Annotated bibliography: Top resources

RESOURCES | bibliography | links | reports | lab

Bias, Randolph G., and Deborah J. Mahew, eds. Cost-Justified Usability. Boston: Academic Press, 1994.

Case histories and a rationale for usability testing based on cost-benefit analysis.  Includes Nielsen's article, "Guerilla HCI: Using Discount Usability Testing to Penetrate the Intimidation Barrier."
Byer, Hugh, and Karen Holtzblatt.  Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann, 1998.
Emphasizes the role of the customer as key to a usable design.  Describes process, beginning with contextual inquiry.  Special focus on importance of team to implement contextual design.
Coe, Marlana.  Human Factors for Technical Communicators. New York: Wiley, 1996.
An introduction to human factors as an approach to designing and developing technical communication, using cognitive psychological theory in a readable style. 
Cooper, Alan. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore Sanity. Indianapolis, IN: SAMS, 1999.
Excellent in-depth discussion of method for establishing user profiles and scenarios.  Lots of stories to support points.

Galitz, Wilbert O. The Essential Guide to User Interface Design: An Introduction to GUI Design Principles and Techniques. New York: Wiley, 1997.

A very readable introduction to GUI design based on solid usability principles.

Hackos, JoAnn T., and Janice C. Redish. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design. New York: Wiley, 1998.

A thorough discussion with much practical advice on all aspects of user and task analysis, the important first step in a user-centered design process.  Also shows how to take data about users and tasks and integrate information into product  design.
Hix, Deborah.  Developing User Interfaces: Ensuring Product Usability through Product and Process. New York: Wiley, 1993.

Interface and human factors issues, system analysis and iterative design processes, rapid prototyping and formative evaluation.

Krug. Steve. Don't Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. Indianapolis: IN. New Riders, 2000.

A delightful, slightly irreverant approach to usability testing for the Web, geared to non-technical readers, especially managers.

Landauer, Tom. The Trouble with Computers: Usefulness, Usability, and Productivity.  Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995. 
A detailed study, with numerous examples, of the reasons why computers have not contributed to overall productivity.  Focuses on need for a user-centered design process to improve productivity.

Nielsen, Jakob, and Marie Tahir. Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed. Indianapolis, IN: New Riders, 2001.

Contains 113 guidelines for homepages. Applies these guidelines to an analysis of 50 websites.

Nielsen, Jakob, and Robert L. Mack, eds.  Usability Inspection Methods. New York: Wiley, 1994.

Heuristic evaluation, design reviews, cognitive walkthroughs and more, from the perspective of "expert" evaluation.

Spool, Jared M., et al.  Web Site Usability: A Designerís Guide. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman, 1999.

The first major examination of web site usability (originally self-published in 1997). Examines 10 web sites.

Wiklund, Michael E. , ed. Usability in Practice: How Companies Develop User-Friendly Products.  Boston: Academic Press, 1994.

Case histories from Kodak, Apple, Digital, Borlund, Lotus, Microsoft, and others.

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