 | American Psychological Association | |
|---|---|---|
 | Usability Professionals Association | |
 | Human Factors & Ergonomics Society | |
HCI Books for Hardware and SoftwareThe books described here are relevant to Human Factors Design and are available from Amazon. Please let us know if you would like to suggest additional titles.
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Because of overlapping subject matter, some books may be represented more than once. The books listed here are roughly divided into the following categories:
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Titles J to S User Interface Design Books
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by David Gelernter
January 1, 1998
Gelernter's lyrical rant on the critical role of beauty and aesthetics in computer technology comes just in time. Computer engineers and designers, who create software that is bloated with seldom-used features and that intrusively draws our attention to it rather than the task at hand, could greatly benefit from the pursuit of what Gelernter calls "deep beauty," the marriage of power and simplicity. Gelernter suggests that the dichotomy between art/beauty and science/technology has led to inadequate academic training of computer-science students. He points out that the greatest minds in science and industry have always pursued beauty. "Machine beauty is the driving force behind technology and science," he says, and yet "beauty bothers us." Somehow it's perceived to be softer and less rigorous to train computer scientists in art, music, architecture, and design. However, Gelernter sees these disciplines as closely aligned with the mathematics and science that are the foundation of technology. Because of this lack of aesthetic education, much user interface has been poorly designed.
by John M. Slatin, Sharron Rush
September 20, 2002
Addresses the need to make web sites usable for people with disabilities, and outlines design techniques and testing methods for complying with U.S. federal accessibility standards. User experiences illustrate the difficulties encountered online and the role of equivalent alternatives for visual and auditory content. Slatin (University of Texas) and Rush suggest design considerations for HTML forms, PDF documents, multimedia, and cascading style sheets.
by Byron Reeves, Clifford Nass
July 1, 1998
According to popular wisdom, humans never relate to a computer or a television program in the same way they relate to another human being. Or do they? The psychological and sociological complexities of the relationship could be greater than you think. In an extraordinary revision of received wisdom, Byron Reeves and Clifford Nass demonstrate convincingly in The Media Equation that interactions with computers, television, and new communication technologies are identical to real social relationships and to the navigation of real physical spaces. Using everyday language, the authors explain their novel ideas in a way that will engage general readers with an interest in cutting-edge research at the intersection of psychology, communication and computer technology. The result is an accessible summary of exciting ideas for modern times. As Bill Gates says, "(they) ... have shown us some amazing things".
by Microsoft Corporation
September 1, 1999
Since the publication of Windows Interface Guidelines in 1995, the Windows user experience has continued to evolve. The new releases--Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Internet Explorer 5 require precise documentation so developers can understand them and optimize their work accordingly. This book delivers the only print version of official Microsoft guidelines for creating well designed, visually and functionally consistent Windows user interfaces (UIs). It includes both mandatory specifications and practical design suggestions, and will be extensively cross-referenced. New to this edition will be a top-level summary that will call out common UI mistakes and point developers to the sections of the book that describe optimal user experience.
by Mark Van Harmelen (Editor), Stephanie Wilson
April 11, 2001
Object Modeling and User Interface Design: Designing Interactive Systems addresses the problem of designing interactive systems that are easy to learn and use, that augment human abilities by supporting users in their activities, and that are satisfying to their end users--topics that are highly significant for readers who design and specify interactive systems, object modelers, user interface designers, and software design methodologists. This book showcases the vanguard of new methods for object-oriented and component-based interactive system development, incorporating contributions from international experts in object modeling and human computer interaction. It shows how object modeling approaches can be modified to bring user interface concerns into the earliest stages of the software design life cycle, where they have the greatest possible effect on the subsequent system design and on the end system usability. Adopting the perspective that system scope, contents, functionality, and detailed user interface are all inextricably related, this book provides methods for integrated and concurrent consideration of user requirements, analysis-level object models, interaction modeling, detailed user interface design, and interactive system usability. The methods integrate the best applicable user interface design practice with object modeling techniques that use the Unified Modeling Language (UML).
by Carolyn Snyder
April 1, 2003
Do you spend a lot of time during the design process wondering what users really need? Do you hate those endless meetings where you argue how the interface should work? Have you ever developed something that later had to be completely redesigned? Paper Prototyping can help. Written by a usability engineer with a long and successful paper prototyping history, this book is a practical, how-to guide that will prepare you to create and test paper prototypes of all kinds of user interfaces. You'll see how to simulate various kinds of interface elements and interactions. You'll learn about the practical aspects of paper prototyping, such as deciding when the technique is appropriate, scheduling the activities, and handling the skepticism of others in your organization. Numerous case studies and images throughout the book show you real world examples of paper prototyping at work. Learn how to use this powerful technique to develop products that are more useful, intuitive, efficient, and pleasing.
by Larry L. Constantine
April 6, 2001
When it comes to the human side of software, nobody speaks with as much insight as Larry Constantine: developers and managers worldwide recognize his Constantine on Peopleware as the classic in the field. In The Peopleware Papers, Constantine thoroughly updates all 52 of the legendary columns in that book, and adds 25 new essays published for the first time in book form. These 77 essays offer powerful guidance on virtually every software development challenge in the "no-mans land" where technical and social issues blur, psychology meets cybernetics, and theory and practice intersect. Constantines range is extraordinary: project management, group development, discipline vs. chaos, tools, models, methods, processes, personalities, usability, and beyond. The Peopleware Papers includes two completely new sections: one on organizational culture, and another on making software objects more usable - including Constantines hard-to-find, breakthrough essays on usage-centered design.
by B. J. Fogg
December 2002
Can computers change what you think and do? Can they motivate you to stop smoking, persuade you to buy insurance, or convince you to join the Army? "Yes, they can," says Dr. B.J. Fogg, director of the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University. Fogg has coined the phrase "Captology"(an acronym for computers as persuasive technologies) to capture the domain of research, design, and applications of persuasive computers. In this thought-provoking book, based on nine years of research in captology, Dr. Fogg reveals how Web sites, software applications, and mobile devices can be used to change people's attitudes and behavior. Technology designers, marketers, researchers, consumers, anyone who wants to leverage or simply understand the persuasive power of interactive technology will appreciate the compelling insights and illuminating examples found inside. Persuasive technology can be controversial and it should be. Who will wield this power of digital influence? And to what end? Now is the time to survey the issues and explore the principles of persuasive technology, and B.J. Fogg has written this book to be your guide.
by William S. Green, Patrick W. Jordan, Patrick Jordan
June 1, 2002
The last five years have seen a major paradigm shift in the role of human factors in product design. Previously this was seen as pertaining almost exclusively to product usability, but new recognition is being given to "pleasure-based" human factors. Jordon and Green provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in human factors approaches to consumer products consisting of specially invited contributions from leading practitioners in both industry and academia.
by Joseph S. Dumas, Janice C. Redish
October 1, 1999
Ever since publication, A Practical Guide to Usability Testing has maintained its position as the premier text in the field. This revised edition preserves the straightforward approach of the original, and an extended preface brings it up to date with all recent developments. Written in plain English and filled with examples, the book begins by defining usability and explaining methods of usability engineering. Readers are taken through all the steps for planning and conducting a usability test, analysing data, and using the results to improve both products and processes. Included are forms that can be used or modified to conduct a usability test, and layouts of existing labs that will help readers to build their own.
by R. J. Torres, R.J. Torres
January 15, 2002
The complete, practical handbook for effective UI design, development, and usability engineering. Using extensive practical examples, the Practitioner's Handbook for User Interface Design and Development illuminates today's best practices for user interface design, usability, and user-centered development. Robert J. Torres introduces user interfaces from three points of view: the user, the developer, and the system. Next, he introduces a complete user-centered UI development process, beginning at the highest level and then drilling down to each phase of the lifecycle. For every stage, Torres offers clear principles, specific guidelines, and practical heuristics for self-assessment.
by Stuart K. Card
June 1, 1983
Designing human-computer interfaces is still an art, learned best by creating many interfaces and carefully observing how real users interact with them. However, there are many tools from cognitive psychology that, if understood and applied, can yield at least two benefits. First, by learning what is known about how humans operate, you can avoid many pitfalls in design. Second, you can make quantitative design decisions. This book, though nearly 20 years old, contains much essential material that is unknown to many practitioners in the field! If you are designing interfaces, on the Web, for PCs, or for information appliances, you should read and understand the basic material in this book, which can never go out of date as long as humans use keyboards and mice with their hands and scan the screen with their eyes.
by Saul Greenberg
January 15, 1995
The effectiveness of the user-computer interface has become increasingly important as computer systems have become useful tools for persons not trained in computer science. In fact, the interface is often the most important factor in the success or failure of any computer system. Dealing with the numerous subtly interrelated issues and technical, behavioral, and aesthetic considerations consumes a large and increasing share of development time and a corresponding percentage of the total code for any given application. A revision of one of the most successful books on human-computer interaction, this compilation gives students, researchers, and practitioners an overview of the significant concepts and results in the field and a comprehensive guide to the research literature.
July 15, 1998
This book represents a collection of the classic and contemporary readings in the field of Intelligent User Interfaces. An invaluable resource for students, professors, research scientists and engineers, it includes both fundamental research and applied innovations in the key areas of IUI including input analysis, output generation, user and discourse adapted interaction, agent-based interaction, model-based interface design, and evaluation. Editors Maybury and Wahlster, two prominent researchers in the field of Intelligent User Interfaces, offer an introduction to the field along with commentary on each topic. In order to provide a uniquely synergistic view they chose a five person interdisciplinary review board to act as a sounding board for the organization of the book that included paper selection and reviewing commentary for the editors. Each paper concludes with a reflection by the original author on what worked, what did not, and where opportunities remain, as well as commentary on subsequent research and advances since the publication of their work, including important developments and key follow-up publications by the author and others.
by Klaus Kaasgaard
October 1, 2000
What does today's focus on usability and interface design actually entail? This question and many more of its kind are answered in the course of talks conducted by the author with seven distinguished software professionals. The book demonstrates that the issue of usability goes far beyond merely designing an appropriate user interface, and that it ultimately involves our overall approach to technology and society. The engagement and practical experience of the author and the contributors makes the book invaluable for practitioners, researchers and students involved in the fast-growing fields of user-centered software design and human-computer interaction. It will also be relevant to anyone involved in related disciplines such as the philosophy of technology, computer science and psychology.
Titles J to S User Interface Design Books
