Usable Software Design
There’s no solution without a problem
Johan Martinsson, developer.
@JOHAN_ALPS
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@JOHAN_ALPS
Design …
... It’s not just what it looks like and feels like.
Design is how it works.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8010717@N02/6216457030 CC BY 2.0
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Alexandru Bolboaca
@JOHAN_ALPS
leanpub.com/usablesoftwaredesign
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We’re all designers
@JOHAN_ALPS
@MARGAUXLERGO
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The user of software design is
the developer
Alexandru Bolboaca
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It’s not the users fault, it’s the designs fault
@JOHAN_ALPS
Source : http://www.lsd-mag.com/blog/design-inconfortable/
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A definition
@JOHAN_ALPS
Nielson (1994)
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Identify design problems
@JOHAN_ALPS
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Interviews
What was difficult to do in the past weeks?
What areas of the code were most difficult to understand
When were you afraid that your changes might be wrong?
Alexandru Bolboaca
@JOHAN_ALPS
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Usability tests
« Needs to be cheap enough
that you’ll do it! »
Watch someone start a story
using your code
- Don’t help
- Ask them to vocalize
@JOHAN_ALPS
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Code review
@JOHAN_ALPS
I don’t like the code!
Is there a usability problem?
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Team Agreement
1. Code written to be read
2. Easy to find where to modify
3. Minimal ripple effect
4. Simple AND easy to validate
5. Limited duplication
A federating concept
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Parallels with code
@JOHAN_ALPS
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Incitation
@JOHAN_ALPS
Push or pull? Push, but where?
Push!