Useware is a generic term introduced in 1998 and denotes all hardware and software components of a technical system that serve its interactive use. The main idea of this term is to focus on technical design according to human abilities and needs. The only promising method[1] to design future technical products and systems is to understand human abilities and limitations, and to focus the technology on these abilities and limitations.

Today, Useware requires its own need for development which is partly higher than the needs in the classical development fields.[2] Thus, usability is increasingly recognized as a value-adding factor. Often the Useware of machines with similar or equal technical functions is the only characteristic that sets it apart.[3]

Useware development process (fig. 1)

Useware engineering

Similar to software engineering, Useware engineering implies the standardized production of Useware by engineers and the associated processes (see fig. 1). The aim of Useware engineering is to develop interfaces that are easy to understand and efficient to use. These interfaces are adapted to the human work task. Also, the interfaces represent machine functionality without overemphasizing it.

Therefore, the objective of systematic Useware engineering guarantees high usability based on the actual tasks of the users. However, it requires an approach that comprises active and iterative participation of different groups of people.

Therefore, the professional associations GfA (Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft), GI (Gesellschaft für Informatik), VDE-ITG (The Information Technology Society in VDE) and VDI/VDE GMA (The Society for Measurement and Automatic Control in the VDI/VDE) agreed in 1998 on defining Useware as a new term. The term Useware was intentionally selected in linguistic analogy to hard and software.

Consequently, Useware engineering developed in a similar way to the development of engineering processes (see fig. 2). This reinforces the principal demand for structured development of user-centered user interfaces expressed e.g. by Ben Shneiderman.[4] After many years of function-oriented development human abilities and needs are brought into focus. The only promising method to develop future technology products and systems is to understand the users’ abilities and limitations and to aim the technology in that direction.[1]

The development of the different engineering discipline (fig. 2)s

The Useware development process distinguishes the following steps: analysis, structure design, design, realization, and evaluation. Each of these steps should not be regarded separately but rather overlapping. The continuity of the process as well as the use of suitable tools, e.g. on the basis of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) make it possible to avoid information losses and media breaks.

Analysis

Humans learn, think, and work in completely different ways. Therefore, the first step in the development of a user interface is to analyze the users, their tasks, and their work environment in order to identify the requirements and needs of these users. This step forms the basis for a user- and task-oriented user interface. Both humans and machines are considered interaction partners. The analysis of users and their behavior employs different methods such as structured interviews, observations, card sorting, etc. They should give a preferably complete image of the working task, the various groups of users, and their working environment. To use these methods, several professional experts, e.g. engineers, computer scientists, and psychologists should be involved. Especially in the analysis phase, task models are generated for documentation and user interface generation, which implicitly contains a function model of the process and/or of the machine.[5]

Structure design

The results of the analysis phase are adjusted within the structuring phase. An abstract use model[6] is developed on the basis of this information which is platform-independent. The result of the structuring phase is the basic structure of the future user interface. The use model is a formal model of use contexts, tasks, and information demanding the functionality of the machine. The use model is modeled using the Useware Markup Language, useML[7] within a model-based development environment.

Design

Parallel to the structuring phase a hardware platform for the Useware has to be selected. This selection is based on the environmental requirements of the machine usage (pollution, noise, vibration, .) on the one hand and the user's requirements (display size, optimal interaction device,.) on the other. Furthermore, economic factors have to be considered. If the model is intensively networked or is composed of a huge number of elements, sufficient display size for visualizing information structure should be provided. These factors partly depend on user groups and contexts of use.[8]

Realisation/prototyping

During the prototyping, developers must select a development tool. If the selected development environment provides import possibilities, the developed use model can be imported and the derivation of the user interface can be processed. In most cases, the processing affects the realization of dynamic components as well as the fine design of dialogues. Often there is a media break between the structuring and the (fine) design phase. Today's field of development tools has a wide variety of notations. Developers need to represent the Useware in the form of prototypes, e.g. paper prototypes or Microsoft PowerPoint prototypes.

Evaluation

Continuous evaluation during the development process allows early detection of product problems, thereby reducing development costs.[9] It is important to include not only design aspects but also structural aspects such as navigational concepts, in the evaluation. Some tests have shown that 60% of all use errors are not the result of bad design, but rather by structural deficiencies. The evaluation phase needs to be considered as a cross-sectional task in the entire development process. Therefore, it is very important to integrate users into the product development.

References

  1. 1 2 Albach, Horst (June 2007). "Herz, Dietmar; Weinberger, Veronika (Hrsg.): Lexikon ökonomischer Werke. 650 wegweisende Schriften von der Antike bis ins 20. Jahrhundert". Journal of Business Economics. 77 (6): 697–698. doi:10.1007/s11573-007-0049-9. ISSN 0044-2372.
  2. ↑ "Useware-Systeme für internationale Märkte", Useware-Engineering für technische Systeme, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 142–164, 2004, ISBN 978-3-540-20647-7, retrieved 2023-09-23
  3. ↑ Meixner, Gerrit (2011-12-01). "Mobile Interaktionstechniken in der Fabrik der Zukunft". atp edition - Automatisierungstechnische Praxis. 53 (12): 48. doi:10.17560/atp.v53i12.359. ISSN 2364-3137.
  4. ↑ Nielsen, Jakob (January 1987). "Book review: Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction by Ben Shneiderman (Addison-Wesley, 1987)". ACM SIGCHI Bulletin. 18 (3): 85–86. doi:10.1145/25281.1044310. ISSN 0736-6906.
  5. ↑ Hofmeister, Wernfried (2007-12-31), "Mehrschichtiges Edieren als neue Chance für die Sprachwissenschaft", Edition und Sprachgeschichte, DE GRUYTER, pp. 73–88, retrieved 2023-09-23
  6. ↑ Zuehlke, Detlef; Thiels, Nancy (2008-03-07). "Useware engineering: a methodology for the development of user‐friendly interfaces". Library Hi Tech. 26 (1): 126–140. doi:10.1108/07378830810857852. ISSN 0737-8831.
  7. ↑ Jung, Christian; Müsebeck, Franziska; Barisin, Tin; Schladitz, Katja; Redenbach, Claudia; Kiesche, Martin; Pahn, Matthias (March 2022). "Towards automatic crack segmentation in 3d concrete images". e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing. 27 (3). doi:10.58286/26620. ISSN 1435-4934.
  8. ↑ Görlich, Daniel; Thiels, Nancy; Meixner, Gerrit (2008). "Personalized Use Models in Ambient Intelligence Environments". IFAC Proceedings Volumes. 41 (2): 13785–13790. doi:10.3182/20080706-5-kr-1001.02334. ISSN 1474-6670.
  9. ↑ Bias, Randolph G. (2005), "Cost-Justifying Usability", Cost-Justifying Usability, Elsevier, pp. 613–621, retrieved 2023-09-23
  • Bias, R. G.; Mayhew, D. J. (1994). Cost-justifying usability. Boston, MA: Academic Press

Further literature

  • Oberquelle, H. (2002): Useware Design and Evolution: Bridging Social Thinking and Software Construction. In: Y. Dittrich, C. Floyd, R. Klischewski (Hrsg.): Social Thinking–Software Practice, S. 391–408, Cambridge, London: MIT-Press
  • For further information see the Useware-Forum 17 March 2009
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