CS 160 MIDTERM EXAM 2025/2026 BANK QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS CURRENTLY TESTING
COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED
ANSWERS /ALREADY GRADED A+.
1. Define the term "Usability" in the context of Human-Computer Interaction.
.......ANSWER....... Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to
use. It is defined by five key components: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and
satisfaction.
2. What are the five core components of usability according to Jakob Nielsen?
.......ANSWER....... Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Low Error Rate, and Satisfaction.
3. Explain the concept of "Human-Centered Design" (HCD).
.......ANSWER....... Human-Centered Design is an approach to interactive systems development
that aims to make systems usable and useful by focusing on the users, their needs and
requirements, and by applying human factors/ergonomics, and usability knowledge and
techniques.
4. What is the primary goal of the "Iterative Design" process?
.......ANSWER....... The primary goal of iterative design is to continuously improve a design
through cycles of prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining a product or process.
5. Differentiate between a "User Interface" (UI) and "User Experience" (UX).
.......ANSWER....... User Interface (UI) is the series of screens, pages, and visual elements (like
buttons and icons) that allow a person to interact with a product or service. User Experience
(UX), on the other hand, is the internal experience a person has as they interact with every aspect
of a company's products and services. UX encompasses UI.
6. List three fundamental principles of Don Norman's conceptual model of interaction.
.......ANSWER....... The Gulf of Execution, the Gulf of Evaluation, and the Seven Stages of
Action (forming a goal, forming an intention, specifying an action, executing the action,
perceiving the state of the world, interpreting the state of the world, and evaluating the outcome).
,7. What is the "Gulf of Execution"?
.......ANSWER....... The Gulf of Execution is the difference between the user's goals and the
means available to achieve those goals through the system. It refers to the user's difficulty in
figuring out how to use the system to accomplish their task.
8. What is the "Gulf of Evaluation"?
.......ANSWER....... The Gulf of Evaluation is the difficulty a user has in interpreting the physical
state of the system and determining how well their intentions have been met. It refers to the
user's difficulty in understanding the system's output.
9. Name the seven stages of action in Don Norman's action cycle.
.......ANSWER....... 1. Forming the Goal, 2. Forming the Intention, 3. Specifying the Action, 4.
Executing the Action, 5. Perceiving the State of the World, 6. Interpreting the State of the World,
7. Evaluating the Outcome.
10. What are "affordances" in design?
.......ANSWER....... Affordances are the perceived and actual properties of an object that
determine how it could possibly be used. For example, a button affords pushing, and a scroll bar
affords scrolling.
11. What are "signifiers" in design and how do they relate to affordances?
.......ANSWER....... Signifiers are signals, signs, or indicators that communicate appropriate
behavior to a user. They show where an affordance exists. While an affordance is the potential
for action, a signifier is the cue that tells the user about that affordance (e.g., a "Push" label on a
door).
12. Define "mapping" in the context of interface design.
.......ANSWER....... Mapping is the relationship between the controls of a system and their
effects on the system. A good mapping is intuitive, like the spatial correspondence between a row
of light switches and the lights they control.
13. What is "feedback" in an interactive system?
,.......ANSWER....... Feedback is the information the system sends back to the user about what
action has been performed and what result was accomplished. It must be immediate, informative,
and prioritized (e.g., a button changing color when clicked).
14. Explain the concept of a "conceptual model" in HCI.
.......ANSWER....... A conceptual model is a high-level description of how a system is organized
and operates. It enables users to predict the effects of their actions and is built through the design
of the system's interface, including affordances, signifiers, constraints, and mappings.
15. What are "constraints" in design?
.......ANSWER....... Constraints are limitations or restrictions in the design that guide user
behavior and prevent errors. They can be physical, logical, semantic, or cultural.
16. List the four categories of constraints as defined by Don Norman.
.......ANSWER....... Physical, Logical, Semantic, and Cultural constraints.
17. What is a "physical constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A physical constraint limits the range of possible actions by relying on the
physical properties of an object (e.g., a USB plug can only be inserted one way).
18. What is a "logical constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A logical constraint uses reasoning to determine the alternatives. It relies on
a logical relationship between the spatial or functional layout of components (e.g., if all but one
button on a remote control have a function, the last button's function can be logically inferred).
19. What is a "semantic constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A semantic constraint relies on the meaning of the situation to control the set
of possible actions (e.g., you wouldn't use a road map to navigate a submarine because the
meaning is mismatched).
20. What is a "cultural constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A cultural constraint is a convention shared by a cultural group that dictates
acceptable social behavior (e.g., the color red signifies "stop" or "danger" in many cultures).
, 21. What is the principle of "visibility" in design?
.......ANSWER....... The principle of visibility states that the more visible functions are, the more
likely users will be able to know what to do next. Crucial controls should be clearly visible and
their purpose easily discernible.
22. Explain the "consistency" principle in UI design.
.......ANSWER....... Consistency means that similar elements and operations should look and
behave the same way. This includes internal consistency within a product and external
consistency with other products and platforms.
23. What is the difference between internal and external consistency?
.......ANSWER....... Internal consistency means elements within the same application behave and
look the same. External consistency means the application's elements are consistent with
conventions and standards of the platform or other common applications.
24. Describe the "Fitts's Law" and its application in UI design.
.......ANSWER....... Fitts's Law is a predictive model of human movement that states the time to
acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target. In UI design, it means that
important buttons should be large and placed in easily reachable areas of the screen.
25. How does the "Hick's Law" apply to interface design?
.......ANSWER....... Hick's Law states that the time it takes to make a decision increases with the
number and complexity of choices. In UI design, it means that simplifying interfaces by breaking
down complex tasks and reducing the number of menu items can speed up user decision-making.
26. What is the "Gestalt Principle of Proximity"?
.......ANSWER....... The Principle of Proximity states that objects that are close to each other are
perceived as being related or grouped together. In UI, related form fields or controls should be
placed near each other.
27. What is the "Gestalt Principle of Similarity"?
.......ANSWER....... The Principle of Similarity states that elements that look similar (in shape,
size, color, etc.) are perceived as part of the same group or having the same function.
AND CORRECT ANSWERS CURRENTLY TESTING
COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED
ANSWERS /ALREADY GRADED A+.
1. Define the term "Usability" in the context of Human-Computer Interaction.
.......ANSWER....... Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to
use. It is defined by five key components: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and
satisfaction.
2. What are the five core components of usability according to Jakob Nielsen?
.......ANSWER....... Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Low Error Rate, and Satisfaction.
3. Explain the concept of "Human-Centered Design" (HCD).
.......ANSWER....... Human-Centered Design is an approach to interactive systems development
that aims to make systems usable and useful by focusing on the users, their needs and
requirements, and by applying human factors/ergonomics, and usability knowledge and
techniques.
4. What is the primary goal of the "Iterative Design" process?
.......ANSWER....... The primary goal of iterative design is to continuously improve a design
through cycles of prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining a product or process.
5. Differentiate between a "User Interface" (UI) and "User Experience" (UX).
.......ANSWER....... User Interface (UI) is the series of screens, pages, and visual elements (like
buttons and icons) that allow a person to interact with a product or service. User Experience
(UX), on the other hand, is the internal experience a person has as they interact with every aspect
of a company's products and services. UX encompasses UI.
6. List three fundamental principles of Don Norman's conceptual model of interaction.
.......ANSWER....... The Gulf of Execution, the Gulf of Evaluation, and the Seven Stages of
Action (forming a goal, forming an intention, specifying an action, executing the action,
perceiving the state of the world, interpreting the state of the world, and evaluating the outcome).
,7. What is the "Gulf of Execution"?
.......ANSWER....... The Gulf of Execution is the difference between the user's goals and the
means available to achieve those goals through the system. It refers to the user's difficulty in
figuring out how to use the system to accomplish their task.
8. What is the "Gulf of Evaluation"?
.......ANSWER....... The Gulf of Evaluation is the difficulty a user has in interpreting the physical
state of the system and determining how well their intentions have been met. It refers to the
user's difficulty in understanding the system's output.
9. Name the seven stages of action in Don Norman's action cycle.
.......ANSWER....... 1. Forming the Goal, 2. Forming the Intention, 3. Specifying the Action, 4.
Executing the Action, 5. Perceiving the State of the World, 6. Interpreting the State of the World,
7. Evaluating the Outcome.
10. What are "affordances" in design?
.......ANSWER....... Affordances are the perceived and actual properties of an object that
determine how it could possibly be used. For example, a button affords pushing, and a scroll bar
affords scrolling.
11. What are "signifiers" in design and how do they relate to affordances?
.......ANSWER....... Signifiers are signals, signs, or indicators that communicate appropriate
behavior to a user. They show where an affordance exists. While an affordance is the potential
for action, a signifier is the cue that tells the user about that affordance (e.g., a "Push" label on a
door).
12. Define "mapping" in the context of interface design.
.......ANSWER....... Mapping is the relationship between the controls of a system and their
effects on the system. A good mapping is intuitive, like the spatial correspondence between a row
of light switches and the lights they control.
13. What is "feedback" in an interactive system?
,.......ANSWER....... Feedback is the information the system sends back to the user about what
action has been performed and what result was accomplished. It must be immediate, informative,
and prioritized (e.g., a button changing color when clicked).
14. Explain the concept of a "conceptual model" in HCI.
.......ANSWER....... A conceptual model is a high-level description of how a system is organized
and operates. It enables users to predict the effects of their actions and is built through the design
of the system's interface, including affordances, signifiers, constraints, and mappings.
15. What are "constraints" in design?
.......ANSWER....... Constraints are limitations or restrictions in the design that guide user
behavior and prevent errors. They can be physical, logical, semantic, or cultural.
16. List the four categories of constraints as defined by Don Norman.
.......ANSWER....... Physical, Logical, Semantic, and Cultural constraints.
17. What is a "physical constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A physical constraint limits the range of possible actions by relying on the
physical properties of an object (e.g., a USB plug can only be inserted one way).
18. What is a "logical constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A logical constraint uses reasoning to determine the alternatives. It relies on
a logical relationship between the spatial or functional layout of components (e.g., if all but one
button on a remote control have a function, the last button's function can be logically inferred).
19. What is a "semantic constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A semantic constraint relies on the meaning of the situation to control the set
of possible actions (e.g., you wouldn't use a road map to navigate a submarine because the
meaning is mismatched).
20. What is a "cultural constraint"?
.......ANSWER....... A cultural constraint is a convention shared by a cultural group that dictates
acceptable social behavior (e.g., the color red signifies "stop" or "danger" in many cultures).
, 21. What is the principle of "visibility" in design?
.......ANSWER....... The principle of visibility states that the more visible functions are, the more
likely users will be able to know what to do next. Crucial controls should be clearly visible and
their purpose easily discernible.
22. Explain the "consistency" principle in UI design.
.......ANSWER....... Consistency means that similar elements and operations should look and
behave the same way. This includes internal consistency within a product and external
consistency with other products and platforms.
23. What is the difference between internal and external consistency?
.......ANSWER....... Internal consistency means elements within the same application behave and
look the same. External consistency means the application's elements are consistent with
conventions and standards of the platform or other common applications.
24. Describe the "Fitts's Law" and its application in UI design.
.......ANSWER....... Fitts's Law is a predictive model of human movement that states the time to
acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target. In UI design, it means that
important buttons should be large and placed in easily reachable areas of the screen.
25. How does the "Hick's Law" apply to interface design?
.......ANSWER....... Hick's Law states that the time it takes to make a decision increases with the
number and complexity of choices. In UI design, it means that simplifying interfaces by breaking
down complex tasks and reducing the number of menu items can speed up user decision-making.
26. What is the "Gestalt Principle of Proximity"?
.......ANSWER....... The Principle of Proximity states that objects that are close to each other are
perceived as being related or grouped together. In UI, related form fields or controls should be
placed near each other.
27. What is the "Gestalt Principle of Similarity"?
.......ANSWER....... The Principle of Similarity states that elements that look similar (in shape,
size, color, etc.) are perceived as part of the same group or having the same function.
