A Gulf of execution is a term usually used in human computer interaction to describe the gap between a user's goal for action and the means to execute that goal. Usability has as one of its primary goals to reduce this gap by removing roadblocks and steps that cause extra thinking and actions that distract the user's attention from the task intended, thereby preventing the flow of his or her work, and decreasing the chance of successful completion of the task. Similarly, there is a gulf of evaluation that applies to the gap between an external stimulus and the time a person understands what it means. Both phrases are mentioned in Donald Norman's 1986 book .

See also

human action cycle

External link

• The Interaction-Design.org Encyclopedia entry on the Gulf of Evaluation and the Gulf of Execution
• A good description of the Gulf of execution on a website
• A very clear Powerpoint presentation on the subject