Why a Consumer Electronic Device is Difficult to Use

Abstract

This paper describes a cognitive usability analysis of a home stereo as well as an experiment that tests the predictions borne out of that analysis using the RAFIV method of cognitive usability analysis (Sherry, Polson, Fennell, & Feary, 2002). At the heart of this method is a five-stage model that describes a user's cognitive steps as they perform a task. This model provides a framework for analyzing an interface by asking whether or not each stage can be accomplished purely through label-following. The results suggest that the RAFIV technique can be used to predict which tasks might prove difficult for users. Furthermore, it suggests that the number of recall steps within a task can play a negative role in a user's ability to complete that task.