This paper documents the role of human factors engineers in some aspects of a development project for a large software product used in a complex operational environment. The process by which the user interfaces for several products were converged into a single one is described. Techniques for evaluating the user interface in this complex environment are discussed. The process involved preliminary testing to document problems, subsequent design and development activity, and verification testing to document improvements and remaining problems.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BeithB.H.MooreG.C.PendleyW.L.PercivalL.C. (1986). Users of Data Communication Software, IBM Corporation, P.O. Box 12195, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
2.
GottschalkK.D. (1986). The system usability process for network management products. IBM Systems Journal, 25, 83–91.
3.
NoonanT.K.PercivalL.C. (1987). I'll break something and you tell me what went wrong. In MarkL.S.WarmJ.S.HustonR.L. (Eds.) Ergonomics and Human Factors: Recent Research (pp. 230–234). New York: Springer-Verlag.
4.
PercivalL.C. (1987). The systems usability process in the development and evaluation of data communication and network management software. Recent Advances and Trends in Data Communications Networks: Seminar Proceedings, New York: IEEE Communications Society - New York Section.
5.
PercivalL.C.BeithB.H.PendleyW.L. (1986). Users of data communication software. In Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 30th Annual Meeting (pp. 819–823). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
6.
PercivalL.C.JohnsonS.K. (1986). Network management software usability test design and implementation. IBM Systems Journal, 25, 92–104.