Practice IB Design Technology (DT) Topic 7.2 Usability with authentic exam-style questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank focuses on the exact syllabus content for 7.2 Usability and mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 style where relevant.
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A city council has commissioned a new self-service ticketing kiosk for a busy transport hub. The kiosk must support commuters buying single and return tickets, tourists purchasing day passes, and passengers who need step-free route information.
The first prototype includes:
During a short pilot, staff observed queues building at peak times and frequent errors when users selected the wrong ticket type. Some users tried to tap their cards multiple times, and several left without completing the purchase.
A designer produced a sketch to summarise the current layout, see Figure 1.
Figure 1: Early kiosk layout used in the pilot
The council wants the next iteration to be demonstrably usable, inclusive, and safe to deploy across multiple stations with different lighting and noise levels.
Outline one reason why usability is important to the success of this kiosk in the transport hub environment.
Outline one reason why efficiency is an important usability objective for this kiosk.
Outline one reason why error tolerance is important for this kiosk.
Suggest how the kiosk interface could be redesigned using design guidance to make it more usable for a wide range of passengers.
Explain how the design team could improve the kiosk’s usability using a user-centred approach, making reference to at least three usability principles and appropriate design guidance.
The Natural Brush, see Figure 1, is a toothbrush based on sustainable design. The handle is made from 100 % biodegradable bamboo and the bristles are made of Nylon 6 which the manufacturers claim is the most biodegradable nylon in the world.
Figure 1: The Natural Brush
[Photo by Sara Groblechner on Unsplash]
List two ways in which the Natural Brush is an example of sustainable design.
Outline how the Natural Brush can be seen as an example of ethical consumerism.
Outline one pricing consideration and how it would stimulate sales of the Natural Brush.
Explain how the Natural Brush balances material, health and usability considerations.
HeatSmart has developed a range of thermostats for smart homes that are used to manage the temperature of a room. For example, the temperature of a room can be set to 20 °C at midday every day.
HeatSmart have recently introduced their Intelligent Thermostat that automatically sets the temperature of the room based on the preferences of its users. This can lead to a saving of energy and is indicated by the green HeatSmart globe icon that appears on the screen.
The temperature for the room can be increased by rotating the dial clockwise, see Figure 1. Or it can be decreased by rotating the dial anti-clockwise, see Figure 2.
Outline one way that the Intelligent Thermostat’s design team would have considered population stereotypes.
Explain how the design of the Intelligent Thermostat’s user interface provides clear feedback and has a low memory burden for its users.
List two user-centred design (UCD) principles the Intelligent Thermostat’s design team may have followed.
Figure 1 shows a USB cable which can only fit into a computer in one way.
Figure 1: A USB cable
Which characteristic of a good user interface does this demonstrate?