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User-Centered Product User-Centered Product TeamsTeams

Torres 4Torres 4

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TopicsTopics

IntroductionIntroduction Ergonomics of Software Ergonomics of Software

DevelopmentDevelopment Required Skill AreasRequired Skill Areas Implications of Software Implications of Software

DevelopmentDevelopment

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

TopicsTopics

Required Technical SkillsRequired Technical Skills Team AttributesTeam Attributes Development SkillsDevelopment Skills Skill BuildingSkill Building Manager SkillsManager Skills

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

IntroductionIntroduction

UI design is complexUI design is complex Requires large skill setRequires large skill set Lack of skills = high risk for Lack of skills = high risk for

projectproject Skills generally not taughtSkills generally not taught Learned on the jobLearned on the job

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Ergonomics of Software Ergonomics of Software DevelopmentDevelopment Software development process is Software development process is

difficultdifficult Most software and UI’s are Most software and UI’s are

average qualityaverage quality Multitude of issues and trade offsMultitude of issues and trade offs

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Required Skill AreasRequired Skill Areas

Ability to work with many different Ability to work with many different peoplepeople

Understand business users, Understand business users, processesprocesses

Understand future needs and goalsUnderstand future needs and goals Translate ambiguous requirements Translate ambiguous requirements

into specificationsinto specifications FlexibilityFlexibility

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Implications of Software Implications of Software DevelopmentDevelopment

Challenges are 80% people, 20% Challenges are 80% people, 20% technologytechnology

Critical goalsCritical goals– Effective delivery of productEffective delivery of product– Meet requirementsMeet requirements

UsabilityUsability UIUI ConsistencyConsistency

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Required Technical SkillsRequired Technical Skills

UI interface engineeringUI interface engineering UI software engineeringUI software engineering Graphics and media engineeringGraphics and media engineering Information engineeringInformation engineering Usability engineeringUsability engineering Business engineeringBusiness engineering

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Team AttributesTeam Attributes

Personnel with both hard and soft Personnel with both hard and soft skillsskills

Entrepreneurial spiritEntrepreneurial spirit Market (business) drivenMarket (business) driven Team orientedTeam oriented User orientedUser oriented

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Development SkillsDevelopment Skills

Programming languageProgramming language OS knowledgeOS knowledge UI design & developmentUI design & development OO analysis, design and OO analysis, design and

programmingprogramming Cross platform toolsCross platform tools Written and oral communicationWritten and oral communication

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Skill BuildingSkill Building

Formal classesFormal classes Self studySelf study Small first stepsSmall first steps IterateIterate PracticePractice

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Manager SkillsManager Skills

People/team managementPeople/team management PlanningPlanning TrainingTraining Manage technology introductionManage technology introduction Organization behaviorOrganization behavior

William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.eduWilliam H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

Questions & DiscussionQuestions & Discussion