http://tc.eserver.org/publisher/System_Concepts A listing of works published by System Concepts 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/System_Concepts http://tc.eserver.org/26089.html http://tc.eserver.org/26089.html Over the last couple of years the electronic and IT industry have had to start seriously considering the accessibility of their products and services. This is due to recent developments regarding Federal legislation, specifically Section 508. This article provides an overview of the legislation and includes a case study showing how a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template is applied in practice. http://tc.eserver.org/26091.html http://tc.eserver.org/26091.html Focus groups are popular amongst marketing professionals for good reason. They are relatively quick to organise and the feedback is instantaneous. A wide range of views can be assembled from people from a wide range of backgrounds. When focus groups go well, the data can be extremely useful in identifying profitable design routes. Plus any technique that gets companies closer to their customers can't be all bad. http://tc.eserver.org/26086.html http://tc.eserver.org/26086.html Many organisations are confused and concerned about the latest requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), which came into effect on 1st October 2004. Failure to make reasonable adjustments may mean that organisations are discriminating against disabled people. Yet what does 'reasonable adjustments' mean and what exactly do organisations need to put in place? http://tc.eserver.org/26095.html http://tc.eserver.org/26095.html We often see investment in new working environments, expensive software and equipment wasted, because the real needs of the user and their tasks are not taken into account when the purchase or change is made. http://tc.eserver.org/26087.html http://tc.eserver.org/26087.html Nobody would deny that usability guidelines, applied in context by a usability professional, are extremely valuable in guiding a website evaluation. The problem occurs when non-professionals apply these guidelines out of context. This can result in an unimaginative site that looks bland and homogenous. To design usable sites that truly engage customers we need to replace simple guidelines with a customer-centred design process. http://tc.eserver.org/26094.html http://tc.eserver.org/26094.html One of the perennial criticisms of ergonomics consultants is that much of what we say is 'just common sense’. I do not see this as a criticism. Nowadays, there is far too little common sense evident in our daily lives. However, what critics really fail to understand is that what may seem obvious with hindsight was rarely that obvious beforehand. http://tc.eserver.org/26088.html http://tc.eserver.org/26088.html Large companies have a big appetite for off-the-shelf software. For years these companies have suffered the effects of poor software--reduced productivity, increased user support from help desks, increased training costs, increased user stress and frustration. Now they have decided to put this software under the microscope to see if it comes up to scratch. Andrea Caws puts on a lab coat and finds out more. http://tc.eserver.org/26093.html http://tc.eserver.org/26093.html If you are more than 95th percentile height or less than 5th percentile, we predict that some everyday objects do not always seem quite the right size for you. Just as you were able to compare your height with others in a given population, it is also possible to make such comparisons for other dimensions such as arm length, hand grip span, seated elbow height etc. Those whose build puts them towards the one extreme or the other will be familiar with the problems of using awkward sized objects. http://tc.eserver.org/26085.html http://tc.eserver.org/26085.html How valid is the assertion that 'attractive things work better'? This article explores the association, if any, between user's perceptions of usability and aesthetics for developed systems. http://tc.eserver.org/26090.html http://tc.eserver.org/26090.html User centred design is an approach that helps all members of a development team balance the needs of customers with the commercial objectives of the product. Properly executed, it guarantees commercial success for a product because customers are involved at every phase of the development. It also ensures business objectives are met and stops products from being over-engineered. http://tc.eserver.org/26092.html http://tc.eserver.org/26092.html Imagine you are positioning an emergency 'rip cord' on a train. How high up should you put it? Anthropometrics are used to describe the 'user' or 'target' population for a product. Answers are given in terms of the range of body dimensions which exist in that population.