Written by the author of the best-selling HyperText & HyperMedia, this book is an excellent guide to the methods of usability engineering. The book provides the tools needed to avoid usability surprises and improve product quality. Step-by-step information on which method to use at various stages during the development lifecycle are included, along with detailed information on how to run a usability test and the unique issues relating to international usability. * Emphasizes cost-effective methods that developers can implement immediately * Instructs readers about which methods to use when, throughout the development lifecycle, which ultimately helps in cost-benefit analysis. * Shows readers how to avoid the four most frequently listed reasons for delay in software projects. * Includes detailed information on how to run a usability test. * Covers unique issues of international usability. * Features an extensive bibliography allowing readers to find additional information. * Written by an internationally renowned expert in the field and the author of the best-selling HyperText & HyperMedia.
Human-CenteredSoftwareEngineering: BridgingHCI,UsabilityandSoftwareEngineering From its beginning in the 1980’s, the ?eld of human-computer interaction (HCI) has beende?nedasamultidisciplinaryarena. BythisImeanthattherehas beenanexplicit recognition that distinct skills and perspectives are required to make the whole effort of designing usable computer systems work well. Thus people with backgrounds in Computer Science (CS) and Software Engineering (SE) joined with people with ba- grounds in various behavioral science disciplines (e. g. , cognitive and social psych- ogy, anthropology)inaneffortwhereallperspectiveswereseenasessentialtocreating usable systems. But while the ?eld of HCI brings individuals with many background disciplines together to discuss a common goal - the development of useful, usable, satisfying systems - the form of the collaboration remains unclear. Are we striving to coordinate the varied activities in system development, or are we seeking a richer collaborative framework? In coordination, Usability and SE skills can remain quite distinct and while the activities of each group might be critical to the success of a project, we need only insure that critical results are provided at appropriate points in the development cycle. Communication by one group to the other during an activity might be seen as only minimally necessary. In collaboration, there is a sense that each group can learn something about its own methods and processes through a close pa- nership with the other. Communication during the process of gathering information from target users of a system by usability professionals would not be seen as so- thing that gets in the way of the essential work of software engineering professionals.
It's been known for years that usability testing can dramatically improve products. But with a typical price tag of $5,000 to $10,000 for a usability consultant to conduct each round of tests, it rarely happens. In this how-to companion to Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, Steve Krug spells out a streamlined approach to usability testing that anyone can easily apply to their own Web site, application, or other product. (As he said in Don't Make Me Think, "It's not rocket surgery".) Using practical advice, plenty of illustrations, and his trademark humor, Steve explains how to: Test any design, from a sketch on a napkin to a fully-functioning Web site or application Keep your focus on finding the most important problems (because no one has the time or resources to fix them all) Fix the problems that you find, using his "The least you can do" approach By paring the process of testing and fixing products down to its essentials ("A morning a month, that's all we ask"), Rocket Surgery makes it realistic for teams to test early and often, catching problems while it's still easy to fix them. Rocket Surgery Made Easy adds demonstration videos to the proven mix of clear writing, before-and-after examples, witty illustrations, and practical advice that made Don't Make Me Think so popular.
This book provides an understanding of how current research and practice has contributed towards improving quality issues in software, interaction and value. The book includes chapters on new methods/approaches that will enhance the field of usability. A balance between theoretical and empirical approaches is maintained throughout, and all those interested in exploring usability issues in human-computer interaction will find this a very useful book.
"There are many books about topics and disciplines in Information Technology. But most books concentrate on a single area. This book is an exception - it looks at three disciplines and ties them together. Excellent idea. Congratulations to Koray for putting this book together, and also for his generosity in donating profits to schools." -- Dorothy Graham, Best-selling Author "Koray does a great job of using clever, insightful metaphors to illustrate concepts. He writes in an accessible, easy-to-read style. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did." -- Rex Black, Best-selling Author "In his book Koray uses two phrases again and again. The first is "Quality is not tested, but built."The other phrase is ..". should first be handled as a people issue rather than a technology issue." To those in the IT world who need an understanding of these principles, I recommend this book." -- Lee Copeland, Best-selling Author This book is a quick guide to business analysis, software testing, and usability disciplines. Throughout the book, different perspectives are brought to the following interesting comparisons and relationships: Business Analysis - Business analysts and software testers - Usability specialists and business analysts - System analysts and business analysts - Project management and business analysis - Business requirements and system requirements - Use cases and user requirements - The object-oriented approach versus the business process approach - Functional requirements and non-functional requirements - Scope management and stakeholder management - Change management and project management - Process flows, class diagrams, and sequence diagrams - Use case modelling and project scope definition - In-scope items and out-of-scope items - Unclear requirements and test cases - Traceability matrix and gold plating - Change request management process and requirements management tools - Impact analysis and traceability matrix - Project Management Institute (PMI) knowledge areas and business analysis Software Testing - Software test design techniques and high jump techniques - Software testing and road traffic - Priority versus severity - Risk and software testing - Software testing levels and software testing types - Black-box testing versus white-box testing - Statement coverage versus decision coverage Usability - User Experience (UX) and usability - Usability specialists and business analysts - Usability testing versus user acceptance testing - Interaction design and process flow design - User profiling versus persona identification - Interface design and interaction design This book targets broad range of professionals such as: - Business analysts, software testers, usability specialists and UX designers - Systems analysts and developers - Project managers, entrepreneurs, product owners, scrum masters and product managers - Business units, sales managers and marketing managers - Business consultants, management consultants, C-level executives - Managers of all divisions"
"This book is a great how-to manual for people who want to bring the benefits of improved user experience to their companies. It''s thorough yet still accessible for the smart businessperson. I''ve been working with user-centered design for over twenty years, and I found myself circling tips and tricks." -Harley Manning, vice president & research director, customer experience, Forrester Research "Some argue that the big advances in our impact on user experience will come from better methods or new technologies. Some argue that they will come from earlier involvement in the design and development process. The biggest impact, however, will come as more and more companies realize the benefits of user-centered design and build cultures that embrace it. Eric offers a practical roadmap to get there." -Arnie Lund, connected experience labs technology leader and human--systems interaction lab manager, GE Global Research "User experience issues are a key challenge for development of increasingly complex products and services. This book provides much-needed insights to help managers achieve their key objectives and to develop more successful solutions." -Aaron Marcus, president, Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. "This handy book should be required reading for any executive champions of change in any development organization making products that demand a compelling user experience. It does an excellent job in laying the foundation for incorporating user experience engineering concepts and best practices into these corporations. In today''s competitive economy, business success will greatly depend on instituting the changes in design methods and thinking that are so clearly and simply put forth in this most practical and useful book." -Ed Israelski, director, human factors, AbbVie "If you''re tasked with building a user-experience practice in a large organization, this book is for you (and your boss). Informed by years of case studies and consulting experience, Eric Schaffer provides the long view, clearly describing what to expect, what to avoid, and how to succeed in establishing user-centered principles at your company." -Pat Malecek, former user experience manager, AVP, CUA, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. "For those of us who have evangelized user experience for so many years, we finally have a book that offers meaningful insights that can only come from years of practical experience in the real world. Here is a wonderful guide for all who wish to make user experience a ''way of life'' for their companies." -Feliça Selenko, Ph.D., former principal technical staff member, AT&T "Dr. Schaffer''s mantra is that the main differentiator for companies of the future will be the ability to build practical, useful, usable, and satisfying user experiences. This is a book that provides the road map necessary to allow your organization to achieve these goals." -Colin Hynes, president, UX Inc. Computer hardware no longer provides a competitive edge. Software has become a broadly shared commodity. A new differentiator has emerged in information technology: user experience (UX). Executives recognize that the customer satisfaction that applications and websites provide directly impacts a company''s stock price. While UX practitioners know how to design usable, engaging applications that create good user experiences, establishing that process on an industrial scale poses critical IT challenges for an organization. How do you build user-centered design into your culture? What infrastructure do you need in order to make UX design faster, cheaper, and better? How do you create the organizational structure and staffing solution that will support UX design over time? Institutionalization of UX shows how to develop a mature, user-centered design practice within an enterprise. Eric Schaffer guides readers step by step through a solid methodology for institutionalizing UX, providing practical advice on the organizational change, milestones, toolsets, infrastructure, staffing, governance, and long-term operations needed to achieve fully mature UX engineering. First published in 2004 as Institutionalization of Usability, this new, expanded edition looks beyond the science of usability to the broader, deeper implications of UX: Once customers can use your applications and websites easily, how does your organization ensure that those engagements are satisfying, engaging, and relevant? Contextual innovation expert Apala Lahiri contributes a new chapter on managing cultural differences for international organizations. Whether you are an executive leading the institutional-ization process, a manager supporting the transition of your organization''s UX practice, or an engineer working on UX issues, this guide will help you build a mature and sustainable practice in UX design.
Eyetracking Web Usability is based on one of the largest studies of eyetracking usability in existence. Best-selling author Jakob Nielsen and coauthor Kara Pernice used rigorous usability methodology and eyetracking technology to analyze 1.5 million instances where users look at Web sites to understand how the human eyes interact with design. Their findings will help designers, software developers, writers, editors, product managers, and advertisers understand what people see or don’t see, when they look, and why. With their comprehensive three-year study, the authors confirmed many known Web design conventions and the book provides additional insights on those standards. They also discovered important new user behaviors that are revealed here for the first time. Using compelling eye gaze plots and heat maps, Nielsen and Pernice guide the reader through hundreds of examples of eye movements, demonstrating why some designs work and others don’t. They also provide valuable advice for page layout, navigation menus, site elements, image selection, and advertising. This book is essential reading for anyone who is serious about doing business on the Web.
The concept of usability has become an increasingly important consideration in the design of all kinds of technology. As more products are aimed at global markets and developed through internationally distributed teams, usability design needs to be addressed in global terms. Interest in usability as a design issue and specialist area of research and education has developed steadily in North America and Europe since the 1980’s. However, it is only over the last ten years that it has emerged as a global concern. Global Usability provides an introduction to the important issues in globalizing design and an insight into the development of usability expertise around the world. The book is divided into two sections. The first section deals with the general issues in cross-cultural design and the methods for conducting usability design and evaluation across geographical boundaries. The second section describes the state of usability development in fifteen countries. The descriptions include a history and review of activities and include some unique perspectives that have developed in relation to usability work. Researchers and practitioners from a variety of design-related disciplines will find the book a useful guide for understanding the issues and an excellent reference source for working in any of the countries covered.
