The Windows 95 user interface

Abstract

This organization overview discusses the lessons learned in applying the usability engineering principles of iterative design and problem tracking to the development of Windows 95, a large commercial software project. CONTEXTWindows 95 is an extensive upgrade to the Windows 3.x family of operating systems. The user interface is but one of many areas of the product which featured dramatic changes.based on descriptions of usability engineering in [l] and [3]. We began by creating paper or computer-based prototypes. Each prototype was used to try out design ideas and to gather usability data in the lab. After testing in the usability lab, the prototype was usually improved and retested. Once results were satisfactory, the design was coded then refmed in the usability lab. Following lab testing, we examined the product as a whole over time in the field (during beta testing).