Mikko Rajanen

Usability cost-benefit analysis: how usability became a curse word?

Usability is an important quality characteristic of software (SW) products and systems. Usability cost-benefit analysis models outline the potential benefits and costs of usability. This paper contrasts usability cost-benefit analysis literature with an empirical case in industrial setting, in which usability cost-benefit considerations (along with other usability activities) resulted in usability becoming a curse word. An interpretive case study was carried out in a SW development organization. Empirical analysis reveals that clearly divergent meanings and motives were attached to usability and its cost-benefit analysis in the organization. Increased sales and reduced development costs were strongly emphasized as benefits of better usability. However, very surprising meanings were attached to them both. Furthermore, the increased development costs associated with better usability were the main failure factor of the whole usability improvement effort. Implications both for theory and practice are discussed.

Introducing usability activities into open source software development projects: a participative approach

Usability is an important quality characteristic of software products and information systems. Different approaches for introducing usability activities into open source software (OSS) development have not yet been fully evaluated. This paper experiments with the introduction of usability activities into OSS development through a participative approach. An empirical case study was carried out in a game development OSS project. The results of this study suggest that it is beneficial to introduce usability activities into OSS development through the participative approach. In the participative approach the usability experts become recognized part of the development community through adapting their ways of work into the culture of the OSS project and submitting code patches. This participative approach had a clear impact in the case project as seen in changes in the user interface and in improved usability. The challenge of adapting usability and OSS development philosophies and practices should, however, be researched further.

Power, Empowerment and Open Source Usability

Open source software (OSS) projects are often seen as participatory and egalitarian settings where people collaboratively develop software to serve their needs as well as the needs of others. In this paper, however, we argue that power and politics also characterize OSS development, and that this has serious implications for OSS usability. The existing Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research on OSS usability has already shown that power and politics play a role; this study offers a theoretical treatment of the matter. A theoretical framework on power and empowerment is utilized in analyzing empirical data on OSS usability as well as the existing body of knowledge on the topic. With the help of this framework, HCI research can address the aspects of power and empowerment in OSS usability in a more systematic and comprehensive manner.

Developing A Usability Capability Assessment Approach through Experiments in Industrial Settings

Usability capability assessments are carried out to analyse the capability of a development organisation in performing user-centred design (UCD). We carried out four experimental usability capability assessments to learn how to perform assessments effectively in industrial settings. Our starting point was traditional software process assessment based on ISO 15504 (’SPICE’). The recent ISO/TR 18529 was used as the process reference model of UCD. Our experiments showed that the focus of ISO 15504 process assessments — management of activities — did not exactly meet the needs of assessments in our context. These experiences led us to a modified assessment approach where the focus is in performance of UCD. Its main characteristics are: 1. a refined UCD process model; 2. a three-dimensional capability scale; and 3. implementation of an assessment as a workshop rather than a series of interviews.

Examining Usability Work and Culture in OSS

Organizational culture has been recognized as an influential factor affecting the successes and failures of usability work in organizations; however, there is a lack of research on organizational culture in open source software (OSS) development. This paper shows that there are different kinds of cultures in OSS development projects and builds propositions on the relationship between culture and usability work in OSS development projects. Partly those are derived from the literature, partly from an exploratory empirical inquiry. We speculate whether there is an ideal culture type for usability work in OSS development or whether usability work should be modified to fit the different cultures of OSS development projects.

Non-response, Social Exclusion, and False Acceptance: Gatekeeping Tactics and Usability Work in Free-Libre Open Source Software Development

Usability is an important aspect of Free-Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS), but barriers exist for usability specialists’ participation in such projects. Organizational boundary literature is interested in the tensions of online communities, including FLOSS communities. While this literature recognizes the importance of managing boundaries in online communities, little empirical research has been conducted on actual gatekeeping tactics project members perform against outsiders’ contributions. Based on several years of engaged research with FLOSS projects, we characterize three gatekeeping tactics in FLOSS projects: non-response, social exclusion, and false acceptance. They all have hindered usability work. We also offer examples of usability specialists and their contributions succeeding in avoiding these gatekeeping tactics in FLOSS projects. This paper provides an important contribution to the boundary management literature through detailed examination of gatekeeping tactics in action, as well as to the Human Computer Interaction literature interested in contributing to FLOSS projects through usability work.

Battle over Media Choice: Multiplex Tensions in the Online Community of Wikipedia

Media choice theories conceptualize decisions people make when they are faced with communication media alternatives to fit a communicative need. In this paper we address two gaps in extant research on media choice. First, we show that media choices may be intimately intertwined with the questions of power. The second contribution comes from situating an online community as the focus of media choice research – a novel combination. We conducted an interpretive case study on how power is intermingled with the choice of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) in the Finnish Wikipedia. We found that IRC was viewed in starkly different ways by different actors. Moreover, the IRC was largely associated with the notions of power. In particular, it was related to accession and ability to influence decisionmaking in the community. One party perceived IRC as a useful and open channel for quick-tempo collaborations and informal interactions, while others saw it as an arena for “the elite” to scheme against “the proletariat”. Overall, IRC was a source of “multiplex tensions”: conflicts originating from communication being dispersed into multiple media and from different perceptions towards a medium. The study provides several important implications for theory and practice.

Nordic Contributions in IS Research

Software is increasingly developed, adopted and deployed in the form of customizable and configurable products. This has repercussions for the design, development and implementation of a configured or customized piece of software in the end-user organization. The design decisions done at the product provider influence the local ICT infrastructure. On the one hand, methods for local participatory design need to take the ripple effects in the local infrastructure into account, as it might effect not only the local implementation but also future possibilities for participatory design and end user development. On the other hand, software providers need feedback and design input. Participation can be expected to change character from preparing implementation here and now to a sustained co-development of the common tool. The keynote is based on a series of research projects with software product providers and around evolution of organizational infrastructures and outlines a number of challenges for Partici-