Designing for usability: key principles and what designers think

Abstract

This article is both theoretical and empirical. Theoretically, it describes three principles of system design which we believe must be followed to produce a useful and easy to use computer system. These principles are: early and continual focus on users; empirical measurement of usage; and iterative design whereby the system (simulated, prototype, and real) is modified, tested, modified again, tested again, and the cycle is repeated again and again. This approach is contrasted to other principled design approaches, for example, get it right the first time, reliance on design guidelines. Empirically, the article presents data which show that our design principles are not always intuitive to designers; identifies the arguments which designers often offer for not using these principles—and answers them; and provides an example in which our principles have been used successfully.

Human Factors in Production Systems

“…The foundations for designing usable systems for people can be found in the early dawn of graphical user interfaces: In 1985-just a year after Apple introduced Macintosh-Gould and Lewis proposed three key principles for building usable software (Gould and Lewis 1985): Early focus on the users tasks, empirical measurement of the product usage and iterative design. Many stakeholders are involved in the specification and development of new software systems: Software engineers, user interface designers, and software architects on one side, as well as domain experts and managers who are responsible for the introduction of the new software.…”

“…Replacing parts of the simulated Fig. 14.1 Schematic presentation of an iterative development process as proposed by Gould and Lewis (1985) screen with new layers can simulate interactive interfaces and the traversal through multiple screens. Paper prototyping is best applied in early stages of the design, when the general interface is designed.…”

Value-based design for the elderly: An application in the field of mobility aids

“…This immersion, and the subsequent translation of findings into product design, is often typed as user-or human-centered design. In this design approach, it is advocated to consult potential end-users as early as possible in the design process, and to involve them continuously (Gould & Lewis, 1985), as (potential) end-users have been found to supply critical contextual information to the design team, that can consequently translate this into product innovations (Kujala, 2003). Recently, the concept of value-based design originated in business science (Kim & Mauborgne, 2004) and has merged with the human-centered design approach.…”

Enhancing the effectiveness of design tools in synthetic environments

“…Iteration throughout the design process and multidisciplinary product development are used to understand the user and the task requirements (Hoolhorst, 2012). Gould (Gould & Lewis, 1985) mentions three principles to produce a useful and easy to use product:…”