From a Technical Writer to a Usability Engineer Presented by / Bogo Vatovec Change Management / Knowledge Engineering / User Experience / Interaction Design / Process Engineering

Why do you want to do it? Because you are frustrated? Nobody listens to you? Nobody takes you seriously? You only get the dirty editing work from the engineers? WRONG.

Because you are frustrated?

Nobody listens to you?

Nobody takes you seriously?

You only get the dirty editing work from the engineers?

WRONG.

Why do you want to do it? Because you see a natural progression. Because you are deeply interested in Human Computer Interaction. Because you are passionate about your job and you are willing to spend lots of time learning.

Because you see a natural progression.

Because you are deeply interested in Human Computer Interaction.

Because you are passionate about your job and you are willing to spend lots of time learning.

What are you doing now? You are an advocate of the users Analyze your audience Analyze user goals and tasks Develop a task oriented manual Develop designs of manuals, online help, Web sites. You are suggesting improvements to the user interface

You are an advocate of the users

Analyze your audience

Analyze user goals and tasks

Develop a task oriented manual

Develop designs of manuals, online help, Web sites.

You are suggesting improvements to the user interface

Why is a move common? Similar goals and knowledge profiles Similar believes and thinking Good documentation adds to usability Documentation is part of the product Bad product is difficult to document Text is an inseparable part of the interface

Similar goals and knowledge profiles

Similar believes and thinking

Good documentation adds to usability

Documentation is part of the product

Bad product is difficult to document

Text is an inseparable part of the interface

Areas of work Usability User research & feedback UI design and development Usability evaluation Usability engineering Performance optimization Web design and development Technical writing Instructional design Printed documentation Online documentation Web design and writing Editing

Usability

User research & feedback

UI design and development

Usability evaluation

Usability engineering

Performance optimization

Web design and development

Technical writing

Instructional design

Printed documentation

Online documentation

Web design and writing

Editing

Skills Usability Cognitive sciences Interaction design Visual design Interviewing, observations, analysis Technical writing Instructional design Interviewing Writing and editing Information design Presentation media

Usability

Cognitive sciences

Interaction design

Visual design

Interviewing, observations, analysis

Technical writing

Instructional design

Interviewing

Writing and editing

Information design

Presentation media

Backgrounds Usability Specialized programs Psychology Computer science Anthropology Technical writing Specialized programs Languages Computer science Variety of social studies

Usability

Specialized programs

Psychology

Computer science

Anthropology

Technical writing

Specialized programs

Languages

Computer science

Variety of social studies

Similarities and Differences Usability Understanding the users Focus on interaction design Make things easy to use Design the product and the interface Technical writing Understanding the users Focus on instructional design Explain how to do Support the use of the product

Usability

Understanding the users

Focus on interaction design

Make things easy to use

Design the product and the interface

Technical writing

Understanding the users

Focus on instructional design

Explain how to do

Support the use of the product

Tasks of a usability engineer User goals/tasks analysis and profiling Competition analysis Product design and interface design Prototyping and evaluations Acceptance testing and evaluations Post release evaluations Consulting and training Consultancy

User goals/tasks analysis and profiling

Competition analysis

Product design and interface design

Prototyping and evaluations

Acceptance testing and evaluations

Post release evaluations

Consulting and training

Consultancy

Example profiles in usability

Profile:User researcher Typical background in psychology or cognitive sciences, communications. Conducts observations, focus groups and surveys. Defines general user profiles, goals, needs and expectations. Skills: research methods, reporting, presentation. Focuses on behavioral and general information about the users.

Typical background in psychology or cognitive sciences, communications.

Conducts observations, focus groups and surveys. Defines general user profiles, goals, needs and expectations.

Skills: research methods, reporting, presentation.

Profile: Information architect Focuses on information design and structuring. Typical background in technical communications, journalism. Defines content flow and structure. Skills: information analysis and chunking, mental models, interaction design.

Focuses on information design and structuring.

Typical background in technical communications, journalism.

Defines content flow and structure.

Skills: information analysis and chunking, mental models, interaction design.

Profile: Interface designer Focuses on the interaction design and the interface. Typical background in HCI, cognitive psychology, computer sciences. Defines interface interaction styles, elements, layouts. Skills: interaction elements, mental models, platform specific guidelines.

Typical background in HCI, cognitive psychology, computer sciences.

Defines interface interaction styles, elements, layouts.

Skills: interaction elements, mental models, platform specific guidelines.

Profile: Usability evaluator Focuses on evaluations of prototypes and interfaces. Typical background: cognitive psychology. Performes usability evaluations of the products, write reports and recommends improvements. Skills: evaluating methods, report writing, presentations.

Focuses on evaluations of prototypes and interfaces.

Typical background: cognitive psychology.

Performes usability evaluations of the products, write reports and recommends improvements.

Skills: evaluating methods, report writing, presentations.

Profile: Visual designer Focuses on graphic design and icons. Typical background: visual art, media and communications. Design visual elements, icons and layouts. Skills: graphic design, colors, human perception.

Focuses on graphic design and icons.

Typical background: visual art, media and communications.

Design visual elements, icons and layouts.

Skills: graphic design, colors, human perception.

Skills to learn

Skills to learn (1) Ergonomics and human behavior Cognitive sciences, human mental models User centered design process and general software development process Interaction theories, principles, guidelines Contextual analysis skills, usability evaluations, surveys, assessments Software tools

Ergonomics and human behavior

Cognitive sciences, human mental models

User centered design process and general software development process

Interaction theories, principles, guidelines

Contextual analysis skills, usability evaluations, surveys, assessments

Software tools

Skills to learn (2) Direct and indirect manipulation methods Menu selections, form filling, dialog boxes Interaction devices Presentation styles Integration of UI, online help, manuals Various guidelines: Windows, Motif, OS/2, Macintosh, Web

Direct and indirect manipulation methods

Menu selections, form filling, dialog boxes

Interaction devices

Presentation styles

Integration of UI, online help, manuals

Various guidelines: Windows, Motif, OS/2, Macintosh, Web

What do you need to know about technology More than a technical writer, but less than a programmer. Understand the concepts behind each technology Understand the behavior as related to the user interaction Understand the context of use – advantages and limitations

More than a technical writer, but less than a programmer.

Understand the concepts behind each technology

Understand the behavior as related to the user interaction

Understand the context of use – advantages and limitations

Steps in the Transition Get yourself a mentor Decide which usability area suits you the most Learn the necessary skills Try to apply skills in practice Prepare a new resume Go out and look for a new job

Get yourself a mentor

Decide which usability area suits you the most

Learn the necessary skills

Try to apply skills in practice

Prepare a new resume

Go out and look for a new job

Examples of tasks and process

Learning about your users Direct and indirect observations of users at workplace, home. Broad surveys with questionnaires. Working focus groups with users and other stakeholders. Brainstorming with users and developers about user needs, design, functionality.

Direct and indirect observations of users at workplace, home.

Broad surveys with questionnaires.

Working focus groups with users and other stakeholders.

Brainstorming with users and developers about user needs, design, functionality.

Analyzing and structuring the results Create user profiles/personas Write scenarios of use Create user/tasks matrix Identify objects and actions from scenarios Define behavior and attributes of the objects

Create user profiles/personas

Write scenarios of use

Create user/tasks matrix

Identify objects and actions from scenarios

Define behavior and attributes of the objects

Specifying the interface Write detailed use cases/user tasks instructions Prepare interaction diagrams Create first prototypes Test prototypes with the users Iteratively improve the prototypes

Write detailed use cases/user tasks instructions

Prepare interaction diagrams

Create first prototypes

Test prototypes with the users

Iteratively improve the prototypes

Usability evaluations Heuristic evaluation Cognitive and pluralistic walkthroughs Formal usability testing Reports writing and recommendations

Heuristic evaluation

Cognitive and pluralistic walkthroughs

Formal usability testing

Reports writing and recommendations

Consultancy work User research and behavior studies External usability evaluations Interface design Training and courses on usability Process and development consultancy

User research and behavior studies

External usability evaluations

Interface design

Training and courses on usability

Process and development consultancy

Recommended Links HCI Resources Network www.hcirn.com Keith Intone’s collection of topics on usability www.usableweb.com IBM's Human Factors web page. www.ibm.com/ibm/hci Good list of books about usability and design with descriptions. www.hcibb.org Jakob Nielsen's web site. www.useit.com A great site that explains multiple usability methods. www.best.com/~jthom/usability Interesting site that collects information about usability and discusses the latest trends in the field. www.usabilityfirst.com Bibliography of human-computer interaction publications and resources. www.hcibib.org Usability Professionals' Association web site. www.upassoc.org

Recommended Books and Articles Randolph G. Bias and Deborah J. Mayhew (Eds.) Cost-Justifying Usability . Boston: Academic Press, 1994. ISBN 0-12-095810-4. Joseph S. Dumas and Janice C. Redish. A Practical Guide to Usability Testing . Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-89391-991-8. JoAnn T. Hackos and Janice C. Redish. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design . New York: Wiley, 1998. ISBN 0-471-17831-4. Robert R. Johnson. User-Centered Technology: A Rhetorical Theory for Computers and Other Mundane Artifacts . New York: State University of New York Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7914-3932-1 (paperback). Donald A. Norman. The Psychology of Everyday Things . New York: Basic Books, 1988. ISBN 0-465-06709-3. Also published as The Design of Everyday Things, 1990, Doubleday ISBN 0-385-26774-6 (paperback). Jeffrey Rubin. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests . New York: Wiley, 1994. ISBN 0-471-59403-2. Barbara Mirel. Product, Process and Profit: The Politics of Usability in a Software Venture. ACM Journal of Computer Documentation, Volume 24, Number 4, (November 2000) Ben Schneiderman. Designing the User Interface. Addison Wesley, (1998).

Randolph G. Bias and Deborah J. Mayhew (Eds.) Cost-Justifying Usability . Boston: Academic Press, 1994. ISBN 0-12-095810-4.

Joseph S. Dumas and Janice C. Redish. A Practical Guide to Usability Testing . Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-89391-991-8.

JoAnn T. Hackos and Janice C. Redish. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design . New York: Wiley, 1998. ISBN 0-471-17831-4.

Robert R. Johnson. User-Centered Technology: A Rhetorical Theory for Computers and Other Mundane Artifacts . New York: State University of New York Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7914-3932-1 (paperback).

Donald A. Norman. The Psychology of Everyday Things . New York: Basic Books, 1988. ISBN 0-465-06709-3. Also published as The Design of Everyday Things, 1990, Doubleday ISBN 0-385-26774-6 (paperback).

Jeffrey Rubin. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests . New York: Wiley, 1994. ISBN 0-471-59403-2.

Barbara Mirel. Product, Process and Profit: The Politics of Usability in a Software Venture. ACM Journal of Computer Documentation, Volume 24, Number 4, (November 2000)

Ben Schneiderman. Designing the User Interface. Addison Wesley, (1998).

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