Lifecycle-Embedded Usability -- A Results-Oriented
Approach for Ensuring System Usability
Martha Lindeman, Ph.D.
President, Agile Interactions, Inc., Columbus, OH
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Berwick Manor Restaurant and Party House
The GAINS approach to increasing system usability is a drill-down process
that can be embedded in the system-development lifecycle. The word "GAINS"
is an acronym indicating that user-interface designers have only Attraction,
Information and Navigation to connect between end users' Goals and the
project sponsor's criteria for Success. GAINS is a results-centered
approach integrating the overlaps among the three more well-known approaches to
user-interface design: (1) "user-centered" [focused on people],
(2) "usage-centered" [focused on process], and (3) "feature-driven" [focused
on technology]). Using any one of these three approaches causes problems
that could be eliminated when the overlaps among them are considered.
For example, Microsoft designers are using a results-oriented approach to
drastically change the user-interface model for Microsoft Office, and
information about the new Office 12 will be included among the real-life
examples provided in the presentation.
The meeting starts at 5:30 pm at Berwick Manor Restaurant and Party House
in Columbus. After a social hour with a cash bar, dinner will be served at
6:30pm. The menu is a buffet consisting of: Tossed Salad; Italian Mixed
Vegetables, Peas & Mushrooms, Whipped Potatoes, Candied Yams; Top Round
of Beef or Boneless Chicken Breast Stuffed with Celery Dressing;
Assorted Cakes & Pies for dessert; Rolls and Butter; Coffee, Tea, or Milk.
The cost of the dinner is $18 for COCACM members, $20 for
non-members. The talk will begin at 7:30 pm. As always, the public
can attend the talk free of charge. But, please make a reservation.
Directions: Berwick Manor Restaurant and Party House is located at 3250
Refugee Rd at the intersection with Winchester Pike, Columbus 43232.
From eastbound I-70, exit to US 33 toward Lancaster, turn left on
Winchester Pike, and then left again into the Berwick Manor parking lot.
About the Presenter:
Dr. Lindeman has been a consultant/trainer in rapid user-interface design
since receiving her Ph.D. in 1985 from Harvard University in cognitive
psychology. She created and repeatedly refined her GAINS design process
in projects ranging from small 'on-the-fly' projects to very large projects
that required a great deal of documentation and communication among team
members. Her focus has always been on twin goals: (1) creating easy-to-learn,
easy-to-use user interfaces, and (2) NOT adding time to the development
process. In addition, user-interaction design often has to be done using
project documentation rather than information drawn directly from expected
end-users. The GAINS process has been successfully applied to the design of
interactive systems in many different types of domains and to systems
ranging from very simple to very complex. A Fortune 100 company has put the
GAINS process into its web site for use by in-house designers.
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The slides used with this talk are available
here as pdf.
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Time & Place
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Berwick Manor Restaurant and Party House
3250 Refugee Road, Columbus 43232 (directions below).
Agenda
| 5:30 p.m. |
Social Hour w/ cash bar |
| 6:30 p.m. |
Dinner will be served |
| 7:30 p.m. |
Presentation |
Price for dinner
| COCACM members |
$18 |
| Non-members |
$20 |
Menu
Buffet consisting of:
Tossed Salad;
Italian Mixed Vegetables, Peas & Mushrooms, Whipped Potatoes, Candied Yams;
Top Round of Beef or Boneless Chicken Breast Stuffed with Celery Dressing;
Assorted Cakes & Pies for dessert;
Rolls and Butter;
Coffee, Tea, or Milk.
Directions
Berwick Manor Restaurant and Party House is at the corner
of Refugee Road and Winchester Pike. From eastbound I-70
take the US 33 exit toward Lancaster and turn left on Winchester Pike and
turn left again into the Berwick Manor parking lot.
Reservations Required
Monday, March 13, 2006
Dinner is optional, but seating is limited, so you should
still reserve a seat.
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