November 2007
The Archives
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11.13.07When “flexibility” is really “The UN-Design Cop Out”System designers of all types are leaping onto the "flexibility" and "user configurability" enabled by current web technologies as a boon to usability. The claim is that users will be able to compose "exactly what they want, when they want it" within a flexible framework of servlets, portlets, applets and the like. They believe that, since the user configured it, by definition then it is a user-centered design, and must contain exactly the right decision support--after all the user picked it. Not surprisingly, this has reduced the designer/software developer's burden and reduced system development costs (and the claim of 'better' user ...
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11.05.07World Usability Day 2007In case you hadn't noticed, World Usability Day 2007 is Nov 8th--and its rapidly approaching. As a good friend often reminds me, such things as a Day dedicated to Usability are "...necessary but not sufficient..." in the larger picture. That comment is both a compliment (necessary) but also a compelling demand for further effort. In short, you have to get Usability correct, or the design is so awkward, frustrating, etc. that it is impossible to get on with the work at hand (when usability is poor to the extreme). On the other hand, Usability done well does not ensure that ...
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11.02.07Predictions for DARPA’s Grand ChallengeOn Saturday, November 3rd, DARPA will conduct its third edition of the Grand Challenge. The Grand Challenge is a race between autonomous vehicles, which must overcome a number of obstacles in order get to the finish line. This competition is being done in order to accelerate the research in support of the military's desire to have at least 1/3rd of ground vehicles unmanned by the year 2015. While many espouse the practice of using autonomous vehicles, the safety record of autonomous vehicles up to this point has been very poor. They are very brittle, as technology-only systems cannot adapt when situations ...
recent posts
- Part 4: Final Results-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- The Washington Post scoops the Cognitive Systems Engineering perspective on the DC Metro crash
- Part 3: Initial Insights to Customer-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- Part 2: Analysis by Inspection-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- Part 1: Background-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- Cognitive Systems Engineering meets DODAF: Building the Right Thing Well
- Wired Magazine discovers Cognitive Systems Engineering (they just didn’t know it)
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RCS - RSS- Part 4: Final Results-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- The Washington Post scoops the Cognitive Systems Engineering perspective on the DC Metro crash
- Part 3: Initial Insights to Customer-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- Part 2: Analysis by Inspection-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- Part 1: Background-A Case Study in Cognitive Systems Engineering Usability Evaluation
- Cognitive Systems Engineering meets DODAF: Building the Right Thing Well
- Wired Magazine discovers Cognitive Systems Engineering (they just didn’t know it)
- How does a Cognitive Systems Engineer see Technology, Toys, and Tools?
- Cognitive Systems Engineering as Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”
- A Next Generation Executive Dashboard — Integrated Cognitive Systems Engineering
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