Framework for integrating usability practices into the software process

Abstract

Software development organizations wanting to introduce usability practices into their defined software process have to undertake laborious efforts for that purpose, since, for the time being, there exists a lack of reference model or framework which indicates where and how in the software process usability needs to be considered. They also have to overcome the important differences between HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) and SE (Software Engineering) in terminology and approach to process definition. We offer developers who have the objective of integrating usability practices into their software process, a framework that characterizes 35 selected HCI techniques in relation to six relevant criteria from a SE viewpoint, and organizes them according to the kind of activities in the development process where they may be applied, and to the best moment of application in an iterative life cycle. The only requirement for the existing software process is to be based on an iterative approach. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.