IntroductiontoUsabilityEngineering.pptVIP

An Introduction to Usability EngineeringTM Darelle Van Greunen Department of Computer Science IS University of Port Elizabeth http://www.cs.upe.ac.za/csadvg Overview Introduction Outline of Usability Engineering UE The need for usability What do usability and UE mean? What happens without UE? UE lifecycle User-Centered Design UCD Conclusions Introduction Frustrated users Low productivity Poor user interface design High training costs Training courses for new systems Average 3 days per system Support/Help desk costs Entering data incorrectly Deleting data Outline of Usability Engineering Xristine Faulkner 2000 : “UE is an approach to the development of software and systems which involves user participation from the outset and guarantees the usefulness of the product through the use of a usability specification and metrics.” UE thus refers to the entire process of producing usable software products from requirements gathering to installation. UE is based on a User-Centered Design UCD approach to analysis and design. The need for usability System acceptability Acceptability is defined as a combination of social and practical acceptability. Practical acceptability consists of several factors: Cost, Support, Reliability, Compatibility, and Usefulness. Usefulness is a measure of whether the system can achieve a desired goal. What usability UE mean? In use for some time 1st definition in 1971, based on ease-of-use More recent definitions by: Sherman 1985 Nielsen 1993 International Organization for Standardization 1998 International Standards for HCI and Usability Why use? Input to design Means of evaluating whether product meets requirements Primarily concerned with: The use of the product effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction The user interface and interaction The process used to develop the product The capability of an organisation to apply user centred design Definition of usability Usability is the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction wit