Code Diagrams Enable 'Point-and-Click' Programming

Non-programmers could play a major part in developing complex computer programs, thanks to a new language developed by Sun Microsystems. Ace is based on Sun's successful Java language and provides software development tools that give a graphical representation of computer code. Manipulating the diagram on-screen automatically alters the underlying code. For example, moving a line connecting two boxes could change the point at which a piece of input data is entered into a program. 'Non-programmers can use Ace to build a skeleton of their application,' says Ali Sayed, a member of the Ace project team. 'But to make it completely working they [or a colleague] will have to write some minimal amount of code.' Ace should also let non-experts modify a program after its core components have been written.

Michigan Tech University (1998). Design>User Centered Design>Programming

Crossing the Chasm: Promoting Usability in the Software Development Community

User-centered design should be a core part of every software development effort yet, despite its well-documented paybacks, it has yet to be widely adopted. Too often, user-centered design remains the province of visionaries rather than the everyday practice of programmers and analysts. Despite a general consensus on a basic approach to user-centered design (UCD), there is little understanding of the process and how it fits into larger software development methodologies.

Quesenbery, Whitney. WQusability (2000). Articles>User Centered Design>Programming