Written by psychologists, this book focuses on the design of computer systems from the perspective of the user. The authors place human beings firmly at the centre of system design and so assess their cognitive and physical attributes as well as their social needs. The model used specifically takes into consideration the way in which computer technology needs to be designed in order to take account of all these human factors. The text comprises a careful mix of theory and applications and is spiced throughout with practical examples of do's and don'ts in designing systems.

This comprehensive volume is the product of an intensive collaborative effort among researchers across the United States, Europe and Japan. The result -- a change in the way we think of humans and computers.

Foundations for Designing User-Centered Systems introduces the fundamental human capabilities and characteristics that influence how people use interactive technologies. Organized into four main areas—anthropometrics, behaviour, cognition and social factors—it covers basic research and considers the practical implications of that research on system design. Applying what you learn from this book will help you to design interactive systems that are more usable, more useful and more effective. The authors have deliberately developed Foundations for Designing User-Centered Systems to appeal to system designers and developers, as well as to students who are taking courses in system design and HCI. The book reflects the authors’ backgrounds in computer science, cognitive science, psychology and human factors. The material in the book is based on their collective experience which adds up to almost 90 years of working in academia and both with, and within, industry; covering domains that include aviation, consumer Internet, defense, eCommerce, enterprise system design, health care, and industrial process control.

Written by psychologists, this book focuses on the design of computer systems from the perspective of the user. The authors place human beings firmly at the centre of system design and so assess their cognitive and physical attributes as well as their social needs. The model used specifically takes into consideration the way in which computer technology needs to be designed in order to take account of all these human factors. The text comprises a careful mix of theory and applications and is spiced throughout with practical examples of do's and don'ts in designing 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.

Looks at the application design process, describing how to create user-friendly applications.

This book examines the possibilities of incorporating elements of user-centred design (UCD) such as user experience (UX) and usability with agile software development. It explores the difficulties and problems inherent in integrating these two practices despite their relative similarities, such as their emphasis on stakeholder collaboration. Developed from a workshop held at NordiCHI in 2014, this edited volume brings together researchers from across the software development, UCD and creative design fields to discuss the current state-of-the-art. Practical case studies of integrating UCD in Agile development across diverse contexts are presented, whilst the different futures for UCD and other design practices in the context of agile software development are identified and explored. Integrating User Centred Design in Agile Development will be ideal for researchers, designers and academics who are interested in software development, user-centred design, agile methodologies and related areas.