Abstract:

This paper is the Ron Cumming Memorial Lecture presented to the 33rd Ergonomics Society of Australia Conference, 1997. It looks at the problems people experience in using new, computer based technology and examines some of the reasons why designers do not create better and more usable products. It is asserted that to design more usable technology requires a user-centred design strategy which allows users to change their requirements in light of experience gained in testing mockups with increasing degrees of higher fidelity. The use of a generic user-centred design strategy is illustrated by referring to user testing of low and high fidelity mockups of a lighting controller.