Abstract
Many software-intensive products and systems on the market today reveal a poor
level of usability despite the availability of knowledge about how to develop
good usability, namely user-centred design. Improving the status of user-centred
design has proved to be a challenge in product development. An effective step to
start out on the road to such improvements is to carry out a current state
analysis. Our research problem was to learn how to perform an effective current
state analysis, i.e. an assessment, of user-centred design processes to provide a
basis for improvement action. As the main part of our research, we carried out
five experimental assessments in industrial settings during the years 2000 and
2001.
The main result of the research is a novel assessment approach. The objective of
the approach is to provide a basis for improvement of the performance of
user-centred design in individual product development projects. The particular
features of the approach are a new user-centred design process model, a
three-dimensional process performance model and implementation of the assessment
in the form of a workshop with extensive participation by the project members.
The user-centred design process model is method-independent, and consists of six
processes that are defined through outcomes. The performance of processes is
assessed from the viewpoints of quantity, quality, and integration.
Our theoretical examinations show that different assessment categories can be
identified depending on the different foci and purposes of an assessment.
Moreover, it may even be appropriate to have different assessment approaches for
different categories. In the category of our focus and purpose, i.e. 'assessment
of user-centred design processes for performance improvement', the focus of an
assessment should be in the substance rather than in the management of UCD
processes. An assessment approach should be regarded as an artefact and it should
be subject to ongoing refinement. An assessment should be an intervention that
provides both an effective training session and a meaningful experience to the
participants. Clarity in both the concepts and the results seems to take
precedence over having standard reference models.
In addition, we created a preliminary theory of usability capability. It
identifies three dimensions of usability capability: user-centred design
infrastructure, performance of user-centred design in product development
projects and usability in business strategy. We also propose some new assessment
artefacts for other assessment categories and contrast our research experience
with established research frameworks.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-6551-3 |
| Date | 07 November 2001 |
| Creators | Jokela, T. (Timo) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 2001 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-3191, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-220X |
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