Ebook: User-Centred Design of Systems

System design has conventionally been the province of engineers, and the approaches taken to the design of systems have conventionally led to formal specification of the system. The past decade or two has seen the rise of another approach, that of human-computer interaction (HCI). Given the number of incidents and accidents which are attributed to 'human error', it is sensible to develop an approach to system design which views humans as an essential element in the system. Thus, an important aspect of designing systems is the study of the interaction between humans and the technology that they use. In terms of bringing computers and computing to a wide audience, the 1980s were the boom years. The first personal computer (PC) was launched onto the market in February 1978, and since then, PCs have become a common-place feature of our homes, offices, schools, retail outlets, hospitals, banks, etc. Within Western society today, there are very few organisations that have not been infiltrated by computer technology, and few individuals who have not had experience of computers. However, the increase in use of computers has not been matched with a corresponding spread of training of users; much of the human-computer interaction research has sought to design systems which do not require special training, i. e. which people can simply walk up to and use. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in a number of difficulties; some of which have yet to be satisfactorily resolved.

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There has long been a need for a book which deals specifically with human factors issues and methods, and which is targeted at the computer science and engineering population; this book fills that gap. Using a model, that places the human at the centre of the system design, users are considered in terms of their cognitive and physical attributes and their social needs, and the way in which computer technology needs to be designed and evaluated in order to take account of these factors is addressed. User-Centred Design of Systems deals specifically with the human issues focuses primarily on the design and evaluation of computer systems from the perspective of the user, contains a judicious mix of theory and applications and contains lots of practical examples. Students taking Human Computer Interaction, user-centred design, human factors and ergonomics and other similar courses will find this book invaluable.

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There has long been a need for a book which deals specifically with human factors issues and methods, and which is targeted at the computer science and engineering population; this book fills that gap. Using a model, that places the human at the centre of the system design, users are considered in terms of their cognitive and physical attributes and their social needs, and the way in which computer technology needs to be designed and evaluated in order to take account of these factors is addressed. User-Centred Design of Systems deals specifically with the human issues focuses primarily on the design and evaluation of computer systems from the perspective of the user, contains a judicious mix of theory and applications and contains lots of practical examples. Students taking Human Computer Interaction, user-centred design, human factors and ergonomics and other similar courses will find this book invaluable.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
What Is a System?....Pages 3-15
Who Will Use the System?....Pages 17-36
What Will the System Be Used For?....Pages 37-53
What Are the Main Components of the System?....Pages 55-79
Front Matter....Pages 81-81
How Will the System Be Designed?....Pages 83-102
How Well Do the Users Think the System Works?....Pages 103-118
How Well Does the System Really Work?....Pages 119-134
How Well Does the System Under Development Work?....Pages 135-145
Can the System Be Improved?....Pages 147-164
Front Matter....Pages 165-165
How Can the System Be Introduced Into a Workplace?....Pages 167-184
How Will the System Be Used in the Workplace?....Pages 185-194
Bibliography....Pages 195-196
References....Pages 197-217
Back Matter....Pages 219-222

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There has long been a need for a book which deals specifically with human factors issues and methods, and which is targeted at the computer science and engineering population; this book fills that gap. Using a model, that places the human at the centre of the system design, users are considered in terms of their cognitive and physical attributes and their social needs, and the way in which computer technology needs to be designed and evaluated in order to take account of these factors is addressed. User-Centred Design of Systems deals specifically with the human issues focuses primarily on the design and evaluation of computer systems from the perspective of the user, contains a judicious mix of theory and applications and contains lots of practical examples. Students taking Human Computer Interaction, user-centred design, human factors and ergonomics and other similar courses will find this book invaluable.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
What Is a System?....Pages 3-15
Who Will Use the System?....Pages 17-36
What Will the System Be Used For?....Pages 37-53
What Are the Main Components of the System?....Pages 55-79
Front Matter....Pages 81-81
How Will the System Be Designed?....Pages 83-102
How Well Do the Users Think the System Works?....Pages 103-118
How Well Does the System Really Work?....Pages 119-134
How Well Does the System Under Development Work?....Pages 135-145
Can the System Be Improved?....Pages 147-164
Front Matter....Pages 165-165
How Can the System Be Introduced Into a Workplace?....Pages 167-184
How Will the System Be Used in the Workplace?....Pages 185-194
Bibliography....Pages 195-196
References....Pages 197-217
Back Matter....Pages 219-222
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