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Hello World! - Experiencing Usability Methods without Usability Expertise
Uppsala Universitet. (IT/HCI)ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7662-9687
Uppsala Universitet.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2411-6417
Uppsala Universitet. (IT/HCI)
2009 (English)In: HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION - INTERACT 2009, PT II, PROCEEDINGS, Springer Berlin/Heidelberg, 2009, p. 550-565Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

How do you do usability work when no usability expertise is available? What happens in an organization when system developers, with no previous HCI knowledge, after a 3-day course, start applying usability methods, and particularly field studies? In order to answer these questions qualitative data were gathered through participatory observations, a feed back survey, field study documentation and interviews from 47 system developers from a public authority. Our results suggest that field studies enhance the developer's understanding of the user perspective, and provide a more holistic overview of the use situation, but that some developers were unable to interpret their observations and see solutions to the users' problems. The field study method was very much appreciated and has now become standard operating procedure within the organization. However, although field studies may be useful, it does not replace the need for usability pro fes sion als, as their knowledge is essential for more complex observations, analysis and for keeping the focus on usability.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Berlin/Heidelberg, 2009. p. 550-565
Series
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, ISSN 0302-9743
Keywords [en]
Field studies - ethnography - usability - user centered systems design - case study - public authority - sense making
National Category
Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-50727DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-03658-3_60ISI: 000270204900060Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-70349560446ISBN: 978-3-642-03657-6 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-50727DiVA, id: diva2:462570
Conference
12th IFIP International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Uppsala, SWEDEN. AUG 24-28, 2009
Note
QC 20111208Available from: 2011-12-07 Created: 2011-12-07 Last updated: 2022-06-24Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Making Sense of Usability: Organizational Change and Sensemaking when Introducing User-Centred Systems Design in Public Authorities
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Making Sense of Usability: Organizational Change and Sensemaking when Introducing User-Centred Systems Design in Public Authorities
2009 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Department of Information Technology: Uppsala universitet, 2009. p. 48
Series
IT licentiate theses, ISSN 1404-5117 ; 2009-002
National Category
Computer and Information Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-59917 (URN)
Note
QC 20120208Available from: 2012-02-08 Created: 2012-01-12 Last updated: 2022-06-24Bibliographically approved
2. Situated Reflexive Change: User-Centred Design in(to) Practice
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Situated Reflexive Change: User-Centred Design in(to) Practice
2013 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Technology used in the Swedish workplace is perceived to be controlling, gener- ally still difficult to use, and with a low degree of usability. Even though the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has been concerned with researching different ways of developing usable systems for at least half a century, there seem to be problems with the diffusion of the results into practice. One of the possible approaches to developing usable systems is user-centred design, and in this thesis I am concerned with the issue of introducing user-centred design and usability work in public authorities and institutions. I will present work done in two different research projects with a focus on change, where the aim has been to introduce or enhance usability work. Through a lens of social construction- ism and reflexivity I will explore the outcome of the projects and the implica- tions for the introduction of user-centred design in practice. Furthermore, I will explore whether the focus on the introduction of usability work might hinder the formation of a sustainable change in the organizations interested in devel- oping usable systems. The research question then becomes; can we introduce usability work in organizations?

The answer to this question is no. Instead, we need to change our perspective from introduction to situated reflexive change: focusing on sensemaking and a situated process of ongoing change, where the stakeholders in the organization themselves must play an active and responsible part. This entails a shift from dualism to duality and a reconsideration of what our usability methods can con- tribute with. Furthermore, I will explore possible approaches to working with situated reflexive change with tools that are familiar in the field of HCI, but with an expanded scope. In particular I will discuss field studies conducted by system developers as a tool for making sense of usability issues, personas as a tool for inducing reflexivity in and on practice, and usability coaching as a sensemaking tool for both organizational stakeholders and researchers in order to understand and reflect upon change.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2013. p. xviii, 72
Series
Trita-CSC-A, ISSN 1653-5723 ; 2012:18
Keywords
user-centred design, user-centred systems design, organizational change, sensemaking, reflexivity, practice
National Category
Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-116403 (URN)978-91-7501-610-8 (ISBN)
Public defence
2013-02-08, F3, Lindstedtsvägen 26, KTH, Stockholm, 14:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

QC 20130118

Available from: 2013-01-18 Created: 2013-01-18 Last updated: 2022-06-24Bibliographically approved

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Eriksson, ElinaGulliksen, Jan

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