A while ago I posted some feedback on the discussions boards at JoelonSoftware discussion boards. I went back and re-read my post. I think that it makes a lot of sense.
Usability, HCI’ers, IAs, all have a different agenda than project managers and software developers. This tension is what makes software better. To build better software we need to bring all of the stakeholders to the table, this includes project management, software development, business and the users. What we as product developers need to realize is that users are important! They are who we are building the software for. Incorporating a user-centered methodology into a traditional software development lifecycle can be difficult but it is important.
Integrating User-Centered Design and Software Development
Doing user-centered design in a traditional software engineering lifecycle can be difficult. They goals and techniques are often diametrically opposed. These articles discuss how usability can be incorporated in to an existing process:
- Crossing the Chasm: Promoting Usability in the Software Development Community
- UCD Methodologies for Different Projects
- The Usability Lifecycle
- Cross-Pollinating Software and Usability Engineering
- Teaching Usability/UCD Techniques to Software Engineers
- Usability throughout the entire software development lifecycle
- Usability in Software Development
- Right brain, meet left
- Designing from Both Sides of the Screen