i.connell@cs.ucl.ac.uk
tel +44 020 7679 5244
fax +44 020 7679 5295
Dr. Iain Connell
University College London Interaction Centre
Remax House
31-32 Alfred Place
London WC1E 7DP
UK
CASSM (Concept-based Analysis of Surface and Structural Misfits, previously known as OSM) is a novel approach to usability evaluation that uses entity analysis rather than detailed task analysis. It aids in identifying the likely misfits between user and designer views of an interactive system, by focusing on the entities and actions that the system exhibits. See publications for contributions so far.
Methods and approaches for evaluating the usability of interactive systems. The extent to which cognitive theories and models can be applied to the evaluation process, and what psychology in general and psychological methods in particular have to offer the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The limits to and applications of heuristics and principles for usability evaluation. My DPhil compared Jakob Nielsen's set of ten heuristics with a wider set of principles derived from the literature, and examined Nielsen's claim that as few as three to five evaluators could between them find most of the usability problems exhibited by any one system.
How the differences (or mismatches) between what users of an interactive system actually do, and what the designers of that system intended them to do, manifest as errors. What constitutes an error in the first place, and the extent to which popular error taxonomies such as Donald Norman's or James Reason's can be said to be descriptive of the whole range of error-making. The extent to which we are led to assign responsibility for errors based on their consequences rather than the errors themselves, leading to the search for blame rather than solutions to address the causes of error.
The limits of current conceptions of what an interactive system or digital tool can do, and for whom it is intended. How far the drive for inclusion (of, for example, people with cognitive or sensorimotor disabilities) can encompass the complete range of abilities and needs, and the acceptability of the inevitable compromises between the ideal and what is merely possible. How to resist the push of new technology and the latest software releases, while pulling into the community of users those for whom even the last but one version was already too complex and over-laden with features about which they weren't consulted.
BLANDFORD, A.E. and CONNELL, I.W. (2003). Ontological Sketch Modelling (OSM): concept-based usability analysis. (Tutorials). In: M. Rauterberg, M. Menozzi and J. Wesson (eds.), Human-Computer Interaction: INTERACT ‘03. Proceedings of the 2003 IFIP TC13 international conference on human-computer interaction, Zurich, September 2003, pp1021-1022. Amsterdam: IOS Press.
BLANDFORD, A.E., GREEN, T.R.G. and CONNELL, I.W. (2004). Formalising an Understanding of User-system Misfits. Proceedings of EHCI-DSVIS 2004, the 9th IFIP Working Conference on Engineering for Human-Computer Interaction (Jointly with the 11th International Workshop on Design, Specification and Verification of Interactive Systems), Hamburg, 11-13 July 2004.
BLANDFORD, A.E., KEITH, S., CONNELL, I.W. and EDWARDS, H. (2004). Analytical
usability evaluation for digital libraries: a case study. In H.Chen, M. Christel
and E. Lim (eds.), JCDL 2004: Global Reach and Diverse Impact. Proceedings
of the Fourth ACM/I EEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Tucson, Arizona,
June 2004. New York: ACM Press.
BLANDFORD, A.E., WONG, B.L.W., CONNELL, I.W. and GREEN, T.R.G. (2002). Multiple
viewpoints on computer supported team work: a case study on ambulance dispatch.
In: X. Faulkner, J. Finlay and F. Détienne (eds.), People and Computers
XVI. Proceedings of HCI 2002, London, September 2002, pp139-156. Springer-Verlag.
CONNELL, I.W. (1991). An Observational Study of Three Public Access User
Interfaces: London Underground and British Rail ticket vending machines.
Part of MSc in User Interface Design, London Guildhall University, October 1991.
CONNELL, I.W. (1993). Simulation of a Public Access Hypermedia System.
Part of MSc in User Interface Design, London Guildhall University, September
1993.
CONNELL, I.W. (1998). Error analysis of ticket vending machines: comparing analytic
and empirical data. Ergonomics, 1998, 41(7), 927-961.
Available to download in PDF format
(672kb)
CONNELL, I.W. (2000). Full Principles Set. Set of 30 usability evaluation principles
compiled by the author from the HCI literature.
Available to download in PFD format.
(56 kb)
CONNELL, I.W. (2000). The Use of Cognitive and Other Principles in Usability
Evaluation: principles versus heuristics and cumulative problem curves. Doctoral
thesis, University of York Department of Psychology, October 2000.
Available to download (separate chapters).
CONNELL, I.W. and HAMMOND, N.V. (1999). Comparing usability evaluation principles
with heuristics: problem instances versus problem types. In: M.A. Sasse and
C. Johnson (eds.), Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT ‘99. Proceedings
of the 7th IFIP TC.13 international conference on human-computer interaction,
Edinburgh, August-September 1999, pp621-636. Amsterdam: IOS Press.
CONNELL, I.W., BLANDFORD, A.E. and GREEN, T.R.G. (2004). CASSM and Cognitive
Walkthrough: usability issues with ticket vending machines. Behaviour &
Information Technology, 2004, 23(5), 307-320.
CONNELL, I.W., GREEN, T.R.G. and BLANDFORD, A.E. (2003). Ontological Sketch
Models: highlighting user-system misfits. In: E. O’Neill, P. Palanque and
P. Johnson (eds.), People and Computers XVII - Designing for Society.
Proceedings of HCI 2003, Bath, September 2003, pp163-178. London: Springer.
CASSM Taxonomy of User-Interface-System Dependencies plus Example Analyses
(Ann Blandford & Iain Connell, 2004).
Available to download in PDF format. (20
kb)
Cognitive Walkthrough of London Underground Ticket Vending Machines (Ann Blandford
& Iain Connell, 2004).
Available to download in PDF format. (32 kb)
BLANDFORD, A.E., HYDE, J., CONNELL, I.W. and GREEN, T.R.G. Scoping Analytical Usability Evaluation Methods: a case study. Submitted to Human Computer Interaction.
Long distance walking, outdoor activities, screen writing, film history.
The rest is silence.