ABSTRACT
The idea of a usability evaluation is gaining momentum, and the term usability is becoming common parlance in product design. This is a welcome shift in emphasis towards “ease-of-use” in product development. In many respects, the fundamental tenet of usability is that a product should be easy to use. This heightening of interest does not mean that usability (AKA user friendly, ergonomically designed, user-centered design, consumeroriented product development) is a new concept. Ergonomists have been beating this particular drum for the past fifty years or so. Just over twenty years ago, Ivergard (1976) pointed out that very little research had been published on consumer ergonomics. While that picture has changed somewhat (there is a growing literature on physical aspects of product use), there is still little published on cognitive aspects of product use (Baber and Stanton 1994).
