Gulf of execution
Encyclopedia
Gulf of execution is a term usually used in human computer interaction to describe the gap between a user
's goal for action and the means to execute that goal. Usability
has as one of its primary goals to reduce this gap by removing roadblocks and steps that cause extra thinking and actions that distract the user's attention
from the task intended, thereby preventing the flow
of his or her work, and decreasing the chance of successful completion of the task. Similarly, there is a gulf of evaluation
that applies to the gap between an external stimulus and the time a person understands what it means. Both phrases are mentioned in Donald Norman
's 1986 book User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-computer Interaction.
This can be illustrated through the discussion of a VCR problem. Let us imagine that a user would like to record a television show. They see the solution to this problem as simply pressing the Record button. However, in reality, to record a show on a VCR, several actions must be taken:
The difference between the user's perceived execution actions and the required actions is the gulf of execution.
User (computing)
A user is an agent, either a human agent or software agent, who uses a computer or network service. A user often has a user account and is identified by a username , screen name , nickname , or handle, which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term.Users are...
's goal for action and the means to execute that goal. Usability
Usability
Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. The object of use can be a software application, website, book, tool, machine, process, or anything a human interacts with. A usability study may be conducted as a primary job function by a usability analyst or as a secondary job...
has as one of its primary goals to reduce this gap by removing roadblocks and steps that cause extra thinking and actions that distract the user's attention
Attention
Attention is the cognitive process of paying attention to one aspect of the environment while ignoring others. Attention is one of the most intensely studied topics within psychology and cognitive neuroscience....
from the task intended, thereby preventing the flow
Flow (psychology)
Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of...
of his or her work, and decreasing the chance of successful completion of the task. Similarly, there is a gulf of evaluation
Gulf of evaluation
In computer science, the gulf of evaluation is the degree to which the system/artifact provides representations that can be directly perceived and interpreted in terms of the expectations and intentions of the user...
that applies to the gap between an external stimulus and the time a person understands what it means. Both phrases are mentioned in Donald Norman
Donald Norman
Donald Arthur Norman is an academic in the field of cognitive science, design and usability engineering and a co-founder and consultant with the Nielsen Norman Group. He is the author of the book The Design of Everyday Things....
's 1986 book User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-computer Interaction.
This can be illustrated through the discussion of a VCR problem. Let us imagine that a user would like to record a television show. They see the solution to this problem as simply pressing the Record button. However, in reality, to record a show on a VCR, several actions must be taken:
- Press the record button.
- Specify time of recording, usually involving several steps to change the hour and minute settings.
- Select channel to record on - either by entering the channel's number or selecting it with up/down buttons.
- Save the recording settings, perhaps by pressing an "OK" or "menu" or "enter" button.
The difference between the user's perceived execution actions and the required actions is the gulf of execution.