute articles about a topic of current interest in the SAP or UI community.
• Community - Participate
  Gain insight, share knowledge, and communicate experience with other UI and graphics designers
  The Community section features:
  • Design Tidbits - Articles on design topics with lots of tips and tricks
  • Editorials - The SAP Design Guild's editors present their thoughts and experience
  • Readers' Contributions - Readers state their point of view and present projects
  • Events - Major events in the area of UI and graphic design
  • Forum - Share your ideas on design issues

The SAP Design Guild is open to everyone since mid 2001.

SAP Usability Laboratory

SAP's central Usability Laboratory for conducting Usability Tests is operated by the UEC and located in Walldorf, Germany. The lab features a testing room and an equipment room, both separated by a semi-permeable window which allows to watch users without disturbing them. The testing room contains several work stations, facilities for video protocols, logging hardware and software, and allows for group meetings for discussing the test results.

See also Usability Laboratory, Usability Test.

SAPGUI

Presentation server for the three-layered SAP R/3 system. The SAPGUI implements the user interface of the SAP applications and also determines the technical possibilities and limitations of the user interface, e.g. which controls and interaction techniques are available and which are not.

Currently, there are two major versions available, the SAPGUI for Windows for the Windows platform, and the SAPGUI for HTML for the browser platform.

Scenario

Scenarios are narrative descriptions of an activity or activities, taking the form of a story, vignette, or an episode bound in time and taking place within a given context. Scenarios are scripts for work or interaction and are characteristically rich and realistic.

Although scenarios typically take the form of a continuous narrative, they can also be cast as a sequence of images in the form of story boards. (From Constantine & Lockwood)

Example (From Constantine and Lockwood)

• Enter the kitchen and turn on NPR on FM radio.
• Prepare coffee if needed (get coffee filter, measure coffee and water) and turn on coffee maker.
• Bring in WSJ from driveway.
• Get out bowl and spoon, then fill bowl with oatmeal and raisins from cupboard.
• Add water and stir, put in microwave (at high, 2 minutes).
• Read WSJ until coffee is ready.
• Grab a mug from shelf and pour coffee.
• Get milk from 'fridge and add to coffee.
• Fetch cereal from microwave, and add milk.
• Take stuff to table, and enjoy coffee and cereal while reading.

Section 508

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. ‘794d), agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others. (From www.section508.gov)

Sequence Model

Element of the Contextual Design methodology. Shows the detailed steps performed to accomplish a task.

Figure: Example of a sequence model (consolidated)

Site Visit

A visit at the customer's site for watching users in their actual working environment.

The method described here emphasizes the individual end users and their actual work vs. the common function-centered approach for software specification. Development teams benefit from getting a detailed overview of end users work practice. Approved instructions on how to conduct the customer visits are given.

Figures: Examples for interviewing and observing users at work

See Resources -> Site Visits in the SAP Design Guild for more information.

Software

General term for the various kinds of program (applications) used to operate computer and related devices. (The term hardware describes the physical aspects of computers and related devices.)

Software can be thought of as the variable part of a computer and hardware the invariable part. Software is often divided into application software (programs that do work users are directly interested in) and system software (which includes operating system and any program that supports application software). (Adapted from www.whatis.com)

Story Board

Element of the redesign process in the Contextual Design methodology. The team develops the details of a vision in story boards, 'freeze-frame' sketches capturing scenarios of how people will work with the new system.

Figure: Example of a story board

Style Guide

Style guides collect rules and guidelines for designing the user interface of certain operating system platforms like Windows or the Mac, or for certain application types like R/3 applications or iViews.

Example: The SAP R/3 Style Guide, which also exists in a "pocket version"

The Resources section of the SAP Design Guild offers diverse style guides for designing the user interface for various application types.

System

The combination of a computer (see Hardware) and a software running on it - in some cases only the software is meant. One element of the classical usability triad user-task-system.

ISO Definition: System combination of hardware and software components that receive input from, and communicate output to, a human user in order to support his or her performance of a task.

Note: The term "system" is often used rather than "interactive system". (Source: ISO 13407 (1999-06-01) ISO/TC 159)

Task

The task users have to fulfill with a software. One element of the classical usability triad user-task-system.

ISO Definition: Activities required to achieve a goal.

Note 1: These activities can be physical or cognitive.
Note 2: Job responsibilities can determine goals and tasks. (Source: EN ISO 9241-11 (1998-03-00) ISO/TC 159)

Task Analysis

Establishes the task requirements as the basis for the design of a software product. Task analysis has to be complemented through user analysis; therefore, often the term user and task analysis is being used.

ISO Definition: Analytical process employed to determine the specific behaviours required of people when operating equipment or doing work

Note: The task analysis is not a risk assessment of the workplace according to legal requirements. (Source: EN ISO 9241-5 (1999-03-00) ISO/TC 159)

ISO Definition (2): Systematic breakdown of work tasks into their elements, including a description of both manual and mental activities, task and element durations, task frequencies, task allocation, task complexity, environmental conditions, necessary clothing and equipment, and any other unique factors involved in or required for one or more humans to perform a given task (Source: ISO/DIS 11064-2 (1999-03-18) ISO/TC 159)

Test, Usability

See Usability Test.