A Voyage to Maturing Usability

Invited Essay

pp. 53-59

Abstract

In this article, the chief editor of the recently published book Maturing Usability: Quality in Software, Interaction and Value reports her experiences, from the very beginning when the book project was conceived to the time when the book was delivered. The two-year process was marked with different problems. It required trust, optimism, patience, and commitment of the contributors to overcome these challenges.

The book aims to provide an understanding of how current research and practice have contributed to improving quality from the perspectives of software features, interaction experiences, and achieved value. Specifically, the Q-SIV framework addresses quality in software by looking at how using development tools can enhance usability and other qualities, and how methods and models can be integrated into the development process.

The book addresses quality in interaction by applying theoretical frameworks on the nature of interactions and methodologies to evaluate qualities, such as usability, reliability, and pleasure; It addresses quality in value by assessing the impact that a system has in the real world, focusing on both increasing value for software development and on increasing value for users and other stakeholders. While the voyage to Maturing Usability has been anchored, other voyages to matured usability are envisioned and will likely be set sail in the near future.