Institutionalization of Usability: A Step-By-Step Guide

Institutionalization of Usability provides a solid methodology for institutionalizing usability, guiding readers step by step with practical advice on topics like organizational change, milestones, toolsets, infrastructure, and staffing requirements needed to achieve fully mature usability engineering.

Abstract

argue the big advances in our impact on design and usability will come from better methods. Some argue they will come from earlier involvement in the development process. The biggest impact, however, will come as more and more companies realize the benefits of user-centered design and embrace it. Eric offers a practical road map to get there.-Arnie Lund, Director of Design and Usability, Microsoft CorporationThis book is a great how-to manual for people who want to bring the benefits of improved usability to their companies. It's thorough yet still accessible for the smart businessperson. I've been working with user-centered design for almost 20 years and I found myself circling tips and tricks.-Harley Manning, Research Director, Forrester ResearchThis book should be required reading for all executive champions of change. It does an excellent job in laying the foundation for incorporating usability engineering concepts and best practices into corporations. Business success in the new economy will greatly depend on instituting the changes in design methods and thinking that are so clearly and simply put forth in this very practical and useful book.-Ed Israelski, Program Manager-Human Factors, Abbott LaboratoriesFor those of us who have evangelized usability for so many years, we finally have a book that offers meaningful insights that can only come from years of practical experience in the real world. Here is a wonderful guide for all who wish to make usability a 'way of life' for their companies.-Felica Selenko, Principal Technical Staff Member, ATT this book builds on that foundation, and focuses instead on how to get usability recognized and incorporated into an organization's values and culture. Based on author Eric Schaffer's extensive experience, the book provides a solid methodology for institutionalizing usability, guiding readers step by step with practical advice on topics like organizational change, milestones, toolsets, infrastructure, and staffing requirements needed to achieve fully mature usability engineering.Learn how to: Educate your organization about the importance of usability Hire and coordinate usability staff and consultants Plan the standards, design, and implementation phases Retrofit a method that has added user-centered activities Recruit participants for usability interviews and testing Select the right staff and project to showcase-by timeline, user impact, and visibility Evangelize, train and mentor staff, and support the communityWhether you are an executive leading the institutionalization process, a manager supporting the transition, or an engineer working on usability issues, Institutionalization of Usability will help you to build usability into your software practices.