Research of design processes of IA products based on usability

Abstract

In this post-PC era, there are many IA(information appliance)products entering into our daily lives. The way of use in these products might be very different from our past experiences. Use of a screen or a system is affected by a variety of factors. And the man-machine interface might be simulated virtually on the computer display rather than in physical buttons. Users are frustrated with many unusable products and have to deal with in their day-to-day lives. Offering customers 'user-friendly' products could be seen as something new in markets. Of the factors involved in the product creation process, usability issues can be amongst the most significant in terms of influencing the commercial success of the product. The interface is a communication tool between man-made machines and humans. One way to enhance the usability of IA products is to improve the appearance of the user interface. In this research, the author sought to propose an innovative product development process suitable for the post-PC era. Several user-interaction oriented processes of product development adopted by the industries were examined. The contents and procedures of user-interaction design then were further analyzed. Accordingly, an innovative operational approach of IA products design based on usability was proposed