Shaping Usability Engineering Methods to Fit the IT Applications Development Process

Abstract

Within corporate Information Technology (IT) organizations, a wide gamut of user-centered design practices is routinely employed to help create usable software interfaces. However, just as often, valuable usability engineering methods are ignored during fast-paced application development cycles, often resulting in non-optimized or unsuitable user experiences following application deployment. This problem occurs even when time, funding and personnel are available to support application development.

Why are proven methods that save money, reduce development time, and improve software quality often ignored or discarded? Moreover, are there social engineering techniques that can be used to effect an increase in incorporation of user-centered design practices?

First, we identify a set of perspectives that routinely drive the mindset of rapid application development and explain how these perspectives often lead to the devaluing of user-centered design activities and deliverables. We then identify deployable countermeasures designed to increase the visibility, validity and value of the activities and deliverables.

Pulling from principles of social ergonomics and relating these principles to real-life situations, we propose a set of interpersonal communication and presentation methods that have proven valuable in influencing the level of usability engineering activities included in application development schedules. These include methods of customer goal identification, project leadership control, procedural authority, and deliverable product designs that are effective in producing the critical support factors that lead to user-centered design incorporation.

Steps for blending methods of social influence into standard or existing user-centered design products are suggested. The inherent need for crafting user-centered design activities for optimal project development acceptance is explained, and the pitfalls that lead to common activity exclusion, as well as opportunities for activity inclusion, are discussed.