Janet Wesson – författare

Usability has become increasingly important as an essential part of the design and development of software and systems for all sectors of society, business, industry, government and education, as well as a topic of research. Today, we can safely say that, in many parts of the world, information technology and communications is or is becoming a central force in revolutionising the way that we all live and how our societies function. IFIP''s mission states clearly that it "encourages and assists in the development, exploitation and application of information technology for the benefit of all people". The question that must be considered now is how much attention has been given to the usability of the IT-based systems that we use in our work and daily lives. There is much evidence to indicate that the real interests and needs of people have not yet been embraced in a substantial way by IT decision­ makers and when developing and implementing the IT systems that shape our lives, both as private individuals and at work. But some headway has been made. Three years ago, the IFIP Technical Committee on Human­ Computer Interaction (IFIP TC13) gave the subject of usability its top priority for future work in advancing HCI within the international community. This Usability Stream of the IFIP World Computer Congress is a result of this initiative. It provides a showcase on usability involving some practical business solutions and experiences, and some research findings.

Usability has become increasingly important as an essential part of the design and development of software and systems for all sectors of society, business, industry, government and education, as well as a topic of research. As interactive systems have become the norm and the variety of hardware and software has increased, it is no longer sufficient to just make the technology work in a functional and reliable manner. Now the usability of the technology for any given application or situation can be measured in terms of how easily, effectively and efficiently people can use it to accomplish their tasks and achieve their goals. Just as important as functionality is whether and to what extent users of technology are satisfied with their experiences when using technology. Alternative ways of design and development incorporating usability have been proposed and documented and many projects undertaken to explore how to improve and enhance the lives of people when using information technology and communication systems. Improving the design process and product quality benefits not only business and industry, but also the people who use the systems and products.These benefits can only be achieved by integrating usability into the mainstream of the system development life cycle. This text presents contributions from practitioners and researchers from many countries. Starting with an introduction of the problems that industry faces and suggested usability solutions to these problems, it goes on to explore various technical areas.

Usability has become increasingly important as an essential part of the design and development of software and systems for all sectors of society, business, industry, government and education, as well as a topic of research. Today, we can safely say that, in many parts of the world, information technology and communications is or is becoming a central force in revolutionising the way that we all live and how our societies function. IFIP's mission states clearly that it "encourages and assists in the development, exploitation and application of information technology for the benefit of all people". The question that must be considered now is how much attention has been given to the usability of the IT-based systems that we use in our work and daily lives. There is much evidence to indicate that the real interests and needs of people have not yet been embraced in a substantial way by IT decision­ makers and when developing and implementing the IT systems that shape our lives, both as private individuals and at work. But some headway has been made. Three years ago, the IFIP Technical Committee on Human­ Computer Interaction (IFIP TC13) gave the subject of usability its top priority for future work in advancing HCI within the international community. This Usability Stream of the IFIP World Computer Congress is a result of this initiative. It provides a showcase on usability involving some practical business solutions and experiences, and some research findings.

Engineering Interactive Systems 2007 is an IFIP working conference that brings together researchers and practitioners interested in strengthening the scientific foun- tions of user interface design, examining the relationship between software engine- ing (SE) and human–computer interaction (HCI) and on how user-centerd design (UCD) could be strengthened as an essential part of the software engineering process. Engineering Interactive Systems 2007 was created by merging three conferences: • HCSE 2007 – Human-Centerd Software Engineering held for the first time. The HCSE Working Conference is a multidisciplinary conference entirely dedicated to advancing the basic science and theory of human-centerd software systems engineering. It is organized by IFIP WG 13.2 on Methodologies for User-Centerd Systems Design. • EHCI 2007 – Engineering Human Computer Interaction was held for the tenth time. EHCI aims to investigate the nature, concepts, and construction of user interfaces for software systems. It is organized by IFIP WG 13.4/2.7 on User Interface Engineering. • DSV-IS 2007 – Design, Specification and Verification of Interactive Systems was held for the 13th time. DSV-IS provides a forum where researchers wo- ing on model-based techniques and tools for the design and development of - teractive systems can come together with practitioners and with those working on HCI models and theories.

Engineering Interactive Systems 2007 is an IFIP working conference that brings together researchers and practitioners interested in strengthening the scientific foun- tions of user interface design, examining the relationship between software engine- ing (SE) and human–computer interaction (HCI) and on how user-centerd design (UCD) could be strengthened as an essential part of the software engineering process. Engineering Interactive Systems 2007 was created by merging three conferences: • HCSE 2007 – Human-Centerd Software Engineering held for the first time. The HCSE Working Conference is a multidisciplinary conference entirely dedicated to advancing the basic science and theory of human-centerd software systems engineering. It is organized by IFIP WG 13.2 on Methodologies for User-Centerd Systems Design. • EHCI 2007 – Engineering Human Computer Interaction was held for the tenth time. EHCI aims to investigate the nature, concepts, and construction of user interfaces for software systems. It is organized by IFIP WG 13.4/2.7 on User Interface Engineering. • DSV-IS 2007 – Design, Specification and Verification of Interactive Systems was held for the 13th time. DSV-IS provides a forum where researchers wo- ing on model-based techniques and tools for the design and development of - teractive systems can come together with practitioners and with those working on HCI models and theories.

The four-volume set LNCS 8117-8120 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2013. The 53 papers included in the third volume are organized in topical sections on mobile usage and techniques, mobile UX and privacy concerns, model-based user interface design, multimodal user interface design, multimodality, cross-platform studies, narratives in design, navigation aids, novel user interfaces, passwords: e-authentication, physical ergonomics, road safety, seniors and usability, social behaviour, collaboration and presence, social collaborative interaction, social media, and software development.

The four-volume set LNCS 8117-8120 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2013. The 53 papers included in the third volume are organized in topical sections on mobile usage and techniques, mobile UX and privacy concerns, model-based user interface design, multimodal user interface design, multimodality, cross-platform studies, narratives in design, navigation aids, novel user interfaces, passwords: e-authentication, physical ergonomics, road safety, seniors and usability, social behaviour, collaboration and presence, social collaborative interaction, social media, and software development.

The four-volume set LNCS 8117-8120 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2013.The 55 papers included in the second volume are organized in topical sections on E-input/output devices (e-readers, whiteboards), facilitating social behaviour and collaboration, gaze-enabled interaction design, gesture and tactile user interfaces, gesture-based user interface design and interaction, health/medical devices, humans and robots, human-work interaction design, interface layout and data entry, learning and knowledge-sharing, learning tools, learning contexts, managing the UX, mobile interaction design, and mobile phone applications.

The four-volume set LNCS 8117-8120 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2013.The 57 papers included in the first volume are organized in topical sections on 3D navigation, 3D technologies - 3D object manipulation, augmented reality, cognitive workload, cognitive workload and decision support, creating effective 3D displays, cross-cultural, intercultural and social issues, data entry mechanisms and devices, design and evaluation, design and evaluation of prototypes, design to support creativity, designing for inclusiveness, designing with and for people with special needs, display manipulations, and diversity / ICT in social development.

The four-volume set LNCS 8117-8120 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2013.The 57 papers included in the first volume are organized in topical sections on 3D navigation, 3D technologies - 3D object manipulation, augmented reality, cognitive workload, cognitive workload and decision support, creating effective 3D displays, cross-cultural, intercultural and social issues, data entry mechanisms and devices, design and evaluation, design and evaluation of prototypes, design to support creativity, designing for inclusiveness, designing with and for people with special needs, display manipulations, and diversity / ICT in social development.

The four-volume set LNCS 8117-8120 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2013, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2013.The fourth volume includes 38 regular papers organized in topical sections on supporting physical activity, supporting shred activities, sustainability, tabletop computing, text comprehensibility, tracking eyes and head, usability evaluation and technology acceptance, user preferences and behaviour, user requirements capture and analysis, UX in work / educational context, voice / sound-based computing, 31 interactive posters, 2 industrial papers, 4 panels, 1 contribution on special interest groups, 1 tutorial, and 9 workshop papers.