Interface and method of designing an interface

• US 20030156133A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Tri
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Pasquale, Theodore B., Bushey, Robert R., Martin, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP

Abstract

A method of designing an interface system that allows users to map the representation of their task directly to the interface. There are three major phases to the Customer-Centric Approach to Interface Design (C-CAID). End-users'"'"' tasks are categorized to determine the frequency of reasons or tasks of why users interact with a particular system. These reasons and their relative frequencies are used to design interface options that emphasize the user'"'"'s task categories. Finally, the customer-centric interface designs are evaluated and compared with existing system interfaces using usability tests with actual users performing the tasks. The results from usability tests are used to pinpoint the task-option combinations that do not work well and which should be revised. Benefits of this customer-centric design are improved systems performance and increased user satisfaction.

Claims

1. A method for the automated creation of task categories for an interface system, the method comprising:

collecting a plurality of customer opening statements;

identifying one or more reasons for a plurality of customers to interact with the interface system;

defining a general consumer model based on the reasons for customer interaction with the interface system;

creating one or more high level task categories in accordance with the general consumer model;

analytically deriving one or more task subcategories utilizing the general consumer model;

iteratively validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories with the customer opening statements;

creating one or more additional task subcategories when validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories;

determining a relationship between one or more of the task subcategories;

combining one or more of the related task subcategories into a single task subcategory; and

modifying one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories to provide a specified level of coverage of the reasons for customer interaction with the interface system.

2. A method for automating the creation of task categories, the method comprising:

defining a general consumer model;

creating one or more high level task categories and one or more task subcategories utilizing the general consumer model;

iteratively validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories;

creating one or more additional task subcategories when validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories; and

modifying one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories based on the validation.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising collecting a plurality of customer opening statements.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein creating one or more high level task categories and one or more task subcategories comprises analytically deriving one or more of the task subcategories utilizing the general consumer model.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein defining a general consumer model comprises identifying one or more reasons for a plurality of customers to interact with an interface system.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein modifying one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories comprises determining a relationship between one or more of the task subcategories.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein modifying one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories comprises combining one or more of the related task subcategories into a single task subcategory.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein iteratively validating the task categories and the task subcategories comprises categorizing a plurality of customer opening statements using the high level categories and the task subcategories.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein iteratively validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories comprises identifying one or more ineffective high level task categories and one or more ineffective task subcategories.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising ordering the high level task categories and the subcategories.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising iteratively validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories until the high level task categories and task subcategories provide a specified level of coverage of one or more reasons for customer interaction with an interface system.

12. Software for automating the creation of task categories, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

define a general consumer model;

create one or more high level task categories and one or more task subcategories utilizing the general consumer model;

iteratively validate the high level task categories and the task subcategories;

create one or more additional task subcategories when validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories; and

modify one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories based on the validation.

13. The software of claim 12 wherein creating one or more high level task categories and one or more task subcategories comprises analytically deriving one or more of the task subcategories utilizing the general consumer model.

14. The software of claim 12 wherein defining a general consumer model comprises identifying one or more reasons for a plurality of customers to interact with an interface system.

15. The software of claim 12 wherein modifying one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories comprises determining a relationship between one or more of the task subcategories.

16. The software of claim 15 wherein modifying one or more of the task categories and one or more of the task subcategories comprises combining one or more of the related task subcategories into a single task subcategory.

17. The software of claim 12 wherein iteratively validating the task categories and the task subcategories comprises categorizing a plurality of customer opening statements using the high level categories and the task subcategories.

18. The software of claim 12 further comprising iteratively validating the high level task categories and the task subcategories until the high level task categories and task subcategories provide a specified level of coverage of one or more reasons for customer interaction with an interface system.