ABSTRACT
The vast majority of literature on usability testing comes from the literature on human–computer interaction, which is coincidentally the youngest of the design professions. The inclusion of utility and usefulness-related outcomes as a component of usability is likely derived from the International Organization for Standardization definition of usability, which describes usability broadly as comprising effectiveness and efficiency, but also implicitly as including utility. It is important to note that the term usability has a very narrow interpretation based on the fit between a product's functioning and users' functional abilities and needs. Like rehabilitation engineering, usability and human-centered design have long been recognized as an important component of industrial design, although its history of product usability testing as an important factor in making successful products is somewhat more recent. Heuristic evaluation uses a small set of evaluators to assess a prototype product for compliance with usability design principles and any applicable usability standards specific to the target audience.
