Usability evaluation

Definition

According to White (2000), the purpose of usability evaluation is to measure the ability of a system to be useful to people who are actually going to use it. ISO 9126 talks of "quality in use" characteristics, which are the combination of other characteristics which will enable a user to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, productivity, safety and with satisfaction in a specified context use.

Relevant qualities - from part 2

Usability (2.2.3/603)

Efficiency (2.2.4/606)

Stakeholders

developer, investor, marketing, purchasing, operations mgt., end user

Notes

Usability evaluation is a domain in its own right, which involves kinds of testing such as scenario and laboratory testing which are common to many kinds of software product. It is often undertaken by the manufacturers of products before the product is launched on the market. It falls outside the scope of the current classification. However, much information about usability evaluation can be found by consulting the European Usability Support Centres home page.