The case against user interface consistency
Communications of the ACM
Usability Engineering
Software Design Patterns for Information Visualization
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes
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As soon as a product or application is installed, users want to start using it with zero usability roadblocks. However, there is always a time quantity associated with a user's series of actions that must be performed while traversing application menu items to reach a specific (desired) menu option. This time factor plays a critical role in influencing user experience and engagement; the more the number of clicks, the greater the time taken in reaching the desired menu item. This time lag may leave the user frustrated. The time and distance traversed increases further if the menu structure comprises multiple nested menus within the parent menu. This paper proposes an improvised dynamic menu layout based on usage statistics. This work also demonstrates results of a statistical experiment that compares the time taken in reaching specific menu items with the proposed new layout vs. the traditional menu layout. Experimental data (under defined assumptions) is found to be significantly in favor of the proposed approach. The work also presents data samples, assumptions, limitations, and benefits of the proposed approach.