CAN EXISTING USABILITY TECHNIQUES PREVENT TOMORROW’S USABILITY PROBLEMS?
Year: 2011
Editor: Culley, S.J.; Hicks, B.J.; McAloone, T.C.; Howard, T.J. & Dong, A.
Author: Harkema, Christelle; Luyk - de Visser, Ilse; Dorst, Kees; Brombacher, Aarnout
Series: ICED
Section: Design Methods and Tools Part 2
Page(s): 1-10
Abstract
Product usability is necessary to ensure efficient and effective products which satisfy users. But despite all available usability techniques many users still experience usability problems when using electronic products. In this paper we present two studies that explore the (mis)match between types of uncertainty addressed by existing usability techniques and the types of uncertainty in the product development process that eventually can result in usability problems. For this research an uncertainty scale was developed, which is used in two studies. In the first study the uncertainty scale is used to relate usability techniques to the different types of uncertainty they address and in the second study to relate usability problems to different types of uncertainty. The overall contribution of this paper is that it offers greater insight into how usability techniques (do not) address uncertainty in the product development process.
Keywords: USABILITY TECHNIQUES; USABILITY PROBLEMS; USABILITY; UNCERTAINTY; DECISION MAKING