The Design of Menu Structure and Preview Function for the Website User Interface of Theme Park

• Main Authors: Fang-chung Wu, 吳芳中
• Other Authors: Chien-Hsiung Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/xb92wa

碩士 === 國立臺灣科技大學 === 設計研究所 === 95 === 　　The development of computer technology has enabled the Internet to provide users with plenty and various types of information. The Internet can deliver more messages to the users if the information can be categorized according to its importance and user’s mental models. This research emphasizes on the method of applying the concept of topic map to the design of the Website user interface of the theme park. The concept of topic map is to organize information into meaningful, easily readable, and useful structure level that followed certain logic principle to select and exclude diverse data to present a succinct model to users. 　　The experiment of this research proceeded in four stages. Firstly, analyzing relevant articles regarding the design of Website user interface of topic map based on four-stage digital multimedia design process for Internet proposed by Mok (1996). Secondly, experiments together with questionnaire survey were used to help analyze two currently available Website user interfaces of theme parks. This study also investigated the key design factors from user’s requirements, which applied the concept of topic map to the theme park’s user interface. Thirdly, by means of the research results generated from the first and second stages, this study adopted nine representative theme park Websites to assure the core design factors pertinent to user’s requirements and interface presentation. Fourthly, based on the results form previous stages, the interface prototypes regarding user interfaces of theme parks were created with the considerations of “preview function” and “the presentation of menu structure.” That is, the research design of this study was a 2 (preview function) by 3 (hidden menu with steady position, hidden menu with unsteady position, and menu with steady position) factorial design. A total of six interface prototypes were designed to help investigate users’ task performance, feedbacks from system usability scale, subjective ratings, and interface preferences. The results obtained from the pilot test, semi-structured interview, and experiments were illustrated as follows: 1.To most participants, the pleasure perception revealed from the Website user interface of the theme park was more important than usability. Presentation design would also affect users’ pleasure senses. The navigation map and the information included, therefore, should be concise enough and invisible to avoid users’ tense caused by the complicated pages of simultaneously presentation of excess information. 2.The semi 3D navigation map with information presented properly simplified and the apparatus placed according to its actual position was more suitable for users’ requirements. Appropriately decorated the equipments with some animations would increase users’ pleasure when they were browsing the Websites. In addition, the aesthetic and accessible navigation map not only made a good impression on users, but also enabled them to relax. It could also facilitate users to manipulate and understand the interaction style of the user interface. 3.Users tended to be more used to the topic map designed with text links, but highly preferred to interact with graph links. However, the design of navigation map which used the concept of topic map should deliver to users with the way combined of both media to help them easily browse various topics and improve the usability of the navigation map. 4.The preview function had positive influence on the navigation map of the theme park, which could result in better task performance (F=19.84, P=0.000<0.05), system usability scale (F=4.47, P=0.039<0.05), and the overall satisfaction (F=10.12, P=0.002<0.05). The preview function in the navigation map of the theme park could efficiently promote the usability of the user interface. Thus, the future design of this type of Webpage can consider adding the preview function to assist users’ Webpage browsing. 5.The Webpage designed with enough usability could be adjusted based on the presentation style of target Website. Clear and vivid presentation modes could obviously enhance users’ pleasure and satisfaction.