Theme and Variation: Usability in a Post-Waterfall World
by Larry Constantine, University of Madeira, Portugal

  Abstract: The shortening of product life cycles, the advent of rapid iterative techniques, and the rise of agile methods all strain conventional approaches to usability evaluation and interaction design. To function effectively in this changing context, professionals must go beyond time-and-resource intensive conventional methods, such as elaborate ethnographic inquiry, full upfront design, and in-depth user testing to broaden their perspective and practices. This keynote will challenge conventional thinking about usability evaluation and design and consider the role of a range of streamlined approaches that might better fit modern design and development processes. These include model-driven inquiry, small-N and single-subject user testing, design metrics and predictive measures, and usability inspections and peer reviews.

  Biography: Larry Constantine, IDSA, is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Engineering and Director of the Laboratory for Usage-centered Software Engineering at the University of Madeira, Portugal. An ACM Fellow recognized for his contributions to software design, he is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern software engineering theory and practice. An award-winning designer specializing in interaction design and techniques for enhancing user performance in safety-critical applications, he is a persistent innovator with a number of patents in human-machine interaction to his credit. His publications include more than 175 articles and papers and 17 books in both the human sciences and computer sciences. His papers have been widely reprinted, and his books have been translated into nine languages. He has taught in 20 countries and his clients have included leading technology companies throughout the world.