Description:
Maturing Usability gives readers an understanding of how current research and practice has contributed towards improving the quality of software features, interaction experiences, and value. Part One, Quality in Software, looks at how development tools can enhance usability of a system and how methods and models can be integrated into the development process to produce effective user interfaces. Part Two, Quality in Interaction, addresses theoretical frameworks on the nature of interactions; techniques and metrics for the evaluation of interaction quality; and the bridge from concepts and methods to practice. Finally, Part Three, Quality in Value, assesses the impact that a system has in the real world, focusing on increasing the value of usability practice for software development and for the user.
Review Quotes:
From the reviews:
"This is a significant volume by numerous authors, all of whom are leaders in the usability community. ... The steps taken by practitioners and academics to evolve the discipline to its current state are treated as well. ... I highly recommend this book to all who have an interest in software usability. ... could be used in a graduate course on usability theory, history, and 'where is it going.'" (C. A. Wolfe, ACM Computing Reviews, November, 2008)