Design issues with Microsoft Word in terms of a. Affordance b. Visibility c. Mappings d. System Image e. Gulf of Execution f. Gulf of Evaluation

1. Designissueswith
MicrosoftWord
ABDULLAH AL MAMUN SHIAM
18-37075-1
SECTION A

2. Goal
Design issues with Microsoft
Word in terms of
a. Affordance, that is
b. Visibility
c. Mappings
d. System Image
e. Gulf of Execution
f. Gulf of Evaluation

3. Visibility Issue
Quick Access Toolbar
File Option Interface

4. Visibility is the basic principle that the more visible an element is, the more likely users will know
about them and how to use them. The skill in applying this visibility principle is realizing that you
can’t make everything visible, because it’ll ultimately clutter the interface but instead need to
prioritize what interface elements are by far the most important for the user experience and
prioritize their visibility. So, basically the file option is cluttering the interface here.
The file button is misleading. As a user I expect file to be a dropdown menu where I can see save,
open, email or other necessary file manupilation function. Whereas, it takes us to an interface
where we can't see the document. The interface shows unneeded features in the right pane.
Though these feature's can be of importance, a daily user may not need to see this as default.
However, the quick acesss toolbar has the options I want this button seems quite hidden in a far
range of options. It is situated in the top left pane just beside the undo and redo buttons. And it also
takes us to file interface afterwards. Besides, if a user clicks the open button it again takes him right
towards that heavy interface.
Visibility Issue

5. Mappings Issue
Boundaries are hidden and needs to be guessed

6. Mapping is about having a clear relationship between controls and the effect they have on the
world. You want this mapping to feel as natural as possible.
Here in MS Word the boundaries are not shown by default. Besides there's no option to opt for it.
As a child on some previous version of word however I used to see page boundaries. Though
there are rulers in the top side of the word 2016 window. They don't resemble the boundaries
well. However clicking the rulers show a dotted line for a mere moment or there's a shaded
portion for boundaries in the ruler. this can be time consuming to click the button again and again.
And guessing the boundaries from whitespace or the shaded portion from the ruler is tiresome. If
there were black dotted lines a user could easily understand where the boundary lies and
formatting could've been much more easier.
Mappings Issue

7. System Image Issue
All breaks including page break
in Layout Tab
Page Break in Insert Tab

8. System Image Issue
The designer has a clear conceptual model, of how a product works. But when users interact with
a product, designers aren't present. Users have to get their conceptual model from the product
system image.
Here in Microsoft Word 16. The page break can be entered from Insert tab. However all breaks
are provided in the Layout Tab inside breaks (a small icon) including the page break. And as a new
user of the system, lets say I want to enter column break. I will search for it in the same section
Insert Tab as I know page break lies there. And insert also comes before layout from left to right.
Its not possible to guess where the other breaks are situated. I have to search the whole system
and after a hassle I will know its inside the Layout Tab.
When interacting with a product, we can't talk to designers to understand their conceptual model.
So we rely on whatever information we can find out about the product from it's shape, form,
signifiers, affordances. And all lead us to the Insert Tab. Thus its a system image fault.

9. Gulf Of Execution Issue
In human computer interaction, the gulf of execution is the
gap between a user's goal for action and the means to
execute that goal.
Here in ms word this share button is misleading. It says that
we can collaborate with others by saving file to cloud. But
while using this feature, I couldn't collaborate live. It only
synchronizes the file after saving. Asper the details I
expected to collaborate this file in real time.
Can't collaborate live!

10. Gulf Of Evaluation Issues
File save dialog stays less than a
second
Page number formatting while
adding them
Whatever the formatting it gets
greyed out after switching to
normal view

11. Gulf Of Evaluation Issues
Gulf of evaluation is the degree of ease with which a user can perceive and interpret whether or
not the action they performed was successful. I found two gulf of execution issues in MS Word.
Issue 1 (Save Status):
Whenever a user saves a file after editing let it be pressing control+s or the save icon. The save
status is shown in the bottom pane. But the problem lies in the message. The save message
stays les than a second in there which is hard for a user to perceive. And if the user fails to see
the msg and saves the file again no status is shown. As a result its hard for the user to determine
wheter the save action is perfectly done or not.
Issue 2 (Page number formatting):
While adding page numbers, a user can see the formatting. But the problem lies after closing the
header and footer section. The page number becomes grayed out. Though the action is done and
in print preview page number can be perceived as the formatting. In the regular view the original
formatting of the page number is always greyed out.

12. Thanks
Abdullah Al Mamun Shiam
18-37075-1