Editing Usability engineering (section)

== Errors ==
In usability engineering, it's important target and identify human errors when interacting with the product of interest because if a user is expected to engage with a product, interface, or service in some way, the very introduction of a human in that engagement increases the potential of encountering human error. Error should be reduced as much as possible in order to avoid frustration or injury. There are two main types of human errors which are categorized as slips and mistakes. Slips are a very common kind of error involving automatic behaviors (i.e. typos, hitting the wrong menu item). When we experience slips, we have the correct goal in mind, but execute the wrong action.
Mistakes on the other hand involve conscious deliberation that result in the incorrect conclusion. When we experience mistakes, we have the wrong goal in mind and thereby execute the wrong action.<ref name="Kim">{{cite web| url=https://www.sunyoungkim.org/class/old/hci_f18/pdf/The-Design-of-Everyday-Things-Revised-and-Expanded-Edition.pdf | title=The DESIGN of EVERYDAY THINGS | first=Don| last=Norman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424223415/https://www.sunyoungkim.org/class/old/hci_f18/pdf/The-Design-of-Everyday-Things-Revised-and-Expanded-Edition.pdf | archive-date=2022-04-24}}</ref>

Even though slips are the more common type of error, they are no less dangerous. A certain type of slip error, a mode error, can be especially dangerous if a user is executing a high-risk task. For instance, if a user is operating a vehicle and does not realize they are in the wrong mode (i.e. reverse), they might step on the gas intending to drive, but instead accelerate into a garage wall or another car. In order to avoid modal errors, designers often employ modeless states in which users do not have to choose a mode at all, or they must execute a continuous action while intending to execute a certain mode (i.e. pressing a key continuously in order to activate "lasso" mode in Photoshop).<ref name="Kim"/>