Web Usability Engineers, Research Paper Example

Abstract

The paper discusses web usability engineers. The paper defines usability and describes who web usability engineers are. The paper explores the basic web usability engineers’ functions. Education and skills requirements are discussed.

Web Usability Engineers

With the growing pace of technological advancement, usability is becoming the determining feature of every technology’s success. In general terms, usability implies that users can use a technological product to achieve their goals. More importantly, usability confirms that users do not face any difficulties while using the product and are pleased with how it works. Because usability is crucial for the commercial success of any technology, companies gradually come to realize the value of hiring and developing their own professional usability engineers. Web usability engineers exemplify the new professional trend in technology development, and work to ensure that every new technology can successfully integrate with the basic functions of everyday life.

Web Usability Engineers: Who They Are

U.S. Government (2008) writes that usability is “how well users can learn and use a product to achieve their goals and how satisfied they are with that process”. Usability implies that users do not simply use the product but that they are also satisfied with how it works and get pleasure from using it. Today, when technology markets operate in conditions of intense competition, usability is crucial for the success of any technology, including web technology. Companies that deal with technologies will seek to adjust their web solutions and applications to the most sophisticated needs of consumers. Usability measures the efficiency of use and ease of learning, error frequency and severity, memorability, and subjective satisfaction (U.S. Government, 2008). To meet their business goals, companies choose to hire web usability personnel. Web usability engineers represent a narrow field of usability engineering that deals with web solutions and applications. They apply human factors research to the design of systems and products (ACM, 2002). Web usability engineers exemplify a human factor in researching the usability of web applications. They must guarantee that web applications and systems are usable for common consumers and professionals in various fields. Web usability engineers improve the efficiency of web applications and enhance their usability for different groups of users (ACM, 2002).

Web Usability Engineers: What They Do

The basic task of every web usability engineer is to analyze users’ needs and to adjust web applications to the needs and skills of users (Crosby, 2000). Web usability engineers must “understand how people learn and remember, how they sort through data, and what steps they take when building something” (Crosby, 2000). Web usability engineering begins with the detailed analysis of applications: while web designers create a functioning piece of web technology and then add a usable interface, web usability engineers begin with the interface and then, in case of a problem, look deeper into the system and solve the problem (Anonymous, 2008). Web usability engineer starts with the user interface and then tries to find a technical solution to fit (Anonymous, 2008). Such analysis is the direct pathway toward creating user-centered web applications and technologies.

The next step is to define what users will do with the new applications. Web usability engineers must document every single activity users will perform on and with the system, and turn them into workflows (Anonymous, 2008). The process of defining activities and actions for web applications is an essential element of the user-centered approach to web engineering and design (ACM, 2002). Users may find it difficult to share their tacit knowledge with professionals and to explain how particular web applications benefit them. Here, web usability engineers become the primary users of every new web application, by listing and documenting everything they can do with the system. To expand the scope of user expertise, web usability engineers may want to watch other users working with the same web application. In this way, web usability engineers will be able to catch and analyze the working processes and to create a better system of web solutions (Anonymous, 2008). Once the information about working processes is gathered and systematized, the web usability engineer’s task is to translate these processes into an intuitive interface (Anonymous, 2008). At this point, web usability engineers finally create actual user interfaces, while users will continue providing their feedback regarding the implementation of the product prior to its final release (Anonymous, 2008). As a result, web usability engineers must not simply apply the human factor to analyzing the effectiveness and usability of web applications but they must be attentive to the voice of other users. Web usability engineers can use other users’ feedback to guide the process of developing and improving the user interface and to make web technologies user-centered.

How to Become a Web Usability Engineer

Jacob Nielsen (2009) writes that usability is like cooking: everyone can do it reasonably well with a bit of training. However, companies still prefer to hire experienced and educated professionals. To become a web usability engineer, a person must have a university degree and possess a whole range of human and professional skills. Web usability engineers explore human experiences and reactions from dealing with technologies. To be eligible for a usability position, a person must have a university degree in computer science and/ or organizational and experimental psychology (Orloff, 2005). A university degree in human factors engineering or management information sciences is a good basis for becoming a web usability engineer (Orloff, 2005). Companies prefer candidates with a master’s degree, but it is not always necessary (Orloff, 2005). Web usability engineers must engage in continuous education and training, to make sure that they can catch up with the speed of technological advancement and to account for the emerging trends in human psychology and patterns of technology use.

In addition to educational requirements, any web usability engineer must possess a wide range of skills. Computer skills are of primary importance – needless to say, those who resolve web problems and work to improve the efficiency and usability of web applications must not only feel comfortable with computers, but must have a clear understanding of how web applications and solutions work (Orloff, 2005). Depending on the nature of web usability engineer’s work, profound programming and web developing skills may be required (Orloff, 2005). More often than not, such skills will contribute significantly to the quality and efficiency of web usability engineer’s performance. Because web usability engineers constantly cooperate with designers and programmers, they must possess strong verbal and communication skills, to ensure that they can successfully and cooperatively resolve even the most complex technical problems (Orloff, 2005). Web usability engineers must possess a high degree of responsibility and patience, to spend sufficient time reworking functionality and web applications design (Anonymous, 2008). Finally, graphic skills can add their value to web usability engineer’s professionalism: at times, they will need to express their thoughts visually (Anonymous, 2008). Experienced professionals have better chances to become usability engineers, as long as web usability skills strongly depend on experience (Nielsen, 2006).

Conclusion

With the growing speed of technological advancement, more and more companies want to improve the usability and efficiency of their products. Usability implies that users can easily use technological and web solutions to meet their goals. Because usability predetermines the quality and commercial success of even the simplest web applications, web usability engineers are becoming a beneficial professional option for organizations. Web usability engineers explore the usability of web applications, to ensure that professionals and consumers can use them easily to meet their goals. The basic task of every web usability engineer is to explore users’ needs and to adjust web applications to the specific skills and needs of users. To become a web usability engineer, a person must have a university degree (e.g., usability degree, computer science degree, or human factors engineering degree) and a broad range of skills – from computer skills to communication and graphics. All these will ensure that a web usability engineer can successfully cope with his (her) basic workplace obligations.

References

ACM. (2002). Cherri M. Pancake on usability engineering. ACM. Retrieved from http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/interviews/c_pancake_1.html

Anonymous. (2008). Web usability engineer. Truax Connection. Retrieved from http://www.truaxconnection.com/

Nielsen, J. (2006). Salary trends for usability professionals. Jacob Nielsen’s Alertbox. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/salaries.html

Nielsen, J. (2009). Anybody can do usability. Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox. Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/anybody-usability.html

Orloff, J. (2005). How do I become a usability engineer? EHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/way_5855029_do-become-usability-engineer_.html

U.S. Government. (n.d.). Usability basics. Usability.gov. Retrieved from http://www.usability.gov/basics/