• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.179-198
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• 2008

It is widely known that usability is a critical quality attribute of IT systems. Many studies have developed various methods for finding out usability problems. Usability professionals have emphasized that usability should be integrated into the development life cycle in order to maximize the usability of systems with minimal cost. To achieve this, it is essential to classify usability problems systematically and connect them into the activities of designing user interfaces and tasks. However, there is a lack of framework or method for these two problems and thus remains a challengeable research issue. As a beginning study, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for addressing the two issues. We firstly summarize usability-related studies so far, including usability factors and evaluation methods. Secondly, we review seven approaches to identifying and classifying usability problems. Based on this review and opinions of usability engineers in real industry as well as the review results, this paper proposes a framework comprising three viewpoints, from which more sound classification scheme of usability problems can be inductively developed.

• 한국HCI학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.02a
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• pp.909-917
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• 2006

In the last decade, the research of the usability of mobile phones has been a newly evolving area with few established methodologies and realistic practices that ensure capturing usability in evaluation. Thus, there exists growing demand to explore appropriate evaluation methodologies that evaluate the usability of mobile phones quickly as well as comprehensively. This study aims to develop a task-based usability checklist based on heuristic evaluations in views of mobile phone UI practitioners. A hierarchical structure of UI design elements and usability principles related to mobile phones were developed and then utilized to develop the checklist. In order to demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the proposed checklist, comparative experiments were conducted on the usability checklist and usability testing. Majority of usability problems found by usability testing and additional problems were discovered by the proposed checklist. It is expected that the usability checklist proposed in this study could be used quickly and efficiently by usability practitioners to evaluate the mobile phone UI in the middle of the mobile phone development process.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2006

In the last decade, the research of the usability of mobile phones has been a newly evolving area with few established methodologies and realistic practices that ensure capturing usability in evaluation. Thus, there exists a growing demand to explore appropriate evaluation methodologies that evaluate the usability of mobile phones quickly as well as comprehensively. This study aims to develop a task-based usability checklist based on heuristic evaluation in views of mobile phone UI practitioners. A hierarchical structure of UI design elements and usability principles related to mobile phones were developed and then utilized to develop the checklist. In order to demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the proposed checklist, comparative experiments were conducted on the usability checklist and usability testing. A majority of usability problems found by usability testing and additional problems were discovered by the proposed checklist. It is expected that the usability checklist proposed in this study could be used quickly and efficiently by usability practitioners to evaluate the mobile phone UI in the middle of the mobile phone development process.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.331-338
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• 2011

Objective: The present study developed a comprehensive usability testing and analysis framework based on a physical interface model of product and user and applied the proposed framework to usability testing of canister-type vacuum cleaner. Background: The development of a user-centered product design is important to satisfy customers who want to use the product with ease of use and to keep the manufacturer competitive in the market. Method: The proposed testing and analysis framework consists of (1) characterization of physical product-user interface, (2) preparation and administration of usability testing questionnaire, and (3) analysis and interpretation of usability testing results. A usability evaluation of five vacuum cleaners was planned and administered based on the proposed framework and its analysis produced detailed and overall usability testing results for various aspects such as tasks, usability criteria, and design components. Results: The testing results were further utilized to identify usability problems and preferred design features of the vacuum cleaners. Conclusion: The proposed usability testing and analysis framework was found effective to identify preferred features and problems of a product design in a systematic, holistic manner. Application: The proposed framework can be of effective use for practitioners of product design and development to obtain comprehensive, quantitative usability testing information in a systematic manner.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.177-185
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• 2023

The global FinTech industry has experienced significant growth, with key projects developing the financial sector. In Saudi Arabia, startups have used technology to offer FinTech services. In this area, it is important to investigate the usability of platforms that offer FinTech services. This research aims to examine the usability of samples of Saudi FinTech websites and identify design issues impacting user experience. Usability testing was conducted on the websites of two FinTech firms identified design issues, including navigation problems on the homepage and a lack of transparency in displaying investment details, negatively impacting end users. Employing usability methods can assist in enhancing the development of FinTech platforms and addressing these issues. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of FinTech usability problems and the user experience, enabling advancements in the industry.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.17-31
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability of a prototype personal digital assistant (PDA)-based decision support system for the management of obesity through usability testing with end-users (Advanced Practice Nurses [APNs]) prior to its implementation in clinical settings. Methods: This descriptive study used observational and think aloud techniques to address the research question: what usability problems are perceived by end-users? Five APNs were provided with the scenarios and the list of tasks to evaluate the application. Their verbalizations were recorded through Morae usabil ity software. Data analysis was based on the data captured through Morae, transcriptions, notes, and the end-user survey. Results: End-users completed all the required tasks without encountering a severe usability problem, and agreed that the system was easy to use. clear, concise, and useful. Usability issues that were unrecognized by the developer or usability experts were identified by APNs. The usability problems were categorized according to positive characteristics, negative characteristics, and recommendations. The usability issues were discussed with the project team members, and solutions were suggested to improve the user interface of the PDA-based decision support system before the final implementation. Conclusions: This approach had an important impact on making the system easier to use and more useful from the perspective of design and content. The results of this evaluation provided iterative feedback regarding the design and implementation of the PDA-based decision support system for the management of obesity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.8-17
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• 2006

Presented in this paper was to evaluate and improve the usability of a web-based logistics information system. The system was developed for the domestic company to track and monitor its own transportation vehicles and for the customers to check the current location of their packages by using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Short Massage Service (SMS). Since the initial system was developed under a tight schedule set by the company, the system designers and programmers did not focus on the usability of the system but on the functionality. Consequently, some usability problems of the system were discovered during the heuristic usability evaluation. This study was required to solve these usability issues. Usability problems of the initial system were identified and analyzed, and the user's requirements for the system were re-evaluated to meet the company's expectation. Several alternative designs were developed by fitted guidelines and then a updated system was developed. The updated system had an empirical usability test to find how much the initial system was improved from the heuristic evaluation. Two kinds of data were gathered during the tests: objective (completion time and number of errors) and subjects' preference. Data showed the updated system is better than the initial system in terms of usability. Presented in this paper includes introduction of the Usability evaluation, usability engineering process applied in this research, alternative design of GUI, usability test and results.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.54-65
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• 2009

The existence of Internet revolutionized the computer and communications world. With the rising demand for accessing the Internet, the mobile technology has incorporated the use of Internet in mobile phones. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has combined two of the widest utilized technology today: mobile phones and Internet. This study aims to assess the existing WAP pages offered by the top service providers in the Philippines through usability testing experiments. The paper also aims to identify existing problems in WAP interface by focusing on the errors committed by the users. From the usability study, it was found out that common usability problems are wrong selection of links, unclear grouping of categories, wrong feedback, and redundant links. The type of service provider used is significant in determining the performance of users while experience in accessing WAP is insignificant.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.66-77
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• 2008

The existence of Internet revolutionized the computer and communications world. With the rising demand for accessing the Internet, the mobile technology has incorporated the use of Internet in mobile phones. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has combined two of the widest utilized technology today: mobile phones and Internet. This study aims to assess the existing WAP pages offered by the top service providers in the Philippines through usability testing experiments. The paper also aims to identify existing problems in WAP interface by focusing on the errors committed by the users. From the usability study, it was found out that common usability problems are wrong selection of links, unclear grouping of categories, wrong feedback, and redundant links. The type of service provider used is significant in determining the performance of users while experience in accessing WAP is insignificant.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.191-221
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• 2007

The goal of this study was to examine the relationships between usability and the searching experience, and to uncover where an integrated cataloging and metadata system lay the usability problems of its primary users, catalogers. This study showed that the most important aspect of usability in Connexion lay in the experience of information retrieval system. Also, it showed there are seventeen usability problems to be improved in Connexion. Needless to say, it is most important to note that usability is not an exclusive goal of such an integrated cataloging and metadata system. Other goals such as quality of catalogs, and the reliability of its cataloging and metadata system are equally its concern. This study also suggested more testing on diverse cataloging systems and specific user groups, especially catalogers.