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- One-click Process: Because the system advances on any click, the user doesn’t have a chance to verify that they selected the correct option, reducing the safety.
- Large Buttons: The buttons are all large, so the likelihood of accidentally clicking the wrong button will be smaller. Users will also see the button depress when clicked, so they will get that feedback about which element has been selected. These together improve the safety.
- Forward/Back Buttons: If the user makes a mistake, she can chose the back button to correct it. Error correction improves safety. The forward buttons let her navigate back to her current position without reentering information – which would increase the likelihood of making another error.
- Status Bar: The user can keep track of how far she is.If a ballot was missed or double-submitted, this mechanism will help catch that error. For example, if the user sees that she is entering the 3rd ballot, but the ballot number is 2, she knows that one of the ballots was not properly submitted.
- Ballot summary/confirmation page: the user has the opportunity to view a summary of each ballot and make sure it is correct. This is especially important because when entering the information, there is very little feedback. So having this summary greatly increases safety and the likelihood a user will catch any errors.
Storyboard 2 – Ballot metaphor
| When Mrs.Johnson begins her task, this is the first scene she sees. To minimize confusion, there is very little text on the screen, just a spot for her to enter her username. |
| Similarly, the next page just asks for her password. This way she can be validated and she will be logged in to perform her task. |
| The format for this design is a similarity to a physical ballot. Hence any item with options will have the text as well as a bubble radio-button beside it. Mrs. Johnson and other users can click the button or the text to select a choice. |
| The first ballot now shows up and Mrs. Johnson is ready to start entering ballots. |
| Mrs. Johnson can fill out ballot number 2 in the same manner, and she continues on. |
| Mrs. Johnson is comfortable with the system and completes ballots 3-49 in the same way. |
| Finally, Mrs.Johnson reaches ballot #50. This one is a bit unusual with a write-in. But similar to the paper system from past years, she merely marks that the ballot had a write-in, sets the physical one aside, and moves on. |
| Mrs. Johnson now takes a moment to look over the summary of the 50 ballots she just entered. This way she can make sure the numbers seem to align with what she was entering. |
| Mrs.Johnson is relieved to see that the ballots were successfully submitted. That was all she needed to do now, so she selects finish and log out. |
| Seeing that the system is back to the home page, Mrs.Johnson is satisfied that she has completed her work and is safely logged out of the system. She's now ready to move on to her next task. |
Analysis
Of our final three designs, this one has the strongest metaphor to a real ballot.
Efficiency:
- With the presentation of the whole ballot on the page, the user has to scroll down, hindering the efficiency.
- The summary page presented to the user requires yet another step of verification.
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