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UsabilityUsability is much more than a measure of how easily a thing (typically a software application or a piece of hardware) can be used. It's not so much about the intentions of designers as it is about the needs of users. Usability addresses the full spectrum of impacts upon user success and sastisfaction. Usability is accomplished through user-centered (not necessarily user-driven) design. The usability engineer provides a point-of-view that is not dependent upon designers' goals because the usabiity engineer's role is to act as the users' advocate. For example, after interacting with users, the usability engineer may identify needed functionality or design flaws that the designers had not anticipated.
Software Development magazine says:
- The International Standards Organization (ISO) defines usability as “the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specified users achieve specified goals in particular environments.” [1]
Usability includes considerations such as:
- What do users want or need to do ?
- What is the general background of the users ?
- What is the context in which the user is working ?
- What has to be left to the machine ? What to the user ?
Answers to these can be obtained by conducting user and task analysis at the start of the project.
Other considerations include:
- Can users easily accomplish their intended tasks? For example, can users accomplished intended tasks at their intended speed?
- How much training do users need?
- What documentation or other supporting materials are available to help the user? Can users find the solutions they seek in these materials?
- What and how many errors do users make when interacting with the product?
- Can the user recover from errors? What do users have to do to recover from errors? Does the product help users recover from errors, for example, does software present informative, non-threatening error messages?
- Are there provisions for meeting the special needs of users with disabilities?(Note: Is this item confusing usability with accessibility?)[Response, not at all. Accessibility is an integral part of usability.]
Examples of ways to find answers to these and other questions are user-focused requirements analysis, building user profiles, usability testing.
Usability is now recognized as an important software quality attribute, earning its place among more traditional attributes such as performance and robustness. Indeed various academic programs treating usability as a core concern have begun to appear; see, e.g., the Human-Computer Interaction Program at Carnegie Mellon University.
Usability is the software specialization of the larger topic of human factors and ergonomics, although the term is also applied to document design.
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Corporate Solutions Consulting
Provides usability services including web site evaluations and design. Located in the UK.
http://www.consult-me.co.uk
Meleniak
Offering usability evaluation, accessibility advice, and web design. Located in the United Kingdom.
http://www.meleniak.com/
HCI Professional Services
Offers consulting internationally with companies interested in making their Web based and desktop applications more effective through improved usability and usage-centered design.
http://www.harrisondesign.com
Interface Consult
Offers web design services and features usability testing facilities. Located in Austria.
http://www.usability.at/e/
British HCI Group Consultancy Listing
Listing of UK academic and commercial consultants in Human-Computer Interaction, providing initial contact information for prospective clients seeking experts within this field.
http://www.visualize.uk.com/bcshci/conslist/
Constantine & Lockwood, Ltd.
Supports usage-centered design for more usable software-based products through training, design, evaluation, and consulting services. Located in Massachusetts, USA.
http://www.foruse.com/
GUIguy
User interface design and usability consulting for Windows applications and web sites, for business productivity.
http://www.guiguy.com/
Humansystems Inc.
Specializes in Human Factors and Applied Ergonomics. A consultant company involved in web site analysis, HCI, task analysis and modeling. Located in Canada.
http://www.humansys.com
Ariel Performance Centered Systems, Inc.
A management consulting and software development company that has expertise with all forms of Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS). Located in Ohio, USA.
http://www.arielpcs.com/
Netinspire
Offers services in the areas of interaction design, prototyping, information architecture, and usability to create a remarkable user experience. Located in Oregon, USA.
http://www.netinspire.com
IBM's Ease of Use
Resources on usability management include articles, conferences, tools for User Centred Design.
http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/publish/558
Tech-bridge
Pradeep Henry's offshore user-experience driven approach to the design/evaluation of websites and products.
http://www.tech-bridge.com/
Adducive
Software user interface design and rapid production services including prototypes for telephone, handheld, and desktop systems. The website describes services offered and tips for effective user interface development. Located in California, USA.
http://www.adducive.com/
Beta Research, Inc.
Consulting and research in human factors, ergonomics, usability and safety in product and system design from California, USA.
http://www.beta-research.com/
Frontend
Frontend provides user-centred interface solutions for online developments and software applications. Includes the Usability Infocentre and User News newsletter. Located in Ireland.
http://www.frontend.com
Lavawood Creative
Internet consulting firm specializing in developing usable e-commerce solutions, internet strategy, web marketing, and web design for small-to-medium businesses. Located in Colorado, USA.
http://www.lavawood.com
LukeW Interface Designs
Specializes in the visual, interface, and interaction design of web-based applications and identities. Located in Illinois, USA.
http://www.lukew.com/
Icon Medialab
Offers a wide range of services with a focus on the user experience in a wide range of web-based applications. This internationally oriented company has locations in Europe and North America.
http://www.iconmedialab.com/
Creative Good
Offers to improve customer experience. Located in New York, USA.
http://www.creativegood.com
True Matter, LLC
Interactive application development and design consultancy focused on crafting effective Web experiences. Located in South Carolina, USA.
http://www.truematter.com
Hastings Research
Internet and interface development. specialise in HCI, usability, architecture, systems integration and e-business. Offer a number of white papers. Located in California, USA.
http://www.hastingsresearch.com/
Cooper Interaction Design
Offers a range of goal-directed services that can be used to create and improve interactive solutions from California, USA.
http://www.cooper.com
Hibbitts, Paul D.
Provides user interface design services, including usability evaluations and education. Located in Canada.
http://www.paulhibbitts.com
Flow Interactive
Offers consulting services to research, design, and evaluate interactive products. They will either design a solution for you, or help you to design the most user friendly one yourselves. Located in the UK.
http://www.flow-interactive.com/
Interface Guru
Tests and makes recommendations on how to improve commercial websites. Located in Tucson, Arizona, USA.
http://www.interfaceguru.com
Expert InSite, Inc.
Offering web usability, accessibility, and design services to small and mid-sized businesses. Located in Massachusetts, USA.
http://www.expertinsite.com/
Usability Consultancy
Strategic Web design consultancy which uses user centred design and market research techniques. Located in the United Kingdom.
http://www.u-consulting.co.uk/
Kraka Inc.
Offering consulting services in most aspects of interaction design. Located in California, USA.
http://www.kraka.com/
Section 508 Accessibility
Consulting services including 508 compliance audits, accessibility redesign and retrofit, testing and training. Located in California.
http://508.intetics.com
User Interface Engineering
Provides usability consulting, research, training and conferences. Located in Massachusetts, United States.
http://www.uie.com
Compania Internet Services GmbH
Offers usability tests, heuristic evaluation, discount usability engineering and benchmarking to improve web site success. Located in Germany.
http://www.compania.de/english/
McGee, Patrick W.
User interface designer and illustrator for online and offline media in Texas, USA.
http://www.pmcgee.net
European Usability Support Centres
A network of technology centres across Europe to help companies enhance the usability of their products and systems.
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/husat/eusc/
Decuma
State-of-the-art solutions for natural on-line handwriting recognition. Located in Lund, Sweden.
http://www.decuma.com
Userlab, Inc.
Consulting in website usability, training and testing.
http://www.userlab.com
MauroNewMedia
Consulting services concerning User Interface Design and Usability Engineering. Located in New York, USA.
http://www.mauronewmedia.com
Ergosoft Laboratories
Bases information architecture and interface design on user data and continuous usability testing. Located in Texas, USA.
http://www.ergolabs.com/
Lextant
Provides user experience research, user-centered interactive design and usability evaluation. Offices in Ohio and Colorado, USA.
http://www.lextant.com
Spox Design
Usability testing service. Offering independent review and analysis, and testing of websites using actual users.
http://www.spoxdesign.com
Web Word Services
Services offered webword. Located in New York, USA.
http://webword.com/services/index.html
TheUEgroup
Experienced consultants specializing in the area of user interface design and usability. Located in California, USA.
http://www.theuegroup.com/
The Hiser Group
Committed to liberating technology from the technologists and letting people play with it instead. Focus on usability and accessibility of interface design. Located in Australia.
http://www.hiser.com.au/
Usercentric Design, LLC
Services include usability testing, focus groups, Web design, interface design. Located in Bellevue, Washington, USA.
http://www.usercentricdesign.com/
Corsair
Specializes in customer experience, visual design, information architecture, and strategy. Located in New York, USA.
http://www.corsairstudio.com
Milobox, Inc.
Helps clients create, renew and strengthen their user interaction to enhance the user experience for software and websites. Includes articles and other resources.
http://www.milobox.com
HumanCentric Technologies, Inc.
Human factors testing and consulting firm with expertise in Web design, and consumer electronics. Located in North Carolina, USA.
http://humancentrictech.com
Sprezzatura Systems, Inc.
Software design, programming, documentation, and review. White papers and other collaterals. Web site design and writing. Located in California, USA.
http://www.sprez.com/
The Usability Group
Specializing in customer research and analysis of technology products and services. Jeff Rubin and Dave Rinehart manage offices in New Jersey and Atlanta, USA.
http://www.usability.com
Dreamstep Design
User Centered approach to interface analysis and design.
http://www.dreamstep.com
Knabe Design
Information architecture, interaction design, technical writing, user centered design, and usability evaluation. Located in Pennsylvania, USA.
http://www.knabedesign.com
Usability Systems, Inc.
Design of custom usability testing environments, including stationary labs and portable labs. Located Georgia, USA.
http://www.usabilitysystems.com
Human Factors International, Inc.
Ensuring usability and systems consistency through software ergonomics, human factors science and design considerations. Located in Iowa, USA.
http://www.humanfactors.com/
Vertical Research, Inc.
A human factors design and development company that designs user interfaces and provides usability consulting and testing services. Located in Massachusetts, USA.
http://www.vrix.com/
GUI portal
Resources and services concerning software and hardware ergonomics. Focus on GUI design. Located in Israel.
http://www.guiportal.com
User Interface Design GmbH
Offers consultancy and software for usability engineering, visual and interaction design, and Java based software development with a focus on interactive TV. Stuttgart and Munich, Germany.
http://www.uidesign.de/
GUI Designers
Usability Consultancy committed to designing and evaluating successful and effective Windows Applications and Web Sites. Offering the full range of Usability Services. Located in the United Kingdom.
http://gui-designers.co.uk/
U-C Webs
Internet effectiveness consultancy offers a range of services including web site evaluations and search engine optimization. Located in Ontario, Canada.
http://www.u-cwebs.com/
NewOpp.ca Inc.
A customer driven, products, process and innovation solutions provider. Based in Ontario, Canada.
http://www.newopp.ca/
Direct Perception LLC
Specializes in customer-centered product and service innovation. Includes links.
http://www.directperception.com
AGConsult
Specialized in user-friendly Internet interface. Includes online articles. Located in Belgium, website also in Dutch.
http://www.agconsult.be
Namahn
Consulting firm specializing in customer-focused information design and interaction design of media, products and tools. Located in Belgium.
http://www.namahn.com/
Sterling Creations
Technology for persons with special needs and access for everyone.
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/
Diamond Bullet Design
Web site design, user interface design, plus accessibility and usability evaluation services. Located in Michigan, USA.
http://www.diamondbullet.com
Filament Group
Designs software and websites, provides market analysis and training, and works with rich media and wireless technologies. Located in Massachusetts, USA.
http://www.filamentgroup.com
CreatiVeracity
Media design agency specializing in branding and user interface. Located in Colorado, USA.
http://www.creativeracity.com
Interaction Design
Offers Web design and usability testing services.
http://www.user.com
Mental Models
Employs a user-centered approach to provide User Interaction consulting, rapid prototyping, presentation and graphic design. Focus on enterprise applications. Located in California, USA.
http://www.mentalmodels.com/frame.jsp/pages/home
Syntagm
User-centered design and development services, including object-oriented design and UML, usability evaluation and training. Located in Oxford, UK.
http://www.syntagm.co.uk
Centralis
A user experience consultancy offering research, testing and design expertise to develop interactive applications. Located in Illinois, USA.
http://www.centralisgroup.com
Userface Ltd
User interface design and usability evaluation consultancy. Located in London, United Kingdom.
http://www.userface.net
IdeasMerchant.com Ltd
Specializes in site and user interface development, web consulting, and training.
http://www.ideasmerchant.com
Miramontes Computing
Specialized in user-centered design, prototyping, support of the development process, and iterative test and refine of the final product. Includes articles by Jim Miller. Located in California, USA.
http://www.miramontes.com
Nelson Usability Associates
Provides consulting, research, and training in usability evaluation and interaction design. Located in Ohio, USA.
http://www.nelsonusability.com/
Adaptive Path
A User Experience design and consulting firm that unites theory and practice to advance the art of user experience design while helping clients make better business decisions. Located in California, USA.
http://adaptivepath.com/
Weinschenk Consulting Group
Specializes in interface design, optimizing the customer web experience, and usability engineering. Located in Wisconsin, USA.
http://www.weinschenk.com/
WordFixers
Offers service for designing online-help system, user documentation and translation. Located in Oslo, Norway.
http://www.wordfixers.no/
December Communication Inc.
Web based communications company. Offers publication, presentations and consulting. Includes Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine (CMM) archives and resources.
http://www.december.com/
Center for Usability Research and Engineering
Offers services and research in the field of usability engineering and user interface design in Vienna Austria.
http://www.cure.at/
Florian N. Egger
Researcher at the University of Eindhoven, Netherlands, in human-computer interaction. Offers consulting in user experience and trust, including aspects of e-commerce system design.
http://www.ecommuse.com/
Good Experience
Mark Hurst and Creative Good present white papers on customer and user experience.
http://www.goodexperience.com/
Cognetics Corporation
Offers a Logical User Centered Interaction Design (LUCID) Framework, a methodology for managing the design and testing of the software user interface. Located in New Jersey, USA.
http://www.cognetics.com/
Nielsen Norman Group
Consulting agency offering to enhance the user experience. Includes news, events and publications. Located in California, USA.
http://www.nngroup.com/
Performance Research and Design
Offers user-centred design services for product development, including usability testing, survey research, user-centered design and focus groups. Located in New York, USA.
http://www.prad.com/
Instrata
Offers services to study user behaviour and apply results to create functional and usable user interfaces. Located in the UK.
http://www.instrata.co.uk/
Enflexion
Australia-based consulting group specialising in eBusiness usability and accessibility.
http://www.enflexion.com.au/
UsabilityOne
Offers a range of services with a focus on user interfaces for web and non-web applications. Services available throughout the Asia Pacific. Located in Australia.
http://www.usabilityone.com
Emma Jane Consulting
Offers web and interface design plus user studies.
http://www.emmajane.com/
Anderson, Richard I.
Provides guidance in collaborative, user-centered design, ethnographic research, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Located in California, USA.
http://www.well.com/user/riander/
Sage Consulting
Silicon Valley based computer human interaction consultancy focusing on practical usability testing & interface design. Located in California, USA.
http://www.sage-research.com/
Sensiva Inc.
A software company focusing on natural control of PCs and intelligent appliances, enhance the speed and the pleasure of controlling PCs and electronic devices. Headquarters located in California, USA, with additional locations in France, Japan, and Monaco.
http://www.sensiva.com/
Ovo Studios
Offers fixed and portable usability labs and logging software. Located in Illinois, USA.
http://www.ovostudios.com
Hypercerulean Inc.
Specializes in applying human factors analysis to usability engineering, testing, and interface design. Located in Washington.
http://www.hypercerulean.com/
Open Interface
Offers services concerning accessibility and usability. Provides web development and training. Located in Ireland
http://www.openinterface.ie
Metamedia
Provides user-oriented product and interface design services for custom software and embedded systems. Located in Tennessee, USA.
http://www.xo4.com
Swim Interaction Design Studio LLC
Specialists in designing usable, useful and aesthetic interfaces for interactive products, ranging from software applications to handheld devices and medical equipment. Located in California, USA.
http://www.swimstudio.com
Incontext Enterprises
Provides design, training, and market information services. Located in Massachusetts, USA.
http://www.incent.com
Human Xpression
Offers consulting services in the area of software and web usability, display control and accessibility, heuristic reviews, focus group, user requirement, usability testing. Includes check-list, articles, books and links. Located in India.
http://www.humanxpression.com
Busse Design
Experts in user interface design for applications and other web-based products. Located in California, USA.
http://www.bussedesign.com/
Preston G Smalley
Offers services in interaction design and software engineering. Located in California, USA.
http://www.prestonsmalley.com/
Two Rivers Consulting Corporation
A consulting firm in Massachusetts.
http://www.tworivers.com/
Snyder Consulting
Usability and prototyping consultant focused on helping customers recognize, prioritize, and solve usability problems. Located in New Hampshire, USA.
http://www.snyderconsulting.net/
Maskery
Offers user centred research and design services, specializing in concept design, usability, accessibility product evaluations, and training. Located in Ottawa, Canada.
http://www.maskery.ca
Flash 99% Good
Usability for Flash. Promotes mainly a book, and includes tips, tutorial, and links.
http://www.flash99good.com/
Web Editing and Quality Control Procedures
Offers internet marketing, web design services, and quality control with users in mind. Located in the United Kingdom.
http://www.web-editing-quality-control.co.uk
Truth In Design
Consultants who design user experience in the shape of graphical user interfaces on the internet and in the wireless world. Located in California, USA.
http://www.truthindesign.com
OnCenter Consulting
Offers workshops in customer-centered excellence, cross-functional team building, and user-centered product design. Also offer automated usability testing tools and usability services. Located in California, USA.
http://www.oncenterconsulting.com
Black Box Media
A website and CDROM publishing company specializing in human factors for interface design, usability and usage studies, navigation and information architecture - directly for clients or through larger companies. Located in Canada.
http://www.black-box-media.com
Gravity7
Award-winning web site development, user interface, user experience consulting and communication design. Includes short articles. Located in California, USA.
http://www.gravity7.com
Amberlight Partners Ltd.
Helps corporations achieve specific business results by providing research, and a user-centred approach to the design and use of digital technologies. Located in the United Kingdom.
http://www.amber-light.co.uk/
Strategic Integration
Offers eBusiness usability testing and development services. Based in the UK.
http://bestidea.biz/
Gruden Pty Ltd
A web development company with a track record of develping sites that are compliant with W3C Accessibility guidelines such as www.cbonline.org.au. We are one of very few companies in Australia that provide this service.
http://www.gruden.com
Pure Usability Ltd
Web usability and accessibility consultancy. Based in the UK.
http://www.pureusability.co.uk
Joe 10 Group
Interface design and usability consulting firm which applies user centered design strategies to help businesses improve the user experience of their Web sites and consumer products. Located in California, USA.
http://www.joe10.com/
Human Interface Group
Specialized in the usability of IT-products. We design user interfaces, we design and write online and printed user documentation and we perform usability tests. Located in Belgium.
http://www.higroup.com/
Tmtm
Offers services to create meaningful digital product development and user experience. Located in London, UK.
http://www.tmtm.co.uk
Siteworkz Consulting
Provides services in Web Design, Information Architecture, specializing in web usability. Located in Canada.
http://siteworkz.com
Usability Ireland
Offers consulting services around web site usability. Located in Ireland.
http://www.usabilityireland.com
Software Human Factors
Provides a wide range of usability consulting services including interface design, user testing, focus groups, heuristic evaluations and onsite training.
http://www.softwarehumanfactors.com
ThoughtCap
Internet consultancy committed to helping Global 2000 clients leverage customer experience as a competitive advantage and driver of profits. Located in New York City.
http://www.thoughtcap.com/
Pure Interface
User interface design, usability testing and research to improve user experience for websites, software, and other products. Locate in the United Kingdom.
http://www.pureinterface.com/
Ainatte Inbal
Interaction design and information architecture consultant.
http://www.ainatte.com
Sotopia
Usability consultant specialized in user centered design, including computer interaction, and usability engineering. Located in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
http://www.sotopia.com/
Enervision Media
Provides analysis and designs interactive systems and interfaces for usability across all technology platforms. Located in New York, USA.
http://www.enervisionmedia.com
Zanzara User Experience
Offers usability testing, UI design and customer research services. Located in Washington, USA.
http://www.zanzara.com
Abacus Web Usability
Consultants to help you improve the user friendliness of your web site, located in Florida, USA.
http://abacuswebusability.com/
User Insight
Provider of user experience services utilizing usability testing, focus groups, market research, training and documentation. Located in California, Georgia, and Illinois, USA.
http://www.userinsight.com
Bohmann Usability
User experience consulting. Including articles and news about Web usability. From Denmark.
http://www.bohmann.dk/
Usability Sciences Corporation
Provider of usability testing and research for websites, consumer electronics, software and hardware products. Located in Texas, USA.
http://www.usabilitysciences.com/
Interacta Design Oy
Specializes in goal-based user interface design and field studies to find out the users' goals. Provides usability assessment, e.g. expert reviews and usabil
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