Effective usability is one of the most important characteristics in the successful launch and adoption of products and services. This presentation touches on the cognitive and cultural implications on usability. Given at AxureWorld Round Table 6 March 2010

1. Managing Change with Axure
Dr. Jerry A. Smith, Industry Consultant
(e)jerry@drjerryasmith.com
6 March 2010
(m)84.467.4959
(t) Twitter.com/drjerryasmith
Saturday, March 6, 2010

2. Agenda
Different Point of View of Usability
More about the What, not the How
Provoke thinking around non-traditional
change manage issues
Saturday, March 6, 2010

3. Background
30 Years in the Software Industry
Computer Scientist, Software Engineer
Small To Large, Simple to Complex
Saturday, March 6, 2010

4. Usability
So, what is usability?
Why do I need to tell this group?
Saturday, March 6, 2010

5. Usability
✤ All about psychology and physiology
What Do You Think
✤ More satisfying to use Of?
✤ Easier to use
✤ More efficient to use
✤ Product usability is achieved or improved by understanding users' needs
✤ Actual goals
✤ Challenges
✤ Limitations
✤ Unique or unexpected ways in which they use the product
Saturday, March 6, 2010

6. Challenges
Stop and thing about “So, why do
products fail so much and is it related to
usability?”
Saturday, March 6, 2010

7. Challenges by the Numbers
✤ The percentage of software code that is devoted to the
interface has been rising over the years, with an average of
47-60% of the code devoted to the interface (MacIntyre et al.).
Saturday, March 6, 2010

8. Challenges by the Numbers
✤ The percentage of software code that is devoted to the
interface has been rising over the years, with an average of
47-60% of the code devoted to the interface (MacIntyre et al.).
✤ 63% of all software projects overrun their budgetary
estimates, with the top 4 reasons all related to unforeseen
usability problems (Lederer and Prassad).
Saturday, March 6, 2010

9. Challenges by the Numbers
✤ The percentage of software code that is devoted to the
interface has been rising over the years, with an average of
47-60% of the code devoted to the interface (MacIntyre et al.).
✤ 63% of all software projects overrun their budgetary
estimates, with the top 4 reasons all related to unforeseen
usability problems (Lederer and Prassad).
✤ Usability engineering has demonstrated reductions in the
product-development cycle by over 33-50% (Bosert).
Saturday, March 6, 2010

10. Challenges by the Numbers
✤ 80% of maintenance is due to unmet or unforeseen user
requirements; only 20% is due to bugs or reliability problems
(Martin and McClure; Pressman)
Saturday, March 6, 2010

11. Challenges by the Numbers
✤ 80% of maintenance is due to unmet or unforeseen user
requirements; only 20% is due to bugs or reliability problems
(Martin and McClure; Pressman)
✤ Ricoh found that 95% of the respondents to a survey never
used three key features deliberately added to the product to
make it more appealing. Customers either didn't know these
features existed, didn't know how to use them, or didn't
understand them (Nussbaum and Neff).
Saturday, March 6, 2010

12. Challenges by the Numbers
✤ 80% of maintenance is due to unmet or unforeseen user
requirements; only 20% is due to bugs or reliability problems
(Martin and McClure; Pressman)
✤ Ricoh found that 95% of the respondents to a survey never used
three key features deliberately added to the product to make it
more appealing. Customers either didn't know these features
existed, didn't know how to use them, or didn't understand them
(Nussbaum and Neff).
✤ Design changes due to usability work at IBM resulted in an
average reduction of 9.6 minutes per task, with projected internal
savings at IBM of $6.8 Million in 1991 alone (Karat)
Saturday, March 6, 2010

13. Impact
Stop and thing about “So, why is
Usability Important?”
Saturday, March 6, 2010

14. Impact by the Numbers
✤ Improves customer Return on Investment (ROI)
✤ Every $1 invested in usability engineering returns between $2 and $100 (Pressman)
✤ Reduces engineering costs and facilitates speed to market
✤ Usability engineering has demonstrated reductions in the product-development cycle by over 33-50% (Bosert).
✤ Reduces testing and quality assurance costs
✤ A user-centered approach raised customer satisfaction with 40% (Gartner)
✤ Reduces sales costs and shortens sales cycles
✤ Products that are easier to use are easier to sell
✤ Fewer unneeded features takes less time to explain to customers
✤ Decrease production costs while improving profit margins
✤ Identify extraneous features and unnecessary or inefficient procedures
Saturday, March 6, 2010

15. Impact by the Numbers
✤ Improves customer Return on Investment (ROI)
✤ Every $1 invested in usability engineering returns between $2 and $100 (Pressman)
✤ Reduces engineering costs and facilitates speed to market
✤ Usability engineering has demonstrated reductions in the product-development cycle by over 33-50% (Bosert).
✤ Reduces testing and quality assurance costs
✤ A user-centered approach raised customer satisfaction with 40% (Gartner)
✤ Reduces sales costs and shortens sales cycles
✤ Products that are easier to use are easier to sell
✤ Fewer unneeded features takes less time to explain to customers
✤ Decrease production costs while improving profit margins
✤ Identify extraneous features and unnecessary or inefficient procedures
Saturday, March 6, 2010

16. Impact by the Numbers
✤ Improves customer Return on Investment (ROI)
✤ Every $1 invested in usability engineering returns between $2 and $100 (Pressman)
✤ Reduces engineering costs and facilitates speed to market
✤ Usability engineering has demonstrated reductions in the product-development cycle by over 33-50% (Bosert).
✤ Reduces testing and quality assurance costs
✤ A user-centered approach raised customer satisfaction with 40% (Gartner)
✤ Reduces sales costs and shortens sales cycles
✤ Products that are easier to use are easier to sell
✤ Fewer unneeded features takes less time to explain to customers
✤ Decrease production costs while improving profit margins
✤ Identify extraneous features and unnecessary or inefficient procedures
Saturday, March 6, 2010

17. Impact by the Numbers
✤ Improves customer Return on Investment (ROI)
✤ Every $1 invested in usability engineering returns between $2 and $100 (Pressman)
✤ Reduces engineering costs and facilitates speed to market
✤ Usability engineering has demonstrated reductions in the product-development cycle by over 33-50% (Bosert).
✤ Reduces testing and quality assurance costs
✤ A user-centered approach raised customer satisfaction with 40% (Gartner)
✤ Reduces sales costs and shortens sales cycles
✤ Products that are easier to use are easier to sell
✤ Fewer unneeded features takes less time to explain to customers
✤ Decrease production costs while improving profit margins
✤ Identify extraneous features and unnecessary or inefficient procedures
Saturday, March 6, 2010

18. Adoption
Challenges
Lastly, we should stop and think about
“Are we getting in the way of success?”
Saturday, March 6, 2010

19. Cognitive Challenges
✤ Engineering is Left Brain vs. Usability is Right
Brain
✤ Software Engineering Derives Content
✤ High Maturity of Thinking
✤ Briggs Myers NT (iNtuitive, Thinking)
✤ Usability Engineering Drive Context
✤ High Maturity of Feeling
✤ Briggs Myers SF (Sensing, Feeling)
Software Engineers from Mars, Usability
Engineers from Venus
Saturday, March 6, 2010

20. Cognitive Challenges
✤ Engineering is Left Brain vs. Usability is Right
Brain
✤ Software Engineering Derives Content
✤ High Maturity of Thinking
✤ Briggs Myers NT (iNtuitive, Thinking)
✤ Usability Engineering Drive Context
✤ High Maturity of Feeling
✤ Briggs Myers SF (Sensing, Feeling)
Software Engineers from Mars, Usability
Engineers from Venus
Saturday, March 6, 2010

21. Cultural Differences
✤ Culture play important role in
society
✤ Interactions depends on where
raised
✤ Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
✤ Culture promotes conflict
✤ Culture negates synergy
Understanding Cultural Interactions is Necessary for Successful
Multicultural Collaborations
Saturday, March 6, 2010

22. Cultural Differences
✤ Culture play important role in
society
✤ Interactions depends on where
raised
✤ Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
✤ Culture promotes conflict
✤ Culture negates synergy
Understanding Cultural Interactions is Necessary for Successful
Multicultural Collaborations
Saturday, March 6, 2010

23. Discussion and Questions
To Follow
Saturday, March 6, 2010