Analysis of users’ mental model and expectations from usability and information design point of view in e-contracts: A case of hotel reservation

Abstract

For a successful business negotiation it is essential that all parts involved understand their duties and rights clearly in order to close the deal with mutual trust. The contract is the legal tool that can assure this communication between two or more parties. With the gradual technological advancements and the expansion of services and commerce to the internet, the contract function gets subdued, instead of being use as a tool for legal communication. The fragility of electronic contracts, can be observed by the number of users that contract and pay for services or products without even reading the terms of use. This research debates the role of e-contracts and its relation to Information Design, data organization and usability. These integrated areas of study are the foundation to build an online questionnaire applied to interaction design experts in order to map the interaction flow from specialists’ perspective. The presented results expose usability issues related to information absorption and impact further discussion on the use of graphics to help improve e-contracts.