Usability Engineering Processes and Open Source

Development

Hartti Suomela

Open Source Development

Briefly, from process point of viewSelf-guidingInformalismsMeritocracy“Release early, release often”“Scratching the personal itch”

What is Usability?

Not only UI, but…

Usability is…

The extent, to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.(ISO/IEC standard 9241-11)

Five attributes of Usability

Ease of learningEfficiency of useMemorabilityLow error rate and no catastrophic

errorsSubjective satisfaction

(Nielsen, 1993)

Usability Engineering

Methods, tools, processes to ensure usability in a product

Usability Engineering Methods

(UsabilityNet.org)

Usability Engineering Process

Plan theprocess

Meetsrequirements

Evaluatedesignsagainst

requirements

Producedesign

solutions

Specify user &organizationalrequirements

Specify thecontext of use

(ISO 13407)

Usability in Open Source

Traditionally. Not good. (Nichols & Twidale)Start with codingNo usability expertsLack of resourcesDeveloper <> End-userAdding functionality is more respected than

enhancing usabilityUsability problems are not simpleCode/Feature bloat & Power over simplicityPlaying catch-up to proprietary software

Problem Definition

Software engineering has its maturity models (CMMI, SPICE…)CMMI does not guarantee good usability

(Jokela & Lalli)Models not suited for Open Source

Usability engineering has own modelsCan OS projects use those practices?

Usability Maturity Model as a framework

Usability Maturity Model (UMM)

Contains processes (ISO/IEC 18529)1. Ensure Human-Centered Design / Usability

Engineering content in system strategy2. Plan and manage HCD process3. Specify stakeholder & org. reqs4. Specify context of use5. Produce design solutions6. Evaluate designs7. Introduce and operate system

Three Words for You

Start EarlyIterate

Process revisitedPlan theprocess

Meetsrequirements

Evaluatedesignsagainst

requirements

Producedesign

solutions

Specify user &organizationalrequirements

Specify thecontext of use

UMM Terminology 101

Processes (7)Base practices (44)Output work products (~90)

Standard takes no stand on methods used during the process

Ok. Let’s get to work.

UMM is too formal for OS

UMM in general and most of the UMM base practices are to formal to be directly useful in OS projects

Some notables

Informal counterparts (similar to Scacchi’s informalisms)

Threaded online discussions and e-mail lists

Involvement of corporationsRoles of usability professionals

A sample of Work Products

Work products in UMM Counterparts in OS projects

Stakeholder/User requirements specifications

Threaded discussions, e-mail archives

Organizational requirements specifications Threaded discussions, e-mail archives

Priorities for different requirements Informal ratings of usability informalisms on discussions/e-mail lists

Task information Threaded discussions, e-mail archives

User interaction specification Style guides, user interface guidelines

Dialogue detail Style guides, user interface guidelines

Look and feel Style guides, user interface guidelines

Usability and ergonomic defects Bug reports/database

Future work?

Compare OpenOffice.org and KOffice usability practicesOpenOffice has backing from SunKOffice does not have similar

corporate supportDoes this change usability practices

like suggested by Benson et al.?

Thank you!

Questions?