Shortening the Human Computer Interface Design Cycle: A Parallel Design Process Based on the Genetic Algorithm

Abstract

The software design community considers human factors engineering to be a source of bottlenecks in the computer interface design cycle. This paper suggests a way to shorten and improve the typically linear design process, without skimping on human factors engineering. It proposes a parallel design process based on the genetic algorithm of natural biological evolution. Although the genetic algorithm design process can take place within a facilitated group, it differs significantly from facilitation techniques in several ways: It is a parallel process, each design generation is evaluated against a usability fitness function, successive generations must include components from the previous generation, and evolution continues until convergence (consensus regarding the best design) is reached. The process is demonstrated here by a case study of the interface design for a corporate software program. Participants considered 40 designs and reached consensus on a final design in eight hours, thereby shortening the design cycle from two weeks to one day.