Skip to main content

Usability Testing of Interaction Components

Taking the Message Exchange as a Measure of Usability

  • Conference paper
  • 404 Accesses

Abstract

Component-based Software Engineering (CBSE) is concerned with the development of systems from reusable parts (components), and the development and maintenance of these parts. This study addresses the issue of usability testing in a CBSE environment, and specifically automatically measuring the usability of different components in a single system. The proposed usability measure is derived from the message exchange between components recorded in a log file. The measure was validated in an experimental evaluation. Four different prototypes of a mobile telephone were subjected to usability tests, in which 40 subjects participated. Results show that the usability of the individual components can be measured, and that they can be priorities on their potential for improvement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Brinkman, W.P., Is Usability Compositional?, Ph.D. thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Einhoven, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Brinkman, W.P., Haakma, R., and Bouwhuis, D.G., Usability Evaluation of Component-Based User Interfaces, in Proceedings of IFIP 8th TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction INTERACT’01 (Tokyo, 9–13 July 2001), IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2001, pp. 767–768.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Haakma, R., Layered Feedback in User-System Interaction. Ph.D. thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Heineman, G.T. and Councill, W.T., Component-Based Software Engineering: Putting the Pieces Together, Addison-Wesley, London, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hertzum, M. and Jacobsen, N.E., The Evaluator Effect: A Chilling Fact About Usability Evaluation Methods, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 13, No. 4, 2001, pp. 421–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hilbert, D.M. and Redmiles, D.F., Extracting Usability Information From User Interface Events, ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2000, pp. 384–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hilbert, D.M. and Redmiles, D.F., Large-Scale Collection of Usage Data to Inform Design, in Proceedings of 8th IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction INTERACT’01 (Tokyo, 9–13 July 2001), IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2001, pp. 569–576.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kieras, D. and Polson, P.G., An Approach to the Formal Analysis of User Complexity, International Journal Man-Machine Studies, Vol. 22, No 4, 1985, pp. 365–394.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Lecerof, A. and Paternò, F., Automatic Support for Usability Evaluation, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 10, 1998, pp. 863–888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Paternò, F., Model-Based Design and Evaluation of Interactive Applications, Springer, London, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Snowberry, K., Parkinson, S.R., and Sisson, N., Computer Display Menu, Ergonomics, Vol. 26, 1983, pp. 699–712.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Taylor, M.M., Layered Protocols for Computer-Human Dialogue, I: Principles, International Journal Man-Machine Studies, Vol. 28, No. 1, 1988, pp. 175–218.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Kluwer Academic Publishers

About this paper

Cite this paper

Brinkman, WP., Haakma, R., Bouwhuis, D.G. (2005). Usability Testing of Interaction Components. In: Jacob, R.J., Limbourg, Q., Vanderdonckt, J. (eds) Computer-Aided Design of User Interfaces IV. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3304-4_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3304-4_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-3145-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-3304-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics