Publication Date

Summer 2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Human Factors/Ergonomics

Advisor

Sean Laraway

Keywords

affordance, design, interface, user

Subject Areas

Industrial engineering

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a user interface on users' performance during an online shopping checkout task. Two interfaces were developed using the principles of Rasmussen's SRK model: a high-affordance and a

low-affordance interface. Seventy undergraduate and graduate students performed a simulated online shopping task with the two interfaces. It was hypothesized that the high-affordance interface would require less time and fewer clicks to conduct the shopping task when compared to a low-affordance interface. In addition, it was predicted that participants would prefer the high-affordance interface. The findings revealed participants spent more time on the task using the high-affordance interface, but the difference was not statistically significant. Participants made significantly fewer clicks using the high-affordance interface than they did using the low-affordance interface. Compared to the low-affordance interface, a significantly higher percentage of users reported that they would prefer the high-affordance interface. This is one of the first studies to examine the application of the SRK model to the design of consumer interfaces. Based on these results, the SRK model may be considered another conceptual tool to make interfaces easier to use and consumer experiences more satisfying and enjoyable.

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