The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 1
Looking Back and Moving Forward The Past, Present and Future of the KDE Usability Project
August 9 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul celeste@kde.org KDE Usability Project usability.kde.org
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 2 What is the KDE Usability Project?
Promote usability
Educate developers
Practice usability
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 3
Past
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 4
In the beginning...... everyone was a developer
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 5 In the beginning...
For developers, by developers
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 6 Wary of “Experts”
Mo' users mo' problems
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 7
Usamajility? Incomplete knowledge of usability
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 8 Usabmajility?
Kastle 2003
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 9 Usamajility?
Conferences, Blogging, Reports
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 10
Wary of “Experts” Few “usability experts” involved
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 11 Wary of “Experts”
Usability FUD
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 12 Wary of “Experts”
Credibility/Competency
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 13 Wary of “Experts”
Signal:Noise
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 14
Present
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 15 Successes
The Word Is Out Usability is cool
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 16 Successes: The Word Is Out
We want usability now what?
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 17 Successes
We Got Some Stuff Done KDE PIM, KOffice, Okular, Printing...
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 18 Successes: We Got Some Stuff Done
20+ reports from 2005-2007
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 19 Failures
Where Is Everybody? We hit critical mass...
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 20 Failures: Where is Everybody?
... and imploded
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 21 Failures
What Guidelines? HIG development is slow
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 22 Failures: What Guidelines?
Key authors went AFK IRL
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 23 Problems
Missing the “User” in UCD Users have minimal involvement
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 24 Problems: Missing the “User” in UCD
Ineffective avenues for user involvement
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 25
Future
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 26
KDE != Usable (yet) Slow but steady progress
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 27 KDE != Usable (yet)
One person can only do so much
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 28
Institutionalize Usability Attack from the top -> down
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 29 Institutionalize Usability
Usability is on the fringe
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 30 Institutionalize Usability
Global view of usability
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 31
Educate Developers Usability goes beyond testing
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 32 Educate Developers
User Research! User Research!
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 33
Developer usability methods
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 34
How and when to integrate usability
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 35
Need More Designers WTB Contributors PST
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 36 Need More Designers
Arsenal of methods
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 37 Need More Designers
Solve the harder problems
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 38
Get Users Involved In a calm and orderly fashion
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 39 Get Users Involved
User Research!
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 40 Get Users Involved
Testing before release
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 41 Get Users Involved
Put the “user” back in to UCD
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 42
Transition Period
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 43 Activities
Become more involved in development
Assist and promote KDE User Research Profiles
Work with the user community
Blog about usability in KDE and open source
Continue work on the Human Interface Guidelines
Review UIs and design better ones
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 44 More Information
KDE Usability Project usability.kde.org
KDE4 Human Interface Guidelines Come to the Wednesday workshop for more information
OpenUsability openusability.org
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 45 KDE HCI Workshop (Wednesday)
Research Methods for Usability and Design Learn about the different research activities (some involving users) which can improve the usability of your software User Groups and Personas Learn about the importance of user research and get help with your KDE User Research Profiles Plasma and HCI Learn about current HCI issues and future goals of the Plasma Desktop What's New in the KDE4 Human Interface Guidelines Review new patterns and guidelines, see some common HIG violations, and ask questions about uncommon cases and scenarios KDE4 Open UI Workshop Bring screenshots and questions to get design help with during this interactive show-and-tell session
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 46
Questions?
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 47 About Celeste
Open Source KDE KDE Usability Project and HCI Working Group Kubuntu Kubuntu Council OpenUsability Season of Usability Mentor Industry User-Centered Design, Inc. Senior Interaction Architect Weblog on usability in open source software weblog.obso1337.org Email celeste (AT) kde (DOT) org
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected]) The Past, Present, and Future of the KDE Usability Project 48
Wrap Up
Akademy 2008 Celeste Lyn Paul ([email protected])