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Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source Development

Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source Development. Hartti Suomela. Open Source Development. Briefly, from process point of view Self-guiding Informalisms Meritocracy “Release early, release often” “Scratching the personal itch”. What is Usability?. Not only UI, but….

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Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source Development

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  1. Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source Development Hartti Suomela

  2. Open Source Development • Briefly, from process point of view • Self-guiding • Informalisms • Meritocracy • “Release early, release often” • “Scratching the personal itch”

  3. What is Usability? • Not only UI, but…

  4. Usability is… • The extent, to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. • (ISO/IEC standard 9241-11)

  5. Five attributes of Usability • Ease of learning • Efficiency of use • Memorability • Low error rate and no catastrophic errors • Subjective satisfaction • (Nielsen, 1993)

  6. Usability Engineering • Methods, tools, processes to ensure usability in a product

  7. Usability Engineering Methods (UsabilityNet.org)

  8. Usability Engineering Process (ISO 13407)

  9. Usability in Open Source • Traditionally. Not good. (Nichols & Twidale) • Start with coding • No usability experts • Lack of resources • Developer <> End-user • Adding functionality is more respected than enhancing usability • Usability problems are not simple • Code/Feature bloat & Power over simplicity • Playing catch-up to proprietary software

  10. Problem Definition • Software engineering has its maturity models (CMMI, SPICE…) • CMMI does not guarantee good usability (Jokela & Lalli) • Models not suited for Open Source • Usability engineering has own models • Can OS projects use those practices? • Usability Maturity Model as a framework

  11. Usability Maturity Model (UMM) • Contains processes (ISO/IEC 18529) • Ensure Human-Centered Design / Usability Engineering content in system strategy • Plan and manage HCD process • Specify stakeholder & org. reqs • Specify context of use • Produce design solutions • Evaluate designs • Introduce and operate system

  12. Three Words for You • Start Early • Iterate

  13. Process revisited

  14. UMM Terminology 101 • Processes (7) • Base practices (44) • Output work products (~90) • Standard takes no stand on methods used during the process

  15. Ok. Let’s get to work.

  16. UMM is too formal for OS • UMM in general and most of the UMM base practices are to formal to be directly useful in OS projects

  17. Some notables • Informal counterparts (similar to Scacchi’s informalisms) • Threaded online discussions and e-mail lists • Involvement of corporations • Roles of usability professionals

  18. Work products in UMM Counterparts in OS projects Stakeholder/User requirements specifications Threaded discussions, e-mail archives Organizational requirements specifications Threaded discussions, e-mail archives Priorities for different requirements Informal ratings of usability informalisms on discussions/e-mail lists Task information Threaded discussions, e-mail archives User interaction specification Style guides, user interface guidelines Dialogue detail Style guides, user interface guidelines Look and feel Style guides, user interface guidelines Usability and ergonomic defects Bug reports/database A sample of Work Products

  19. Future work? • Compare OpenOffice.org and KOffice usability practices • OpenOffice has backing from Sun • KOffice does not have similar corporate support • Does this change usability practices like suggested by Benson et al.?

  20. Thank you! • Questions?

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