don't make me wait! user perception of time & software speed

Don’t Make Me Wait! User Perception of Time & Software Speed

Chris Kiess, MLS, MS

ABOUT ME

chriskiess.net

@chris_kiess

Senior UX Designer, GN ReSound

RESOURCES

#hcitime

slideshare.net/ckiess/

chriskiess.net/timeresources

Science of Waiting

Humans &Computers

Techniques &Applications

1 2 3

Science of Waiting1

WAITTIMES

ELEVATOR

DOORCLOSE

BUTTON

ONMirror, mirror

the wall

For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours

supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.

~Doug Larson

Things are not always as they seem

3 Concepts in Time Perception

Make it appear faster

Make it faster

Make it tolerable

MAKE IT FASTER

Performance vs. Responsiveness

Benchmarks/Standards

Weber Ratio (JND)

MAKE IT APPEAR FASTER

Psychological Time

Perception vs. Reality

Pliancy

More than meets the eye

TOLERANCE

Inaccurate / Subjective

Vierordt’s Law

Relative

PERCEPTIONService =

Minus Expectation

PLAYIt’s Hard too

Catch-up Ball

TOLERANCE THRESHOLDS

.5 – 1.0 sec. = Immediate

.1 - .2 sec. = Instantaneous

10 -12 sec. = Attention (single task)

2 – 5 sec. = Continuous

Humans & Computers2

HCI is Communication

WHAT IF HCI MIMICKED OUR OWN INTERACTIONS?

THEY WOULD

How long it will take

Tell us input is received

Manage tasks in background

THEY WOULD ALSO

Anticipate common pathways

Free us for other tasks

Simply respond and reassure

OUR RELATIONSHIPS

12 Techniques & Applications3

1. Create User Flow

UserControl

ChallengeUsers

Goals &Feedback

1 2 3

USER FLOW

Challenge Skills Match

Vary Skill Levels

Beginner vs. Expert

Software Modes / Preferences

GIVE USERS SENSE OF CONTROL

Forgiveness

Provide Options

Undo, Escape Hatches, Back Buttons

“the flow experience is typically described as involving a sense of control – or more precisely as lacking the sense of worry

about losing control.” ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Minimize Interruptions

AVOID ANXIETY

AVOID UNCERTAINTY

GOALS & FEEDBACK

Precise Language

Prompt Feedback

Trim Information & Descriptive Buttons

Hick-Hyman Law

2. Use Time Anchors

Time Anchor Matrix

1 2 3

5 10 15

10 20 30

USING TIME ANCHORS

“Installation will be between 3 and 5 minutes”

“The download will take about 30 seconds”

“Time remaining: 10 minutes”

TIME ANCHOR USE

Ranges prevent users from holding us to exact numbers

Never skip over a number when representing ranges

Use anchors for countdown units in timers

3. PROGRESS INDICATORS

PROGRESS INDICATOR - GENERAL GUIDELINES

0-2 Seconds - No Indication Needed 2-5 Seconds - Busy Animation

5-X Seconds - Progress Indication Needed 10+ Seconds - Cancel Button

PROGRESS INDICATOR DESIGN

Avoid Time Elapsed

Time vs. Work Units

Never Increase Time Unit Increments

NO SPECIFICITY

BE SPECIFIC

Never start at zero

How long will it take?

Use time anchors

DESCENDING DURATIONS&

NONLINEAR PROGRESS BARS

FINAL COUNTDOWN

4. PREEMPTIVE START

No clear start or end time – less ability to estimate

duration

5. EARLY COMPLETION &INVISIBLE DECONSTRUCTION

Finish details & deconstruct in background

Ends process early

6. CONTINUOUS DURATIONS

Avoid segmentation of processes

Get input upfront & automate process

Fire & Forget!

Doctor’sSegmentation at the

Office

USERHolding the

Captive

7. MEANINGFUL DIVERSION

DISNEYThe

Fast Pass

BAGGAGE CLAIM

8. WORTH THE WAIT

WOULD WAIT AGAIN

THEY WILL WAIT AGAIN

9. UNDERSCORE VALUE

10. SET EXPECTATIONS & EXCEED THEM

11. OFFER CONTEXTUALIZED FEEDBACK

Your system does not meet the minimum

requirements

TIME PERCEPTION12. INCLUDE

IN DESIGN & TESTING PROCESS

METHODS

TESTING

ROOT CAUSE

EXPERT REVIEW

SUMMARY

MODEL REAL WORLD

TIME = SUBECTIVE

INTEGRATE INTO DESIGN

“When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot

stove for a minute – and it's longer than any hour. That's

relativity.”

~Albert Einstein

QUESTIONS