Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source Development Hartti Suomela.
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Transcript of Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source Development Hartti Suomela.
Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source
Development
Hartti Suomela
Open Source Development
Briefly, from process point of viewSelf-guidingInformalismsMeritocracy“Release early, release often”“Scratching the personal itch”
What is Usability?
Not only UI, but…
Usability is…
The extent, to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.(ISO/IEC standard 9241-11)
Five attributes of Usability
Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityLow error rate and no catastrophic
errorsSubjective satisfaction
(Nielsen, 1993)
Usability Engineering
Methods, tools, processes to ensure usability in a product
Usability Engineering Methods
(UsabilityNet.org)
Usability Engineering Process
Plan theprocess
Meetsrequirements
Evaluatedesignsagainst
requirements
Producedesign
solutions
Specify user &organizationalrequirements
Specify thecontext of use
(ISO 13407)
Usability in Open Source
Traditionally. Not good. (Nichols & Twidale)Start with codingNo usability expertsLack of resourcesDeveloper <> End-userAdding functionality is more respected than
enhancing usabilityUsability problems are not simpleCode/Feature bloat & Power over simplicityPlaying catch-up to proprietary software
Problem Definition
Software engineering has its maturity models (CMMI, SPICE…)CMMI does not guarantee good usability
(Jokela & Lalli)Models not suited for Open Source
Usability engineering has own modelsCan OS projects use those practices?
Usability Maturity Model as a framework
Usability Maturity Model (UMM)
Contains processes (ISO/IEC 18529)1. Ensure Human-Centered Design / Usability
Engineering content in system strategy2. Plan and manage HCD process3. Specify stakeholder & org. reqs4. Specify context of use5. Produce design solutions6. Evaluate designs7. Introduce and operate system
Three Words for You
Start EarlyIterate
Process revisitedPlan theprocess
Meetsrequirements
Evaluatedesignsagainst
requirements
Producedesign
solutions
Specify user &organizationalrequirements
Specify thecontext of use
UMM Terminology 101
Processes (7)Base practices (44)Output work products (~90)
Standard takes no stand on methods used during the process
Ok. Let’s get to work.
UMM is too formal for OS
UMM in general and most of the UMM base practices are to formal to be directly useful in OS projects
Some notables
Informal counterparts (similar to Scacchi’s informalisms)
Threaded online discussions and e-mail lists
Involvement of corporationsRoles of usability professionals
A sample of Work Products
Work products in UMM Counterparts in OS projects
Stakeholder/User requirements specifications
Threaded discussions, e-mail archives
Organizational requirements specifications Threaded discussions, e-mail archives
Priorities for different requirements Informal ratings of usability informalisms on discussions/e-mail lists
Task information Threaded discussions, e-mail archives
User interaction specification Style guides, user interface guidelines
Dialogue detail Style guides, user interface guidelines
Look and feel Style guides, user interface guidelines
Usability and ergonomic defects Bug reports/database
Future work?
Compare OpenOffice.org and KOffice usability practicesOpenOffice has backing from SunKOffice does not have similar
corporate supportDoes this change usability practices
like suggested by Benson et al.?
Thank you!
Questions?