Computers Communication And Usability
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Computers, Communication, and Usability
In the last half century, research on usability has been dominated by three main areas: military hardware, telecommunications equipment and information technology. Characteristically, research was carried out on local issues as they affected a particular class of technology and its design. In just the last decade there has been a massive convergence both in the technological bases of these areas of concern and in the human factors issues they raise.This book considers usability research in depth but does not seek to provide a comprehensive view of all European research on related topics. Rather, it draws on a limited number of projects and juxtaposes contributions concerned with practical issues in method development and more basic research. This strategy was chosen with three general objectives in mind. The first was to provide a description of the product design context for usability research and practice, focusing in particular on the problems and opportunities arising from the advanced communication services which are expected to be in business and domestic markets within 20 years. The second was to draw upon some illustrative basic research in usability, system modelling and design behaviour which could lead to significant improvements in design practice in the long term. The last was to provide an integrated guide to some recently introduced usability design methods which are particularly appropriate to the design problems of advanced communication services.Specifically, the publication should also be viewed as a demonstration of the results of international collaborative research supported by the European Community. Researchers from most of the western European countries have jointly engaged in a series of projects in telecommunications and information technology, these programmes being RACE, ESPRIT main and ESPRIT Basic Research. The book not only represents a significant sample of collaborative research within these programmes but attempts to bring together the results around the general theme of usability requirements.It is hoped that this publication will be of interest to those developing future research programmes, to researchers in industry and university and to psychologists and engineers designing new computer and service products.
Usability
Author: Paul S. Adler
language: en
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Release Date: 1992-09-24
As more and more equipment incorporates advanced technologies, usability -- the ability of equipment to take advantage of users' skills and thereby to function effectively in the broad range of real work situations -- is becoming an essential component of equipment design. Usability: Turning Technologies into Tools collects six essays that herald a fundamental shift in the way industry and researchers think about usability. In this new, broader definition, usability no longer means safeguarding against human error, but rather enabling human beings to learn, to use, and to adapt the equipment to satisfy better the demands and contingencies of their work. Following an introduction that develops some core concepts of usability, the subsequent chapters: -- describe the role of usability in guiding one of Xerox's largest strategic initiatives -- analyze a Monsanto chemical plant where a study of worker's conversational patterns contributed to the design of a more effective system of controls -- present an empirical study of equipment design practices in U.S. industry which contrasts technology-centered and skill-based design approaches -- summarize recent Scandinavian experiences with user participation in design, with specific reference to the DEMOS and UTOPIA projects -- analyze European experiences that suggest five key criteria for effective human-centered design of advanced manufacturing technology --offer an insightful discussion of the powerful, often hidden human and organizational resources that conventional design processes overlook. Today, three quarters of all advanced technology implementations in manufacturing fail to achieve their performance goals because of inadequate usability. By viewing the human being as a mechanistic system component, and not a particularly reliable one, the traditional "human factors" model of usability virtually ensures that the uniquely human qualities -- experience, adaptation, innovation -- will be neglected, and therefore that new technologies will realize little of their true potential. Usability: Turning Technologies into Tools answers the need for better usability criteria and more effective design and usability assurance processes. In so doing, it leads the way to making a new, broader concept of usability central to design. Its chapters will be of interest to managers and professionals in computer systems, manufacturing engineering, industrial design, and human factors, as well as researchers in disciplines such as computer science, engineering, design studies, sociology, organizational behavior and human resource management, industrial relations, education, and business strategy.
Content and Complexity
Information design is an emerging area in technical communication, garnering increased attention in recent times as more information is presented through both old and new media. In this volume, editors Michael J. Albers and Beth Mazur bring together scholars and practitioners to explore the issues facing those in this exciting new field. Treating information as it applies to technical communication, with a special emphasis on computer-centric industries, this volume delves into the role of information design in assisting with concepts, such as usability, documenting procedures, and designing for users. Influential members in the technical communication field examine such issues as the application of information design in structuring technical material; innovative ways of integrating information design within development methodologies and social aspects of the workplace; and theoretical approaches that include a practical application of information design, emphasizing the intersection of information design theories and workplace reality. This collection approaches information design from the language-based technical communication side, emphasizing the role of content as it relates to complexity in information design. As such, it treats as paramount the rhetorical and contextual strategies required for the effective design and transmission of information. Content and Complexity: Information Design in Technical Communication explores both theoretical perspectives, as well as the practicalities of information design in areas relevant to technical communicators. This integration of theoretical and applied components make it a practical resource for students, educators, academic researchers, and practitioners in the technical communication and information design fields.