This paper describes the project which has been adopted the concept of the human-centered design (HCD). This project was the development of the electronic application system, which has multiple ways of application for Sapporo citizens. HCD-Net proposed improvement of GIB and implemented context of use analysis. Through this process, we could have significant discussion with the collaborators how to implement the HCD concept.

View full abstract

This research was done in cooperation with Software Engineering Center (SEC) in order to understand the recognition of the usability for engineers and managers in embedded system development. The degree of recognition of the usability, the usability activities in the system development process, and the problems in the activities were examined through the interviews to the managers and the questionnaires to the engineers.

View full abstract

Based on the efforts of usability professionals, the usability engineering is now opening up a new era. Regarding what we should conduct so that we can obtain a fruitful result, following issues are discussed in this article, i.e. the concept of usability, the usability design process, the universal usability, the long term usability, and the usability of service activity.

View full abstract

Stages for incorporating human-centered design into product development are divided into three; the first stage for designing effective user interface, the second stage for managing human-cantered design processes and the third stage for institutionalizing human-centered design in the organization. In this paper possibilities and restrictions of the usability design guidelines in the first stage is discussed. The design guidelines are effective for supporting the consistency of user interface design. On the other hands, to receive the benefit of effectiveness should be managed properly and the skills involved with usability engineering should be upgraded.

View full abstract

This paper describes our approach on human-centered design (HCD) education using scenario. In the ubiquitous computing environment, our design focus shifts from tangible artifacts to intangible services. As designers we need to focus on designing not interfaces but interactions. This paper argues that scenario writing from interface view (user interface scenario) and user's task view (task scenario) provides to designers clear distinctions between interfaces and interactions. The scenario writing can be used for HCD education.

View full abstract

This paper describes the new understanding of the word “human” used in “Human Centered Design” and the word “user” used in “Usability”. Centered human also changes in the process of finding the value of artifacts. User interface design and usability evaluation must find the new way of thinking, the new method and the new process in near future.

View full abstract

This report contains information about current status and issues of human centered design practice, based on a survey conducted on February 2005 as an activity of special interest group on human centered design (SIGHCD) in the Technology Committee of Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Association (JBMIA).

View full abstract

This thesis considers the ideal way of the activity that starts improving the usability by using the guideline in the product development. One method of confirming the make of the usability in the product development is to prepare the checklist. The usability activity can be appropriately managed by developing and using this. In the checklist, two kinds exist. That is, the checklist based on the guideline, and the checklist based on the project specification. The usability engineer who appropriately judges the content of the guideline should use it for the guideline type. The designer can use it for the project specification type by their self­assessment activity because he or she contains all content that the checklist is demanded from the product. Finally, it is necessary to verify the validity of the usability quality by the usability testing using the test user in any case.

View full abstract

Usability is now paid attention to be an important subject for both users and developers of products. Most of usability problems are depend on software design. The big problem of software venders is work over again and again due to the poor documentation of use's needs. To solve this problem and to improve usability, this paper is proposing to develop “user interface design tool”. The characteristics of the “user interface design tool” are as follows. Easy to change design when there find some problems at any steps of designing, especially at the early step. Easy to design to keep consistency for the designers who have not any special knowledge of user interface design.

View full abstract

This paper describes the definition, characteristics and method of Service Engineering. The point of Service Engineering is to change experience into service and make system design based on Design Ergonomics. The new job of Service Engineering expert is to extract requirements of products and make structured concept.

View full abstract

Oki regards universal design (UD) as a design that includes both accessibility from the perspective of disables and elderly users, and usability from the general users. This approach coincides with Mr. Ron Mace's seven UD principles. Currently Japanese Industry Standard (JIS) is to finalize the new accessibility standard based on Guide 71 of ISO. Oki has positively participated in this standardization as a committee member, and this has expedited more rapid in-house standardization in a form of modification with Oki culture. If the study of usability is included, this activity with Human Centred design (HCD) has already been carried on for more than ten years. As a practical problem, the ATMs, ticket vending machines, and other such equipment for public use that are products of this company are used daily by disables and elderly people. There exist different requirements however for the various different products. Consequently, Oki is promoting the individual projects through in-house virtual conference system so as to take actual business into account. Members of this company's development teams and the UD specialists have offices in remote locations, so this use of virtual conference system has proved effective and effective with member satisfactions.

View full abstract

This paper introduces the serious current situation of traffic accidents in Japan in terms of the frequency and the severity of accidents, especially constantly increasing accident pattern, crossing collisions, and the way how to reduce them by combining low technology practice and high technology oriented methods. General tendency of traffic accidents by year shows the number of fatal cases is decreasing significantly for the last 12 years, while the frequency of accidents and the number of injured people are increasing constantly. The author introduces a combination of low and high technology oriented practices including an improved legibility of convex mirrors at crossing sections by ergonomic real-site reassessment of mirrors for crossing collisions and application of near accidents data analysis collected by an image-recording type drive-recorder.

View full abstract

This paper describes Process Assessment on the Maturity of Universal Design. Recently lots of Japanese companies are making efforts to produce UD products and services. But it is not easy to find out the best way to achieve their purpose, although they have strong enthusiasms. And “try and error” is the only way in almost cases. This assessment model could guide them to understand their week points and the best way is to overcome them. This model is the framework for the assessment on the maturity of capability provided by the organization's management and process definition that achieve UD related activities (planning, design, production etc). The Process Maturity Framework defines a process dimension and a capability dimension.

View full abstract

The work posture of home electric appliances with a large load when using it and the system requirements of the product are paid to attention, and operation with a large load has been extracted. The work operation took a picture with two digital video cameras, and analyzed the situation that the monitor used appliances. A quantitative analysis of the work load is done by using the three dimension operation analysis software.

View full abstract