Usable Information Technology

by Cecilia Katzeff

The purpose of the "Usable IT" project at SISU is to develop a research strategy for reducing the gap between research in human computer interaction (HCI) and the application of results from this field. A major hypothesis for the project is that fruitful research in HCI implies intimate cooperation between researchers and practitioners.

"Usable IT" is divided into four parts and has an emerging character. Phase one consists of a survey of usability in practice within Swedish industry. On the basis of results from this survey, a case study is formulated. This sub project will constitute a test for the suggested research strategy. During phase three, the case study is carried out by researchers and practitioners in cooperation, and during phase four it is evaluated.

The following major consequences from "Usable IT" are expected:

• An overview of how practitioners in Swedish industry carry out usability work on interactive systems
• an incorporation of research results in the company of the practitioner
• a report of research results to the HCI research community, and
• a research strategy for HCI-research fed back to the research community.

Companies who have formulated criteria for usability in the requirement specification have a higher score on the usability maturity scale than companies who have not. From this we conclude that companies in our survey have a potential to use user centered methods in their development of interactive systems, but they lack special skills in methods for user-centered system design.