IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i4p1385-d492200.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Study on the Relationship between Usability of GUIs and Power Consumption of a PC: The Case of PHRs

Author

Listed:
  • José A. García-Berná

    (Department of Computer Science and Systems, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Sofia Ouhbi

    (Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, UAE University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates)

  • José L. Fernández-Alemán

    (Department of Computer Science and Systems, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Juan M. Carrillo de Gea

    (Department of Computer Science and Systems, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Joaquín Nicolás

    (Department of Computer Science and Systems, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Begoña Moros

    (Department of Computer Science and Systems, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Ambrosio Toval

    (Department of Computer Science and Systems, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

Abstract

Usability is key to achieve quality in software products. The client applications with a high score in usability might impact on the power consumption when they are run in a PC. For this reason, energy savings turn to be critical in green software systems. In this paper the relationship between the usability evaluations of the GUIs and the power consumption measurements of the main components of a PC were analysed. A set of 5 web-based personal health records (PHRs) were selected as a case study. The usability assessment was performed by an expert, employing the 14 principles of design by Alan Dix as heuristics. They were scored on a Likert scale after performing a collection of common tasks in the PHRs. At the same time, an equipment to measure the energy consumption of hard disk drive, graphics card, processor, monitor and power supply was used. Spearman’s index was studied for the correlations between the usability assessments and the power consumption measurements. As a results, some weak relationships were found. A total of 5 usability heuristics were observed to may influence energy consumption when they were considered in the implementation of the PHRs. These heuristics were the following ones: consistency, task migratability, observability, recoverability and responsiveness. Based on the results, the usability principles of design cannot always be related to lower energy consumption. Future research should focus on the tradeoffs between usability and power consumption of client applications when they are used in a computer.

Suggested Citation

  • José A. García-Berná & Sofia Ouhbi & José L. Fernández-Alemán & Juan M. Carrillo de Gea & Joaquín Nicolás & Begoña Moros & Ambrosio Toval, 2021. "A Study on the Relationship between Usability of GUIs and Power Consumption of a PC: The Case of PHRs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1385-:d:492200
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1385/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1385/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tomasz Hyla & Jerzy Pejaś, 2019. "eHealth Integrity Model Based on Permissioned Blockchain," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Richard A. Sharpe & Tim Taylor & Lora E. Fleming & Karyn Morrissey & George Morris & Rachel Wigglesworth, 2018. "Making the Case for “Whole System” Approaches: Integrating Public Health and Housing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-22, October.
    3. Jens Malmodin & Dag Lundén, 2018. "The Energy and Carbon Footprint of the Global ICT and E&M Sectors 2010–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-31, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Charfeddine, Lanouar & Umlai, Mohamed, 2023. "ICT sector, digitization and environmental sustainability: A systematic review of the literature from 2000 to 2022," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    2. Lange, Steffen & Pohl, Johanna & Santarius, Tilman, 2020. "Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Chien, Fengsheng & Anwar, Ahsan & Hsu, Ching-Chi & Sharif, Arshian & Razzaq, Asif & Sinha, Avik, 2021. "The role of information and communication technology in encountering environmental degradation: Proposing an SDG framework for the BRICS countries," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    4. Shams Mhmood Abd Ali & Mohd Najwadi Yusoff & Hasan Falah Hasan, 2023. "Redactable Blockchain: Comprehensive Review, Mechanisms, Challenges, Open Issues and Future Research Directions," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-27, January.
    5. Sun, Xianming & Xiao, Shiyi & Ren, Xiaohang & Xu, Bing, 2023. "Time-varying impact of information and communication technology on carbon emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    6. Tilman Santarius & Johanna Pohl & Steffen Lange, 2020. "Digitalization and the Decoupling Debate: Can ICT Help to Reduce Environmental Impacts While the Economy Keeps Growing?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-20, September.
    7. Shah, Syed Ale Raza & Zhang, Qianxiao & Abbas, Jaffar & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel & Pilař, Ladislav, 2023. "Technology, Urbanization and Natural Gas Supply Matter for Carbon Neutrality: A New Evidence of Environmental Sustainability under the Prism of COP26," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    8. Abderrahim Zannou & Abdelhak Boulaalam & El Habib Nfaoui, 2020. "SIoT: A New Strategy to Improve the Network Lifetime with an Efficient Search Process," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, December.
    9. Baischew, Dajan & Elbanna, Ahmed & Lucidi, Stefano & Sörries, Bernd & Plückebaum, Thomas, 2021. "Die Grundzüge von 6G," WIK Discussion Papers 479, WIK Wissenschaftliches Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommunikationsdienste GmbH.
    10. Lisa Coulburn & Wendy Miller, 2022. "Prevalence, Risk Factors and Impacts Related to Mould-Affected Housing: An Australian Integrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-26, February.
    11. Kithmini Godewatte Arachchige & Philip Branch & Jason But, 2023. "Evaluation of Blockchain Networks’ Scalability Limitations in Low-Powered Internet of Things (IoT) Sensor Networks," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, September.
    12. Wang, Linhui & Wang, Hui & Cao, Zhanglu & He, Yongda & Dong, Zhiqing & Wang, Shixiang, 2022. "Can industrial intellectualization reduce carbon emissions? — Empirical evidence from the perspective of carbon total factor productivity in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    13. Rishan Adha & Cheng-Yih Hong & Somya Agrawal & Li-Hua Li, 2023. "ICT, carbon emissions, climate change, and energy demand nexus: The potential benefit of digitalization in Taiwan," Energy & Environment, , vol. 34(5), pages 1619-1638, August.
    14. Adam Pollard & Tim Jones & Stephen Sherratt & Richard A. Sharpe, 2019. "Use of Simple Telemetry to Reduce the Health Impacts of Fuel Poverty and Living in Cold Homes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-15, August.
    15. Wang, Lei & Chen, Yangyang & Ramsey, Thomas Stephen & Hewings, Geoffrey J.D., 2021. "Will researching digital technology really empower green development?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    16. Gemma Crawford & Elizabeth Connor & Kahlia McCausland & Karina Reeves & Krysten Blackford, 2022. "Public Health Interventions to Address Housing and Mental Health amongst Migrants from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Living in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-22, December.
    17. Williams, Laurence & Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Foxon, Timothy J., 2022. "The energy use implications of 5G: Reviewing whole network operational energy, embodied energy, and indirect effects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    18. Dénes László Fekete & Attila Kiss, 2021. "A Survey of Ledger Technology-Based Databases," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-22, July.
    19. Ingrid Stegeman & Alba Godfrey & Maria Romeo-Velilla & Ruth Bell & Brigit Staatsen & Nina van der Vliet & Hanneke Kruize & George Morris & Timothy Taylor & Rosa Strube & Kirsti Anthun & Monica Lillefj, 2020. "Encouraging and Enabling Lifestyles and Behaviours to Simultaneously Promote Environmental Sustainability, Health and Equity: Key Policy Messages from INHERIT," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-22, September.
    20. Haldar, Anasuya & Sethi, Narayan, 2022. "Environmental effects of Information and Communication Technology - Exploring the roles of renewable energy, innovation, trade and financial development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1385-:d:492200. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.