http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/User-Centered-Design/Methods/Usability A listing of the most recently indexed works about Articles and User Centered Design and Methods and Usability in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/User-Centered-Design/Methods/Usability http://tc.eserver.org/32356.html http://tc.eserver.org/32356.html Usability practice needs a procedure to identify, record, count, and highlight tool switch events for study. This paper describes one that supports the trained observers on which User-Centered Design relies to detect problems and causes, and evaluate design changes. http://tc.eserver.org/24570.html http://tc.eserver.org/24570.html Technical communicators have recently become interested in user-centered design (UCD) for designing and evaluating technical genres. Yet, a critical examination of the field methods of UCD suggests that they suffer from unintegrated scope: an undesirably limiting focus on a particular level of scope (either the macroscopic level of human activity or the mesoscopic level of goal-directed action) in their theoretical underpinnings and data collection and analysis. This focus is often paired with the assumption that this particular level of scope causally affects what happens at the other levels. Both the focus and the assumption are at odds with sociocultural theories of human activity. This article lays out the problem of unintegrated scope and examines it through critical analyses of two field methods used in UCD research. It concludes by proposing an integrated-scope research methodology for UCD research, with roots in both sociocultural theory and the central issues of technical communication. http://tc.eserver.org/23509.html http://tc.eserver.org/23509.html When it comes to usability testing, the field of anthropology is offering new insight into effective research methodologies.  Ethnography is a form of research that anthropologists developed to observe how people behave in their own environments — and it's catching on in product development. http://tc.eserver.org/21029.html http://tc.eserver.org/21029.html Describes how technical communicators can use field research--observing people in their workplaces, homes, and schools--to gain a better understanding of user behavior. http://tc.eserver.org/20928.html http://tc.eserver.org/20928.html For those who are interested in usability – whether long-time advocates or newly introduced – this is a good time to introduce a user-centered design process. http://tc.eserver.org/20297.html http://tc.eserver.org/20297.html When it comes to learning about your users, a plethora of methods await you. But which one is best for your situation? The answer depends on many factors, including the kind of information you hope to discover, the time and budget you have available, and your access to users. http://tc.eserver.org/19748.html http://tc.eserver.org/19748.html The most valuable asset of a successful design team is the information they have about their users. When teams have the right information, the job of designing a powerful, intuitive, easy-to-use interface becomes tremendously easier. When they don't, every little design decision becomes a struggle. While techniques, such as focus groups, usability tests, and surveys, can lead to valuable insights, the most powerful tool in the toolbox is the 'field study'. Field studies get the team immersed in the environment of their users and allow them to observe critical details for which there is no other way of discovering.