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User-Centred Design of Systems

  • Textbook
  • © 1999

Overview

Authors:
  1. Jan Noyes

    1. Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Chris Baber

    1. School of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • There are an increasing number of courses in higher education that include a human factors component and this book fills a gap in core texts for the Computer Science/Engineering population
  • No such equivalent book exists
  • Focuses on the design of computer systems from the perspective of the human user
  • Includes practical examples of well-designed and poorly-designed computer systems

Part of the book series: Applied Computing (APPLCOMP)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
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  2. Defining Systems

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. What Is a System?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 3-15

    3. Who Will Use the System?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 17-36

    4. What Will the System Be Used For?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 37-53

    5. What Are the Main Components of the System?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 55-79

  3. Developing Systems

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81
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    2. How Will the System Be Designed?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 83-102

    3. How Well Do the Users Think the System Works?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 103-118

    4. How Well Does the System Really Work?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 119-134

    5. How Well Does the System Under Development Work?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 135-145

    6. Can the System Be Improved?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 147-164

  4. Deploying Systems

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 165-165
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    2. How Can the System Be Introduced Into a Workplace?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 167-184

    3. How Will the System Be Used in the Workplace?

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 185-194

    4. Bibliography

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 195-196

    5. References

      • Jan Noyes, Chris Baber
      Pages 197-217

  5. Back Matter

    Pages 219-222
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Keywords

About this book

System design has conventionally been the province of engineers, and the approaches taken to the design of systems have conventionally led to formal specification of the system. The past decade or two has seen the rise of another approach, that of human-computer interaction (HCI). Given the number of incidents and accidents which are attributed to 'human error', it is sensible to develop an approach to system design which views humans as an essential element in the system. Thus, an important aspect of designing systems is the study of the interaction between humans and the technology that they use. In terms of bringing computers and computing to a wide audience, the 1980s were the boom years. The first personal computer (PC) was launched onto the market in February 1978, and since then, PCs have become a common-place feature of our homes, offices, schools, retail outlets, hospitals, banks, etc. Within Western society today, there are very few organisations that have not been infiltrated by computer technology, and few individuals who have not had experience of computers. However, the increase in use of computers has not been matched with a corresponding spread of training of users; much of the human-computer interaction research has sought to design systems which do not require special training, i. e. which people can simply walk up to and use. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in a number of difficulties; some of which have yet to be satisfactorily resolved.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    Jan Noyes

  • School of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

    Chris Baber

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