Usability in
people’s lives
World Usability
Day 2007
James Breeze,
Chief Experience Officer
and IT Psychologist

Unusable technology is boring

How much time do you waste?

That’s expensive

THAT COSTS!

Burying your head in the sand

What does that do to your business?

Brand?

Lost Opportunities

Access

Access

Let’s observe

Potential impact Result
Fatigue and inattention Increased errors in judgement
Increased chance of Costs $$
psychological problems
Behavioural changes Increased use of nicotine
Feelings of helplessness Inability to cope
frustration and powerlessness
Feeling unsafe Feelings of inadequacy - Not
able to do things right
Increased absenteeism, Increased self focus
tardiness and attrition
Increased verbal and physical
abuse
Decreased productivity and
performance

• 1 in 3 adults suffers from moderate to extreme stress.
• Increase of nearly 40% in just 4 years. (IBOS Survey 2004)
• Stress-related workers compensation claims have increased by 400% in
the last 10 years. (WorkCover June 04).
• Average claim costs, in NSW, were over $23,000 ea (WorkCover June 04)
• The total cost of Australian workplace stress, is now estimated to be $1.2
billion pa. (ACTU)
• Work-related stress accounts for the longest stretches of absenteeism.
(National Health and Safety Commission, July 04)
• The average NSW claimant, takes over 20 weeks off work, a year.
• WHO lists stress at work, as one of the top ten key determinants of poor
health

It’s the daily hassles, rather than major
life events, that are most stressful
(Kanner, 1981)

‘A field study identified twenty-two ways that
automated hospital systems can result in
the wrong medication being dispensed to
patients.’ Nielsen, 2005

And non-automated dispensing?

Car crash?

We can help!

Involve people in your projects

Be healthy, consider usability

www.objectivedigital.com
usableworld.com.au