Introduction
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is becoming increasingly important in today’s world as more and more people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences use applications in their daily lives. This is especially true for mobile payment services, for which a direct correlation between high-quality HCI and trust levels has been proven (Kaewkitipong et al., 2022). This essay will evaluate the PayPal site for compliance with HCI industry best practices.
The graphic design of the PayPal site is minimalistic and functional, using three primary colors – neutral white, corporate and calming dark blue, and joyful yellow for the accents. Many services use a combination of white and blue to create simple, functional, non-irritating user interfaces (Kaewkitipong et al., 2022). The site layout is standard for the industry at the moment, and while having common proximity and continuity when scrolling, it still breaks into separate screens with presentation-style information (Capdevila et al., 2021). The site is well-aligned, has an understandable visual hierarchy, and uses balanced contrasts in its elements. However, there is nothing unique, unusual, or eye-catching for the user.
Site Navigation
The Paypal site is relatively easy to use and navigate; as a consequence of its minimalistic design, it is also functional, loads quickly, and does not create a noticeable delay when moving from element to element. The most important information for the user is presented in the header and on the first screens – this is payment and use of the service. Despite this, the problem of the site lies in the tangible interaction, namely the embedding of the interface and the user’s interaction with it. The control panel is located only at the top, and the user constantly needs to return there, scrolling through the page, because usability suffers.
Accessibility
The site contains only necessary and simple-put information in a used-friendly way. The cognitive load of the text and navigation panel is not high and does not require any additional technical knowledge or experience. For example, input fields on a site are error-proof and prevent users from entering information in the wrong format. Culture-wise, PayPal represents support for different ethnic and racial groups, which is why all customers feel seen and cared for. The site supports multiple languages and is available in many countries worldwide. However, for example, PayPal does not offer accessibility tools for people with disabilities, which affects the accessibility of the site.
Methodologies and User Environment
Even though the PayPal site is user-friendly, functional, and aimed at easy use by various population groups, some changes in the HCI interface can be recommended. According to Shneiderman’s 8 Golden Rules, modern users need to be provided with a more interactive user experience (Capdevila et al., 2021). The site could improve its navigation through the use of shortcuts, macro bindings, keyboard shortcuts, and hidden commands (Capdevila et al., 2021). The site is getting more dynamic navigation, and users must constantly refer to the control panel at the top of the site, as other ways of navigation are not thought out. Today’s industry standards require feedback on successful HCI applications (Capdevila et al., 2021). There is no intuitive feedback method on the PayPal site, and people need to find the links they need. In order to prevent this and increase user satisfaction, it is necessary to change the site’s navigation.
Conclusion
A review analysis of the PayPal site showed that, in general, its design complies with most HCI industry standards. The site is functional, accessible, user-friendly, and takes into account environmental and human factors. On the other hand, the site needs to be more formulaic; considering all the primary industry standards, it does not catch the user and does not make the interaction with the site unique and memorable. The objective disadvantages that require improvement include difficulties in navigation and an undeveloped feedback system.
References
Capdevila, M. G., Saltiveri, T. G., Garrido, J. E., Müller, O. H., & Ruas, L. C. (2021). Do current user testing practices meet the needs of the new interactive paradigms? Proceedings of the XXI International Conference on Human Computer Interaction. Web.
Kaewkitipong, L., Chen, C., Han, J., Ractham, P. (2022). Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and trust factors for the continuance intention of mobile payment services. Sustainability 14, 14546. Web.