Enhancing the usability of usability design tools: The case of information requirements specification

Abstract

In this paper we report the development of a tool for informationrequirements specification (IRS), designed to support the application ofa particular IRS methodology, the Sub-Goal Template scheme (Shepherd,1993; Shepherd and Ormerod, 1992), and the use of a notation embodiedwithin that methodology. First, an empirical study was conducted todetermine typical errors made by users of the IRS notation which wassubsequently re-designed to avoid these errors through the provision oftemplates. Second, the tasks involved in using the IRS methodology werearticulated in order to develop a process model for a computer-basedsupport tool. Finally, an evaluation of the usability of the tool showedthat it achieved the main aims of supporting both the nutation and themethodology. We argue that, in developing methods that address usabilityissues, the usability of design aids to support the methodologies shouldalso be subject to scrutiny.