Advances in Usability Evaluation

Successful interaction with products, tools and technologies depends on usable designs, accommodating the needs of potential users and does not require costly training. In this context, this book is concerned about emerging concepts, theories and applications of human factors knowledge focusing on the discovery and understanding of human interaction with products and systems for their improvement.

The book is organized into four sections that focus on the following subject matters:

‧ Usability Methods and Tools
‧ Theoretical Issues in Usability
‧ Usability in Web Environment
‧ Miscellaneous

In the section Usability Methods and Tools, studies related with new and improved methods and tools for the advancement in the efficiency of the usability studies is reported. In this context, this book provides studies, which cover everything from checklists and heuristics development to kaizen and biometrics measurement techniques. Also, the use of tools, like eye tracker, virtual reality and augmented reality is discussed.

The section Theoretical Issues in Usability concentrates on theorical approaches of usability that allow justifying the impact of usability in our lives. Review studies about the importance of usability and connections between ergonomics and virtual reality were reported. General approaches raised the concepts of modeling and simulation to explain changes in human performance and accidents.

The section Usability in Web Environment concentrates on studies associated with the use of the Internet environment and mainly discusses the development of new services and creates social communities. The section Miscellaneous shows various studies that focus on aesthetic, affective and emotional design, corporate and inclusive design.