Assignment 2
Business Communication
Johns Hopkins University
Professor Kathleen Day
James Chen
September 16, 2013
Create User-Friendly Online Interface for a Better User Experience
All applicants at the Park Charles Apartment need to fill in their application form online, unless they come to the leasing office to fill in the form themselves. As for international applicants (or those who do not live nearby), the only way they can check out the apartment is by viewing the pictures provided by the official website and other apartment review websites. Therefore, establishing a user-friendly online interface is crucial. But is Park Charles Apartment doing a good job providing a user-friendly interface for online applicants? The online application form is set to only fill in domestic information (United States), this has made a hard time for many international applicants and also consumes a lot a time for the leasing office for they have to send another application form to international applicant so they can print it out, scan it then send it back when they were done. Meanwhile, the official website contains little information about the community and the apartment itself, so many applicants search for answers on apartment reviewing websites. But the information provided by these websites is somehow biased and sometimes wrong, so it may effect costumer’s decision in ways we do not wish to see. It is proven that a user-friendly online interface and a better user experience will improve an organization’s performance and effect costumer’s final decision.
Defining the Concepts of a User-Friendly Interface and a Good User Experience
To define the meaning of user-friendly interface, we first look at the meaning of “user-interface” and “user-friendly “. According to TechTerms.com, a user interface is" the means in which a person
References: TechTerm.com: The definition of user interface and user-friendly. TechTerm.com is an online dictionary of computer and technology terms. http://www.techterms.com/definition/user_interface ISO 9241 : ISO FDIS 9241-210:2009. Ergonomics of human system interaction - Part 210: Human-centered design for interactive systems (formerly known as 13407). Usabilitypost.com: http://www.usabilitypost.com/2009/04/15/8-characteristics-of-successful-user-interfaces/ Design-for-users: http://www.design-for-users.com/website-design/tips-for-a-user-friendly-interface.html