USERfit Tool

USERfit is a well-established methodology focused on the generation of usability specifications. It was specifically created for the Assistive Technology field, and proved to be very suitable for the Design for All paradigm. This methodology uses paper-based forms to store and propagate the design related information. For this reason, some issues, such us the inclusion and elimination of new users or contexts of use or the need to propagate the results between forms, could make the specification process tedious.

The Laboratory of HCI for Special Needs implemented an application, called USERfit Tool, in order to facilitate the use of the USERfit design environment. In addition, USERfit Tool allows for the reuse of previously developed material and the sharing of design information among remote groups of designers, maintaining coherence and compatibility.  

Acknowledgements

• USERfit methodology was developed within the USER (TIDE-1062) European project, by the HUSAT Research Institute (UK), SINTEF Unimed Rehab (Norway) and COO.S.S. Marche scrl (Italy). More information about USERfit methodology can be obtained from Poulson D., Ashby M., Richardson S. (1996). USERfit: A practical handbook on user centred design for assistive technology. ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg. (Also in the web site of European project INCLUDE: http://www.stakes.fi/include/1-4.htm)

• The materials used on these pages draw extensively from the USERfit manual developed by the TIDE 1062 USER project, and are used with the permission of the European Commission.

• The development of USERfit Tool has been partially supported by the European Commission within the IST-2000-26211 IRIS Project: Incorporating Requirements of People with Special Needs or Impairments to Internet-based Systems and Services. IST-2000-26211. Partners: European Dynamics (GR), University of the Aegean (GR), Fraunhofer for Institute Applied Information Technology (D), Information Society disAbilities Challenge (B), The University of the Basque Country (E). http://www.iris-design4all.org/

Bibliography about USERfit and Userfit tool

•         Abascal J., Nicolle C. (2000). The Application of USERfit Methodology to Teach Usability Guidelines. In C. Farenc & J. Vanderdonckt (eds.) Tools for Working with Guidelines. Springer. ISBN 1-85233-355-3. pp. 209-216.

•         Abascal J., Arrue M., Garay N., Tomás J., Velasco C. (2003) Accessibility- and usability-oriented design through USERfit Tool. Upgrade, Vol. IV, no. 1, February, 2003. http://www.upgrade-cepis.org/issues/2003/1/up4-1Abascal.pdf

•         Abascal J., Arrue M., Garay N., Tomás J. (2003) USERfit Tool. A tool to facilitate Design for All. In N. Carbonell, Stephanidis (eds.) Universal Access: Theoretical Perspectives, Practice, and Experience. LNCS. Springer, Berlin 2003. http://www.springer.de/cgi/svcat/search_book.pl?isbn=3-540-00855-1.

•         Poulson D., Ashby M., Richardson S. (1996). USERfit: A practical handbook on user centred design for assistive technology. ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg. http://www.stakes.fi/include/1-4.htm

•         Poulson D. F., Richardson S. J. (1998) USERfit - A Framework for User Centred Design in Assistive Technology. Technology and Disability, 9, 1998, pp 163-171, ISSN 1055-4181 .

•         Poulson D. F., Ashby M. C., Marsh P. V., Phillips K. E., Richardson S. J., Heim J., Endestad T. (1996) USERfit: Usability for Assistive Technology (video). HUSAT Research Institute. CEC TIDE Project T1062 USER, Deliverable, No. D706.

Legal Notice