Paper Example on Funding Limitations of Human-Computer Interaction Research

As with any other research exercise, our Human-Computer Interactions study was not without limitations. One of the significant restrictions that bound our project from extended workability was funding issues. As with all other new and emerging technologies in the computer world of today, innovations require massive amounts of funding to build from a mare idea to fully functional prototype which would be successfully channeled into the IT market. The project was mostly funded as collaboration between the group members, and as such had to grapple with whatever little we could come up with to design and put in place the best possible prototype the budget could allow.

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Another limitation experienced in the building process was with the ages of the involved subjects. While the primarily targeted users were mainly the youth aged between 20 to 35 years, most of these targeted populations were found not to rely much on internet websites in purchasing their products, especially newly created ones like ours. Those over the age of thirty-five but below fifty, however, were found to have a legitimate interest in the websites and what was in the offers, and with the intention and high possibility of making a purchase. The problem arose, however, with usability issues, as well as the little time they could afford to browse and search the web for such products as were included in pour prototype.

Time constraints also played a significant part in the limitations the group had to deal with. The website working process was found to be time demanding in terms of the hours put in the corrections and navigations to come up with an adequately working prototype. Thus the dynamic working nature of some of the group members meant a lot of effort had to be put in to make the project a success in the time frame it was allocated.

On the future improvements on the prototype, the user experience could be improved by making the interface more user-friendly and attractive to potential customers. For instance, an option to close the pop-up window demanding that the user accept third party cookies could be added so it wouldn't look as if the potential customer is being forced to take them. Still, on the pop-up windows, one could be programmed to appear at least once in mid-screen during a browsing session, offering interested users with an opportunity to sign up for newsletters that would guide them to making their purchases right all the time. This might be attractive for users with a passion for online shopping for instance.

Another area of potential improvement with the prototype would be the addition of a carrousel view at the beginning of the pages. This could comprise of three to four pages with directions on how to navigate the website. The carrousel would act as a quick guide especially for first time potential buyers, allowing them to get straight to their desired pages as well as navigate the site with ease, therefore increasing their interaction levels. However, the prototype would have to be designed in a manner that the carousel appears only once during a session or when a new user signs up. Doing that would reduce the monotony of having to navigate through the carousel several times, which might potentially drive off the buyers due to bad user experience.

Another area that could also be worked on to improve the user experience and interaction with the prototype is the addition of and linking with social media sites such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. The links could be added to the contacts section, represented by icons that make it easier to identify and share the user experience with others online. Research has previously indicated that linking websites with social media with a share button significantly increased the traffic to the site, given the ease of getting to them through these social sites. As such, the addition of these links and share buttons would be a significant improvement to the prototype. As an optional measure of development, the users could be given a choice of registering for the account using a Facebook account. This step would be achieved by adding a Facebook sign-in option in the registration section, allowing the users easy access.

Conclusion

The prototype developed by the group featured a range of improvements from the original including an improved user interface to improve user engagement and better colors to attract the user. Additionally, the selection and navigation were improved, ensuring that the users experienced no problems getting to the desired pages. However, the prototype could be additionally improved through minor additions in the interface to ensure that potential customers get the best experience and engagement. A carousel, for instance, would make it easier to navigate the site by offering quick instructions, especially to new users. Additionally, linking the contacts to social media sites as described could go a long way in promoting the website especially during the initial launching stages.