Books

The Usability Engineering Lifecycle: A Practitioner's Handbook for User Interface Design (Interactive Technologies)

Average customer rating:

Excellent book
Is it just me???
My Bible
A pratical process with material ; can be integrated in UP
Must buy for human computer engineers

The Usability Engineering Lifecycle: A Practitioner's Handbook for User Interface Design (Interactive Technologies)
Deborah J. Mayhew
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) (Interactive Technologies)
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces (Interactive Technologies)
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
The Design of Everyday Things

ASIN: 1558605614

Book Description

A commitment to usability in user interface design and development offers enormous benefits, including greater user productivity, more competitive products, lower support costs, and a more efficient development process. But what does it mean to be committed to usability? Inside, a twenty-year expert answers this question in full, presenting the techniques of Usability Engineering as a series of product lifecycle tasks that result directly in easier-to-learn, easier-to-use software.
You'll learn to perform a complete requirements analysis and then incorporate the resulting goals and constraints in a highly structured, iterative design and development process. This process doesn't end with installation but instead begins anew with the collection of user feedback that will guide further development. Also covered are organizational issues related to the implementation of Usability Engineering, including cost justification, project planning, and organizational structures.

* Unites all current UE techniques in a single, authoritative resource, presenting a coherent lifecycle process in which each clearly defined task leads directly the next.
* Teaches concrete, immediately usable skills to practitioners in all kinds of product development organizations-from internal departments to commercial developers to consultants.
* Contains examples of actual software development projects and the ways in which they have benefited from Usability Engineering.
* Deals in specifics, not generalities-provides detailed templates and instructions for every phase of the Usability Engineering lifecycle.
* Pays special attention to Web site development and explains how Usability Engineering principles can be applied to the development of any interactive product.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book.......2006-03-06

This book is very well written, content-rich and provides a plethora of examples that I can use on the job immediately. What more can a software developer ask for? I would give it 10 stars if the option was available.

Is it just me???.......2005-07-20

Or do other people think there is a need for creativity in user interface design? This book, while very helpful in providing a set of procedures to follow when evaluating users and their particular needs, leaves out the very important concept of the ART of user interface design. I see plenty of recommends for Tufte's trilogy of user oriented design books and for the book "Don't Make Me Think". These books are much more readable, and none of them are nearly so formulaic in their approach to user interface design.

Another problem I have with this book, and with many other computer books, is the size. Why does it take so much to say so little? Is there an editor in the house? There is definitely some good content in this book. I happens to be buried in a mountain of text.

My Bible.......2001-12-28

I have never written a review before, but I am so impressed with this book - it is indispensable. I particularly like the way the information is presented - very readable. Also valuable are the sections that address shortcuts and alternatives for applying techniques in the real world. I often am called to get involved during and after development and have to adapt "perfect world" techniques into very short cycles. This is a must have for people in our profession.

A pratical process with material ; can be integrated in UP.......2000-06-24

This book is great ! Really ! I pratice OO development especially following RUP. This book describe a full Usability process, with activities, guidelines, workload estimation and artifacts. You can directly put it at work, because you naturally see why an activity leads to another. All the book is good, even if it seems heavy (500+ pp), there is no waste of space. As a RUP practitioner, it's very easy to integrate this approach into the RUP and it naturally fits with Use Cases. Believe me: get it !

Must buy for human computer engineers.......2000-01-17

This book gives concrete data on the "how-to" of usability engineering and realistic data regarding the *selling process* of these concepts to management. Additionally, it can function as a "how-to" handbook with its many examples. To name a few, the examples include: pre-evaluation, evaluation and post-evaluation questionnaries, data collection sheets and data analysis and report sheets.

The book has a fantastic index for quick reference and is organized well.

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics

Average customer rating:

Seminal Work on Human Factors
My most valuable book
Ergo Buster

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Human Factors In Engineering and Design
Engineering Psychology and Human Performance (3rd Edition)
Human Factors Design Handbook
The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design
Human Factors Methods: A Practical Guide for Engineering And Design

ASIN: 0471449172

Book Description

The completely revised edition of the leading reference on human factors and ergonomics

The field of human factors and ergonomics has developed and broadened considerably since its inception more than sixty years ago, and no single book has done more to help proliferate its importance than the Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics.

Winner of the Institute of Industrial Engineers Joint Publishers Book-of-the-Year Award, this thoroughly revised Third Edition of Gavriel Salvendy's seminal work compiles the research of 109 of the world's top thinkers and practitioners in one volume. All new chapters feature theoretically based and practically oriented material-supported by numerous case studies, examples, figures, and tables-to be useful to both practitioners and researchers.

A value-packed read for all human factors and ergonomics specialists, engineers, industrial hygienists, safety engineers, and human-computer interaction (HCI) specialists, this Third Edition covers such new topics as:
* Cultural ergonomics
* Virtual environments
* Human factors and information security
* Usability evaluation and testing
* Design of e-business Web sites
* Augmented cognition in HCI
* Design for those with disabilities
* Design for children
* Human factors and ergonomics standards
* Human factors and ergonomics in transportation
* And much more!

Customer Reviews:

Seminal Work on Human Factors.......2006-05-24

"Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics" is an excellent seminal work on human factors and ergonomics. It is a well researched and well written book on the subject, well illustrated with case studies, examples, tables and figures.

The book has a comprehensive coverage of the subject and covers a wide range of subjects and applications which makes it an indispensable part of the library for human factor and ergonomics practitioners, safety managers and auditors, engineers and other specialists. This weighty tome is worth the price and should not intimidate the reader.

My most valuable book.......2002-11-14

Pardon the cliche but if you're only going to buy one 'hand' book (it's more like a phone book), this is the one you should get. It covers conventional physical ergonomics, as well as every other significant genre in the field.
When I'm stuck for a quality resource, I find what I need here. Ouch! I'm still paying for it though.

Ergo Buster.......2000-06-19

A definate must for the Ergo student! The book has excellent describtive definitions and is an eye opener to the world of work. It focus on a diffirent perspective on the qaulity of worklife.

Handbook of Aviation Human Factors (Human Factors in Transportation Series)

Average customer rating:

The good, the bad and the ugly
Longwinded And Poorly Organized

Handbook of Aviation Human Factors (Human Factors in Transportation Series)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Introduction to Aircraft Design (Cambridge Aerospace Series)
General Aviation Marketing and Management
Air Transportation: A Management Perspective
Understanding Space
Human Factors in Multi-Crew Flight Operations

ASIN: 0805816801

Book Description

This is the definitive handbook on Aviation Human Factors.

Customer Reviews:

The good, the bad and the ugly.......2006-12-29

One problem with the book is that, while it has a 1999 publication date, the great majority of the articles were written about 1993-1995. This fact made the book about 6 years out-of-date as soon as it was published...and, in the aviation HF arena of the late 1990's-early 2000's, this is a crucial flaw. Why? Besides the obvious, this period in aviation HF was one of both great strides and great re-considerations/re-evaluations of previously accepted aviation HF dogmas. As one example, CRM which had been heavily promoted for 20+ years by FAA and the airline industry as the silver bullet in human error accident/incident reduction was finally scrutinized and found wanting as to lack of evalative methods, among other flaws, and replaced by risk assessment/management, while as reinforcing the command/leadership role of the pilot.
The book is not so much poorly organized as lacking a overarching and integrative rationale for the topic areas.
The good? There is a new edition in the works and, if the publishers do not waste another 5 years getting it to the public, it will be up-to-date. However, I believe that it will use, basically, many of the same topics/authors, simply up-dated. One good thing is that the chapter on Civil Aviation Security will be 90% new, because of 9/11 and what has happened since.

Longwinded And Poorly Organized.......2005-05-29

I used this book in a graduate Human Factors course, and while I disliked it at first, I slowly grew to hate it. I give it two stars because it does, on occasion, contain good information, but more often than not is disjointed, poorly organized, and unfocused.

The book is essentially a collection of academic papers related to Human Factors in aviation (some are moderately tangential to the subject matter at hand), and as such it is really better suited for use as a reference book than as a text. It is further limited as a text by virtue of the fact that because most of the articles are extremely specialized, giant chunks of Human Factors considerations are left totally unaddressed.

I particularly disliked the contribution from Daniel E. Maurino, entitled "Crew Resource Management: A Time For Reflection." There are much better resources available on CRM (and now Threat and Error Management as well.) On the other end of the quality spectrum, the article by Giovanni Costa titled "Fatigue and Biological Rhythms" is an excellent account of the effects of fatigue on human performance, and emphasizes the importance of circadian desynchronosis in aviation safety. Most of the articles range between these two in quality, but these two stand out for me as the defining ends of the spectrum.

This book is valuable as a reference tool and for some very specialized pieces of knowledge. It is unsuitable for a survey course in Human Factors at any level, and an attempt to read it as a text is torturous at best. Combine the unsuitability as a text with the usurious price of $145.00 and this is one of the worst values around.

Web Application Design Handbook: Best Practices for Web-Based Software (Interactive Technologies)

Average customer rating:

Complete waste of money for me
Very Disappointed - Design or Development?
Nice and Solid GUI Design Handbook
Good Reference for Application Design
Web Application Design Handbook

Web Application Design Handbook: Best Practices for Web-Based Software (Interactive Technologies)
Susan Fowler , and Victor Stanwick
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
Defensive Design for the Web: How to improve error messages, help, forms, and other crisis points (VOICES)
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
Web Application Architecture: Principles, Protocols and Practices

ASIN: 1558607528

Book Description

"Susan and Victor have written the 'Junior Woodchucks Guidebook' of Web applications: Everything you need to know is in there, including tons of best-practice examples, insights from years of experience, and assorted fascinating arcana. If you're writing a Web application, you'd be foolish not to have a copy."
--Steve Krug, author of Don't Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

"Web sites are so nineties. The cutting edge of Web-design has moved to Web applications. If you are, like many Web designers, struggling to create dynamic, highly-functional Web-based applications, you need this book. It describes how Web applications differ from Web sites, and provides excellent guidance for common Web-application design problems, such as navigation, data input, search, reports, forms, and interactive graphic output."
--Jeff Johnson, Principal Usability Consultant, UI Wizards, Inc., and author of Web Bloopers and GUI Bloopers

"User interface designers have been debating among themselves for years about how to design effective Web applications. There were no comprehensive references that covered the myriad topics that emerged in these debates until Fowler and Stanwick took on the challenge and wrote Web Application Design Handbook, the first comprehensive guide to building Web applications. This book tackles design problems faced by every Web development team with uncommon wisdom, clear prose, and detailed examples. Key topics include: modifying the browser interface to meet application security and efficiency requirements, searching, sorting, filtering, building efficient and usable data input mechanisms, generating reports, preventing errors, and using creative visualization techniques to optimize the display of large sets of data. This thorough work should be a primary reference for everyone designing Web applications."
--Chauncey E. Wilson, Principal HCI Architect, WilDesign Consulting

"Every so often you run into a book and say to yourself: 'It's so obvious that this book should be read by every developer, so why wasn't it written years ago?' This is one of those books."
--Scott Ambler, author of The Object Primer: Agile Model Driven Development with UML 2

The standards for usability and interaction design for Web sites and software are well known. While not everyone uses those standards, or uses them correctly, there is a large body of knowledge, best practice, and proven results in those fields, and a good education system for teaching professionals "how to." For the newer field of Web application design, however, designers are forced to reuse the old rules on a new platform. This book provides a roadmap that will allow readers to put complete working applications on the Web, display the results of a process that is running elsewhere, and update a database on a remote server using an Internet rather than a network connection.

Web Application Design Handbook describes the essential widgets and development tools that will the lead to the right design solutions for your Web application. Written by designers who have made significant contributions to Web-based application design, it delivers a thorough treatment of the subject for many different kinds of applications, and provides quick reference for designers looking for some fast design solutions and opportunities to enhance the Web application experience. This book adds flavor to the standard Web design genre by juxtaposing Web design with programming for the Web and covers design solutions and concepts, such as intelligent generalization, to help software teams successfully switch from one interface to another.

* The first interaction design book that focuses exclusively on Web applications.
* Full-color figures throughout the book.
* Serves as a "cheat sheet" or "fake book" for designers: a handy reference for standards, rules of thumb, and tricks of the trade.
* Applicable to new Web-based applications and for porting existing desktop applications to Web browsers.

Download Description

The standards for usability and interaction design for web sites and software are well known. While not everyone uses those standards, or uses them correctly, there is a large body of knowledge, best practice, and proven results in those two large fields, and a good education system for teaching professionals "how to." For the relatively new field of web application design, however, many designers reuse the old rules in a new platform: no new best practices yet exist. This book, written by designers with a significant contribution to web-based application design, delivers a thorough treatment of the subject for many different kinds of applications, plus a quick reference for designers looking for some fast design solutions and opportunities to enhance the web application experience.

Customer Reviews:

Complete waste of money for me.......2007-06-12

If you are looking something technological like I was or even theories, this isn't the book. And usually I think the pictures and examples are a good thing, but in this book it seemed that they were there to fill space. Can't recommend. But then again, it might be just because I misunderstood what the book was about and expected something more concrete.

Very Disappointed - Design or Development?.......2007-02-10

I bought this book because Krug's book (Don't Make Me Think) recommended it and because my main concern was web-based business applications not public web sites.

I was extremely disappointed by Web Application Design Handbook:
1) It doesn't say much more than what any Windows developer has known
for the past 10 years
2) It is full of discussions about software DEVELOPMENT but it is
supposed to be a DESIGN book
3) It is supposed to be a book about WEB design but half of it is
about reports, graphs, diagrams, and maps

The first half of the book concentrates on what was advertised: design/usability of web-based applications. But it doesn't offer many new ideas. Most of the recommendations are well-known to Windows developers. It doesn't give enough attention to what's different about web-based applications.

The amount of useful, thought-provoking information in this book that could help a Windows developer create better web-based applications is no more than 50 pages. Not very good for a book of 600 pages.

The book does not inspire confidence that the recommendations are based on real usability testing. There's a lot of conventional wisdom followed by a lot of suggestions to figure it out yourself with your own usability tests.

The book has a maddening tendency to slip into development issues. Why on earth are there JavaScript code examples in a design book???!!! Why are there discussions about the impact of client vs server-side code on network bandwidth? Not only are these discussions distracting, they are also full of half-truths, oversimplifications, obsolete information, and some outright mistakes.

Almost 2/3 of the book is about topics that are beyond the scope of web application design (ok they're at least straining the limits): reports, graphs, diagrams, maps. That material would be handled better in a separate book, dedicated to those topics. As it is, most of the book is irrelevant to my needs.

If you are concerned with usability/GUI design of web sites or web applications forget this book and get Krug's Don't Make Me Think instead.

Nice and Solid GUI Design Handbook.......2006-04-26

This book helped me a lot as in my day-to day work. I used it as powerful guide for the construction of the "nice and pleasant" presentation layer for our applications. Our customers were happy - and it is the best feedback somebody can give.

I would definitely recommend this book to the wide range of Software Designers, Developers and Managers. Profession GUI always makes a difference!

Good Reference for Application Design.......2005-11-02

As a technical writer in the computer industry, I can only say that I wish every application engineer would have this book on their shelf so that, inbetween downloading music, videotaping the next cubicle and creating web applications, every once in awhile they could take it down, read a few pages and learn to design better programs. The usability of a web application can make or break a rollout and when it's a badly designed system, it can confuse hundreds of people, require separate training, and just plain waste money. Perhaps managers of web application efforts should get this as a "gift" for their designers.

Web Application Design Handbook .......2005-10-12

It has been stated that the majority of people creating maps today have little in the way of formal cartographic education or background. If this statement is true, then this is the ideal reference book for developers assigned the task of building web-based mapping applications.

Although the Web Application Design Handbook is much more than a guide for developing interactive maps, its chapters on mapping will be especially helpful to developers who need to understand when to use geographic maps and how best to accomplish that. Beginning with basic map design concepts such as data formats, appropriate use of colour, scale, projection and dealing with map error; the authors then give the reader something further to consider while looking at the various uses of spatial statistics and discussing data classification and geographic distribution methods. This section then concludes with examples of various types of maps and how each can be used, which if nothing else, should serve to get a developer's creative juices flowing.

Overall this should be an excellent reference for anyone designing and developing web-based applications, and as such, developers would be well advised to make sure they always have their own personal copy handy.

The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies, and Emerging Applications (Human Factors and Ergonomics)

Average customer rating:

The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies, and Emerging Applications (Human Factors and Ergonomics)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Human Factors Methods: A Practical Guide for Engineering And Design
Social, Ethical and Policy Implications of Information Technology
Writing for Computer Science
Computer Ethics (3rd Edition)
Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) (Interactive Technologies)

ASIN: 0805844686

Book Description

The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies, and Emerging Applications is a comprehensive survey of this fast-paced field that is of interest to all HCI practitioners, educators, consultants, and researchers. This includes computer scientists; industrial, electrical, and computer engineers; cognitive scientists; experimental psychologists; human factors professionals; interface and systems designers; product managers; and executives working with product development.

This new Handbook offers a comprehensive compendium of foundational principles, as well as the most recent advances in conceptualizing, designing, and evaluating computing technologies. It spans a variety of traditional and non-traditional platforms, including desktop and mobile computing, networked and virtual environments, and information appliances. In addition, the volume offers thorough coverage of interaction issues concerning diverse users, including men; women; children; the elderly; and those with cognitive, physical, and perceptual impairments. Another unique feature of this new Handbook is that HCI is presented in the context of special application domains, such as e-commerce, telecommunication, government, health care, educational software, entertainment, games, motor vehicles, and aerospace.

In this volume, an unprecedented number of top experts in the field of HCI share their expertise, experience, and insight regarding research, technological advancements, and specific methodologies in the field of human-computer interaction.

The Call Center Handbook: The Complete Guide to Starting, Running, and Improving Your Call Center (Call Center Handbook)

Average customer rating:

A Classroom In A Book
THE CALL CENTER: SELF-SERVICE OR SELF DELUSION?
you don't learn anything
Illuminating Read!
A good general guide

The Call Center Handbook: The Complete Guide to Starting, Running, and Improving Your Call Center (Call Center Handbook)
Keith Dawson
Manufacturer: CMP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Executive Guide to Call Center Metrics
Call Centers For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
A Practical Guide to Call Center Technology
Call Center Operation: Design, Operation and Maintenance
How to Become a GREAT Call Center Manager

ASIN: 1578203058

Book Description

Need to know how to buy a phone switch for your call center? How to measure the productivity of agents? How to choose from two cities that both want your center? No problem. The Call Center Handbook is a complete guide to starting, running, and im

Establish and operate an efficient call center with this authoritative guide that covers everything from choosing the best site and buying the right equipment to managing agents, monitoring productivity, and enhancing customer relationships.

Customer Reviews:

A Classroom In A Book.......2006-05-29

The way Keith Dawson handles the materials is well-written and concise. He does not waste much time going into more than just a couple real-world applications for the technologies he is explaining, but he does set your mind spinning about how they can be used to suit your needs. The information on VoIP and IP Telephony are a little dated and an updated edition would obviously expand a lot on those technologies (which were just emerging when the book was written but have become very popular in the industry now). Not only does he discuss what technologies are available (like AVR, IP-PBX, Recording, Call Queuing, etc.), he goes into a brief discription of the more traditional PBX system, if only to point out their flaws compared to today's newer technology but not failing to point out their merits as well. A good book for someone who is just beginning to integrate themselves in the field and the tech.

THE CALL CENTER: SELF-SERVICE OR SELF DELUSION?.......2005-07-31

Chances are that you already have this book in your IT library. But, you probably don't have the 5th edition of the book. Author Keith Dawson has done an outstanding job of presenting the complete guide to starting, running and improving your call center.

Dawson begins by showing you his Six-Stage Model of Call Center Development, which is has to do with the way the call center interacts with the rest of the company. Next, the author discusses how you are going to have to find a place or location for your call center. Then, he covers some of the important factors that go into a call center successful design. Dawson next discusses how you have to be very careful in choosing the toll free and long distance services for your call center, because they will be very expensive. Next, the author also covers the automatic call distributor, which routes calls and manages information with respect to those calls. Then, he examines predictive dialing systems, which automate the entire outdialing process, with the computer choosing the person to be called and dialing the number. In addition, Dawson then examines the pros and cons of computer telephone integration. Next, the author looks at interactive voice response, which always captures information in an accurate manner. Then, he researches speech recognition system technology as an autoselector tool for the call center. Dawson continues on by exploring the Web as a tool to automate all of the call center functions without human interaction. Next, the author discusses some of the interesting new tools available, including CRM and the new theories of multichannel access for customer contact. Then, he gives some very serious thought about putting a video in your call center. Dawson then discusses that the best way to route a call to the agent most capable of handling that specific call, is routing based on an agent's skill or combination of skills, like language, training, experience, or any mix of those and other factors. Then, the author explains the importance of customer relationship management (CRM). Next, he shows you why order processing systems give you power over your inventory and pricing. Dawson next reminds you why display boards and readerboards are a stable versatile technology, and an inexpensive way to quickly improve call center performance. The author also explains why headsets are a key ingredient in every call center. Next, he discusses the on-hold messaging queue. Dawson also explains the importance of workforce management software, and how it is the art and science of having the right number of agents at the right times, in their seats, to answer an accurately forecasted volume of incoming calls at the service level you desire. Then, the author continues on by explaining why monitoring is a critical part of the process of teaching anew rep how to deal with customers, how to handle difficult situations, even simply how to follow a script and read a screen full of complex information. Finally, he goes into how to make call center careers meaningful.

With the preceding in mind, the author has done an excellent job of making you, the reader, understand the value of surefire ways to motivate your reps; realize the value on the front line; outsourcing; disaster and contingency planning; and, telecommuting agents. At the end of the day, you'll know whether the call center is self-service or self-delusion.

you don't learn anything.......2002-04-25

Buy it only if you are a beginner.

Illuminating Read!.......2001-08-30

This is a definite Must Read for any Call Center professional! All those questions about what system/technology does what and how are answered in one fact-based publication. If you want to avoid the headache of time-consuming hunts through web-sites and talking with marketing reps to learn which product works best for your company, this book is for you. If you are looking for a bubble-gum view of call center management, don't read this book because you just might learn the truth! By the way, get a Call Center Magazine subscription to continue the information flow started by reading this book.

A good general guide.......2000-11-28

This is a good book to people who want to have an overview at a glance about call centers features and problems. But, according to new economy habits, it is not a technological issue. So, if many points are discussed, such as human resources, real estate, organisation, hardware and products, none of them is focused in a detailed way. It is surely a very good introduction to people starting a new job in call centers environments, but do not expect too much by readin it.

Web Site Usability Handbook (Internet Series)

Average customer rating:

More Formal, more Academic than the First Edition
The Ultimate Usability Engineering Primer
Academic in the worst sense.
very easy read
Very easy read

Web Site Usability Handbook (Internet Series)
Mark Pearrow
Manufacturer: Charles River Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Prioritizing Web Usability (VOICES)
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
Web Site Usability (Interactive Technologies)
Shaping Web Usability: Interaction Design in Context
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites

ASIN: 1584504692

Amazon.com

The Web Site Usability Handbook is for individuals who evaluate and improve the usability of Web sites. It does not, as the title might imply, specifically show Web developers how to make their sites more usable.

The book explores the growing field of Web usability, with equal emphasis on theory and practicality, and focuses primarily on measuring usability accurately and applying it to formal and informal testing. The concept of a usability toolbox--a collection of tools and techniques--is presented, along with sound reasoning for the use of each component. The tools vary from index-card sorting to heuristic evaluation to focus groups. There is some fascinating material also about the human factors of usability, such as the mechanics of vision and the idiosyncrasies of human memory.

A chapter that's devoted to design guidelines includes some concrete suggestions, such as "don't overuse emphasis" and "make printer-friendly pages." This chapter contains no revolutionary ideas; instead, it's a helpful list of pointers that are worth revisiting from time to time. More elemental are the 10 usability heuristics that are presented in the next chapter and that were developed originally by usability guru Jakob Nielsen. These high-level concepts demand careful consideration, but can produce impressive results.

The Web Site Usability Handbook presents the framework for a usability lab complete with video observation, and shows how to conduct objective usability testing. Many organizations skip the potentially critical development step of usability analysis; however, if yours wants to be more forward-looking in Web strategy, this is a good guide for getting it started in usability. --Stephen W Plain

Topics covered:

User-centered design
Usability tools
Human-factors psychology
Sensation and perception
Design guidelines
Heuristic evaluation
Usability lab setup
Usability testing
Web accessibility
Usability statistic analysis

Book Description

Since the fi rst edition of the Web Site Usability Handbook was published in 2000 there have been numerous changes in the technology world. After the Dot-Com bubble burst, corporate training and education budgets were cut severely and investment in new technology businesses slowed down. But today things have turned around again and behind the scenes at technology companies, usability specialists are still quietly working to make the electronic world easier to manage. This second edition provides the new insights and guidance needed to help make usability an effective and enjoyable journey. Every word from the fi rst edition of this book has been revised, or at least heavily reconsidered; and in many cases, whole sections have been removed or rewritten entirely, while other sections are completely new to this edition. The casual and conversational tone of the fi rst edition has also changed because the current wave of usability specialists embodies a much higher degree of training and knowledge of basic science. The goals of the book, however, have not changed: to train those concerned with usability how to understand it as one piece of the large technology puzzle that is affecting and shaping the human and natural worlds. Usability is an art and a science, but it is also an obligation we have to society. Accessibility and usability form the foundation of human-enabling technology; that is, technology that serves us, rather than technology that we serve. Everything from understanding the human factors of design and how to generate user-centered designs to accessibility, usability metrics, heuristic evaluation, and testing are detailed. Whether you are a usability professional seeking methods for transforming data into change or a web designer seeking guidance for making your sites easier to navigate, you?ll fi nd information and practical tools you can apply to your own sites today.

Customer Reviews:

More Formal, more Academic than the First Edition.......2007-03-09

The concept of what should go into a web site is constantly changing. Therre was a time not too many years ago when every site had to open with a long Flash sequence just to show you that the developer knew Flash. This soon changed as site developers learned that visitors came there for information and were not usually in the mood to watch a cartoon or type flying across the screen. Now the big sites seem to have gone away from all but a little bit of Flash.

This is just one example of things being done to make the web more usable. This book talks about making web sites more usable. It is not a checklist or simple cookbook of things to do. Instead it is a text on the overall concepts that you can use to put together a study to determine the usability of your site. Indeed it has enough information for you to become an expert working in this area as a consultant or corporate employee.

This is the second edition of this book, the main differences are that it is brought up to date, and is written in a much more serious tone as the whole concept of web usability has become more professional.

The Ultimate Usability Engineering Primer.......2006-03-07

I have read and re-read this book until the cover is nearly worn out. I originally used it to get up to speed on what web site usability means to me as a User Interface designer and Information Architect. I more recently re-read it to prepare a presentation on Usability Engineering. Unlike many fluffy "design concepts" or "best practices illustrated" manuals, Mark's book goes into detail on "how to" evaluate web sites for potential usability problems. It goes into more depth (and yet is easier to comprehend) than most other texts I have read on the subject of web site / web application usability. After re-reading it for 1.5 hours I was able to put together an effective outline for my usability engineering presentation; the outline contained over 15 3" x 5" note cards distilling the essence of good usability practices into a series of audience understandable bullet points, and was successful in landing me the opportunity I was seeking with a very demanding client. I have also used it in the past to spec out the equipment, roles, staff, and monies needed to put together an effective usability testing center. Regardless of whether your needs be instructional or professional, this is the Usability primer for you!

Academic in the worst sense........2001-07-30

The author states that the book was created as a text for his class and it certainly reads like a textbook. For a book that is about usability, the text is almost unreadably tedious at times. (e.g. "...the first step toward Web site usability is to figure out the main goals of your Web site. For labeling purposes we will call these 'goals of the purpose.'") Each of the points in the book is better made and illustrated in other texts (Krug - "Don't Make Me Think" is good). The attempts to lighten the subject with gratuitous cartoons and humor were more irritating than amusing.

very easy read.......2000-12-05

I loved this book. I am a new psychology PhD looking to get into web usability consulting and this book was perfect for me. I have not read other books on the topic but i can say that I am glad I found this one. It was a very easy read, and i really learned a lot. I like how it takes a psychological viewpoint much of the time. I also really like how he sets you up 100% to be a usability tester. He tells you everything you need to know from A-Z with very little budget. He is also very generous giving away all his secrets and a CD rom that has all sorts of pre-made forms to get you started (powerpoint presentation on usability to show clients, informed consent forms for experimental participants etc...). Now I feel i am ready to read something more technical.

Very easy read.......2000-12-05

The Handbook of Human Factors in Web Design (Human Factors & Ergonomics)

Average customer rating:

An excellent resource for web designers and developers interested in the research behind the guidelines

The Handbook of Human Factors in Web Design (Human Factors & Ergonomics)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
Prioritizing Web Usability (VOICES)
Cost-Justifying Usability, Second Edition: An Update for the Internet Age, Second Edition (Interactive Technologies)
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
Ambient Findability: What We Find Changes Who We Become

ASIN: 0805846123

Book Description

The Handbook covers basic human factors issues relating to screen design, input devices, and information organization and processing, as well as addresses newer features which will become prominent in the next generation of Web technologies. These

Customer Reviews:

An excellent resource for web designers and developers interested in the research behind the guidelines.......2006-08-14

Consider the following questions about web design:

*Which font is the best to use for online information?
*What kind of navigation structure best supports user performance?
*What does airplane cockpit research have to do with effective web design?
*How can you design and measure search interfaces to ensure that users view the search results as relevant?
*What must a web designer do in order to ensure that web-based content is accessible to users with physical and cognitive disabilities?
*What task analysis, knowledge elicitation, and user modeling methods are best suited for developing web interfaces and systems?

This handbook gives readers the answers to these questions and more. The book provides a comprehensive treatment of human factors research methods, design guidelines, and processes for use in developing effective websites and web-based technologies. Its 38 chapters are written for a wide audience, and many of the chapter authors lead the field in human factors research and web interface development.

Topics range from the history of human factors and the origins of networked computing, to research methods for understanding user needs and task requirements, to effective interface design guidelines and emerging technologies in the field. Each chapter contains a rich collection of historical and contemporary references, and many chapters provide the reader with links to additional information available online. While some of the information published in this book can be found elsewhere, this text is truly a "one stop shop."

If you can only get one book on web design guidelines and methods (as well as the human factors research behind them), this is the one to have!

The Handbook of Task Analysis for Human-Computer Interaction

Average customer rating:

Diaper does it again!

The Handbook of Task Analysis for Human-Computer Interaction

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

A Guide To Task Analysis: The Task Analysis Working Group
The Student's Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience
Statistics As Principled Argument
Statistical Rules of Thumb (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
User and Task Analysis for Interface Design

ASIN: 0805844325

Customer Reviews:

Diaper does it again!.......2004-08-10

As a comprehensive sample of current research on task analysis if not the definitive reference, Dan Diaper and Neville Stanton's Handbook of Task Analysis for Human-Computer Interaction is indeed a worthy successor to Diaper's long out-of-print, but still widely cited Task Analysis for Human-Computer Interaction of 1989. This new volume's thirty chapters bring together a wealth of reference material, experience reports and evaluation studies of task analysis models and methods currently in use. Contributors include the leading authorities in the field: many of them the originators of the methods they describe, in some instances taking a retrospective and critical view of their progeny's efficacy. It adds up to a systematic re-evaluation of what task analysis is or could be.

The Handbook's contents are structured into five sections - Foundations, IT Industry Perspectives, Human Perspectives, Computing Perspectives and Today and Tomorrow - each with an introduction and rationale. Moreover, individual chapters are cross-referenced so as to provide alternative pathways through the book. The addition of extensive author and subject indexes, together with the complete contents on CD-ROM, make this an indispensable reference for any serious student, researcher or designer-practitioner of human computer interaction, computer-supported co-operative work or ergonomics. And in the paperback edition, at an affordable price. What more could anyone wish for?

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Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Social Psychology & Interactions | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0198568002

Book Description

The Oxford Library of Psychology is a major new publishing initiative. Over the coming years it will come to define what psychology is, and where it is going. Comprising of a vast range of individual handbooks, all edited and written by the leaders in their respective fields, the library will map out the entire field of psychology. It will cover major subsections, such as social psychology and cognitive psychology, as well as smaller, though no less important fields, like audition, haptic processing, evolutionary psychology and social neuroscience. What do we know about how people behave in cyberspace? Since the birth of the internet, we have witnessed alarming demonstrations of just how the power of the internet can be harnessed by those with darker motives - terrorists, sexual offenders, criminals. What is it about this unique environment that might cause people to behave in ways they might never consider in the outside world? As more and more scientists become interested in establishing how the internet environment changes the way we think, behave, and take responsibility, the Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology provides the definitve reference work on internet behaviour. In 45 chapters, all written especially for the volume, it sets out our current knowledge of behaviour on the internet, and where future research will take us.

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