Software ergonomics standards establish design principles for multimedia user interfaces. They address user interfaces for applications that incorporate, integrate, and synchronize static media such as text, graphics or images, and dynamic media such as audio, animation, video, or media related to other sensory modalities.
ISO 14915-1:2002 establishes design principles for multimedia user interfaces and provides a framework for handling the different considerations involved in their design. It addresses user interfaces for applications that incorporate, integrate and synchronize different media. This includes static media such as text, graphics or images, and dynamic media such as audio, animation, video or media related to other sensory modalities. Detailed design issues within a single medium (e.g. the graphical design of an animation sequence) are only addressed as far as they imply ergonomic consequences for the user. ISO 14915-1:2002 gives requirements and recommendations for the ergonomic design of multimedia applications mainly intended for professional and vocational activities such as work or learning. It does not specifically address applications outside this area, such as entertainment, although some recommendations can also be applicable in such domains. ISO 14915-1:2002 is applicable to software aspects related to multimedia user interfaces and does not address hardware or implementation issues. The ergonomic requirements and recommendations described in ISO 14915-1:2002 can be realized through very different techniques, e.g. the delivery system, a scripting language, or the application. The focus of ISO 14915-1:2002 is on multimedia presentation issues. Multimodal input which uses different media such as speech in combination with pointing for entering information is not considered in the recommendations provided.
This document provides guidance on aspects of the design of human-system interaction, including conceptual design, user-system interaction design, user interface design and navigation design for interactive systems. This document applies to all design and development approaches and methodologies, including human-centred design, object-oriented, waterfall, human factors integration (HFI), agile and rapid development. It is intended for the following types of users: — user interface designers, who will apply the guidance during the development process; — developers, who will apply the guidance during the design and implementation of system functionality; — evaluators, who are responsible for ensuring that products meet the recommendations; — designers of user interface development tools and style guides to be used by user interface designers; — project managers, who are responsible for managing development processes.
ISO 14915-3:2002 gives recommendations for, and guidance on, the design, selection and combination of interactive user interfaces that integrate and synchronize different media. It addresses user interfaces for applications that incorporate, integrate and synchronize different media. This includes static media such as text, graphics, images; and dynamic media such as audio, animation, video or media related to other sensory modalities. Detailed design issues within a single medium (e.g. the graphical design of an animation sequence) are only addressed as far as they imply ergonomic consequences for the user.
This document provides an overview of ISO 9241 software ergonomic standards in the form of executive summaries of these standards, in particular the parts in the ISO 9241-1XX family of documents. In addition, it provides executive summaries for ISO 9241-11, ISO 9241-210 and ISO 9241-220, which have specific relevance to the design of software-based interactive systems. This document is intended for the following types of users: — managers, who are involved in planning and managing product, system and/or service development projects, who are to be informed on the human-centred design approach and on guidance on software ergonomics; — developers, who will apply the guidance in these documents during the development process (either directly, based on training, or by using tools and style guides which incorporate the guidance); — user interface design roles (including interaction designers, information architects, user interface designers, visual designers and content creators), who will apply the guidance in these documents during the creation and design process (either directly, based on training, or by using tools and style guides which incorporate the guidance); — user researchers, who are responsible for identifying user needs and inform context of use of a product, system or service; — evaluators, who are responsible for ensuring that products, systems or services meet the recommendations contained in these documents; — buyers, who will reference these documents in contracts during product procurement; — designers of user interface development tools and style guides to be used by user interface designers and developers. While the documents are applicable to all types of interactive systems, they do not cover the specifics of every context of use, such as safety critical systems and collaborative work.
ISO 9241-129:2010 provides ergonomics guidance on individualization within interactive systems, including recommendations on where individualization might be appropriate or inappropriate and how to apply individualization. It focuses on individualization of the software user interface to support the needs of users as individuals or as members of a defined group. It does not recommend specific implementations of individualization mechanisms. It provides guidance on how the various aspects of individualization are made usable and accessible, but does not specify which individualizations are to be included within a system. (Individualizations depend on the specific context of use for which an interactive system is to be designed and/or used, and need to be developed for that specific context of use.) ISO 9241-129:2010 is not intended to be used in isolation. It deals only with individualization within the context of designing a complete software system. It is intended to be used with ISO 9241-110 and any other parts in the ISO 9241 series applicable to the design of the intended system. Some of its guidance can also be applied to hardware user interfaces and user interfaces that combine software and hardware.
ISO 9241-143:2012 provides requirements and recommendations for the design and evaluation of forms, in which the user fills-in, selects entries for or modifies labelled fields on a form or dialogue box presented by the system. Often the system then creates or updates the data associated with the form. Form-based entries typically are in the form of typed input (abbreviations, or full names) or selections from available option lists. ISO 9241-143:2012 is applicable to forms regardless of the modality in which they are rendered (visual, spatial, vocal); much of its guidance is based on a model of visual and spatial relationship. In addition, it specifies the use of non-text methods for providing forms entries (e.g. list boxes) and pertains to dialogue boxes which utilize form techniques. Guidance is provided on the selection and design of those user-interface elements relevant to forms. While it covers lists used to enter forms data, menus which are similar to lists are outside its scope (see ISO 9241 14). It is not applicable to the hardware aspects of forms. The requirements and recommendations in ISO 9241-143:2012 are applicable throughout the development process (for example, as guidance for designers during design, as a basis for heuristic evaluation, as guidance for usability testing) and in the procurement process.
ISO 9241-151:2008 provides guidance on the human-centred design of software Web user interfaces with the aim of increasing usability. Web user interfaces address either all Internet users or closed user groups such as the members of an organization, customers and/or suppliers of a company or other specific communities of users. The recommendations given in this part of ISO 9241:2008 focus on the following aspects of the design of Web user interfaces: high-level design decisions and design strategy; content design; navigation and search; content presentation. The user interfaces of different types of user agents such as Web browsers or additional tools such as Web authoring tools are not directly addressed in this part of ISO 9241:2008 (although some of its guidance could apply to these systems as well). Web user interfaces are presented on a personal computer system, mobile system or some other type of network connected device. While the recommendations given in this part of ISO 9241:2008 apply to a wide range of available front end technologies, the design of mobile Web interfaces or smart devices could require additional guidance not within its scope; neither does it provide detailed guidance on technical implementation nor on issues of aesthetic or artistic design.
ISO 9241-171:2008 provides ergonomics guidance and specifications for the design of accessible software for use at work, in the home, in education and in public places. It covers issues associated with designing accessible software for people with the widest range of physical, sensory and cognitive abilities, including those who are temporarily disabled, and the elderly. It addresses software considerations for accessibility that complement general design for usability as addressed by ISO 9241-110, ISO 9241-11 to ISO 9241-17, ISO 14915 and ISO 13407. ISO 9241-171:2008 is applicable to the accessibility of interactive systems. It addresses a wide range of software (e.g. office, Web, learning support and library systems). It promotes the increased usability of systems for a wider range of users. While it does not cover the behaviour of, or requirements for, assistive technologies (including assistive software), it does address the use of assistive technologies as an integrated component of interactive systems. It is intended for use by those responsible for the specification, design, development, evaluation and procurement of software platforms and software applications.