Usability

Usability has become increasingly important as an essential part of the design and development of software and systems for all sectors of society, business, industry, government and education, as well as a topic of research. As interactive systems have become the norm and the variety of hardware and software has increased, it is no longer sufficient to just make the technology work in a functional and reliable manner. Now the usability of the technology for any given application or situation can be measured in terms of how easily, effectively and efficiently people can use it to accomplish their tasks and achieve their goals. Just as important as functionality is whether and to what extent users of technology are satisfied with their experiences when using technology. Alternative ways of design and development incorporating usability have been proposed and documented and many projects undertaken to explore how to improve and enhance the lives of people when using information technology and communication systems. Improving the design process and product quality benefits not only business and industry, but also the people who use the systems and products.These benefits can only be achieved by integrating usability into the mainstream of the system development life cycle. This text presents contributions from practitioners and researchers from many countries. Starting with an introduction of the problems that industry faces and suggested usability solutions to these problems, it goes on to explore various technical areas.