bluffersÕ guide to iso 9241 - apia.net.au · just as each of the parts of iso 9241 need to be seen...

Bluffers’ Guide to

ISO 9241

David Travis

David Travis Bluffers’ Guide to Usability Standards, 6th edition

ii © Userfocus ltd 2007

Preface

About this document

First published July 2003 by Userfocus ltd. © Userfocus ltd 2003-2007. Second edition August 2003. Third edition January 2004. Fourth edition July 2005. Fifth edition November 2006. Sixth edition September 2007. This document will be updated. To hear about updates, subscribe to the Userfocus mailing list (www.userfocus.co.uk).

About the author

David Travis has worked in the areas of psychology, human factors and user interface design for around 20 years. As the UK expert on two ISO working groups, he has contributed to international usability and ergonomics standards since 1990. He has published two books (Effective Colour Displays in 1991 and E-

commerce Usability in 2003) and wrote part 6 of DEF-STAN 00-25, a standard created by the UK MOD to provide a single guidance document on human factors issues. He has also contributed to BSI and ANSI national usability standards. He is currently part of a team developing a new ISO standard on web usability for ISO TC 159/SC 4/WG5 and is writing an ISO standard on usability test methods for ISO TC 159/SC 4/WG2. David can be contacted at [email protected].

About Userfocus

Userfocus is a consultancy and training company that helps organisations reduce costs and increase profits by making stuff easier to use. Our clients are typically blue-chip organisations like eBay, RBS and Hewlett Packard who want help improving the usability of their web site, intranet or handheld gadget. Unlike competitor companies, our consultants are experimental psychologists, which means we provide rigorous insights into audience expectations and behaviour. Our techniques will help you:

! Increase usage, loyalty and brand value by giving people experiences that are useful, usable, and desirable.

! Identify profitable products and services by systematically analysing the way your customers behave.

! Increase productivity and effectiveness by prioritising features and services through actionable prototypes.

! Generate rapid ROI and gain quicker time to market by avoiding big changes late in development.

! Reduce lifecycle costs by improving communication between development, marketing and contractors.

! Reduce litigation risks by helping you meet disability laws and international ergonomics standards.

Userfocus ltd 211 Piccadilly London W1J 9HF Tel: 020 7917 9535 e-mail: www.userfocus.co.uk.


1 © Userfocus ltd 2007

Table of Contents

Preface ii

Table of Contents 1

Introduction 2

What is ISO 9241? 2

Who is ISO? 2

Other usability standards 3

The parts of ISO 9241 4

Part 1: General introduction 7

Part 2: Guidance on task requirements 8

Part 3: Visual display requirements 9

Part 4: Keyboard requirements 10

Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements 11

Part 6: Guidance on the work environment 12

Part 7: Requirements for display with reflections 13

Part 8: Requirements for displayed colours 14

Part 9: Requirements for non-keyboard input devices 15

Part 110: Dialogue principles 16

Part 11: Guidance on usability 17

Part 12: Presentation of information 18

Part 13: User guidance 19

Part 14: Menu dialogues 20

Part 15: Command dialogues 21

Part 16: Direct manipulation dialogues 22

Part 17: Form filling dialogues 23

Part 400: Principles and requirements for physical input devices 24

The future parts of ISO 9241 25

Appendix 1: What it costs 27

Appendix 2: Summary of information 28

Feedback form 29



Introduction

What is ISO 9241?

In the dusty institutions where usability standards gather to party with each other, ISO 9241 is a bit of a celebrity. It is widely cited by people who would be hard pushed to name any other standard, and parts of it are virtually enshrined in law in some European countries (such as the UK). But as is the fate of many celebrities, all most usability professionals know about the standard is its name: “Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs)”. Ah, VDTs: as evocative of the eighties as yuppies and punk rock music. This makes the standard seem out of date, but don’t be fooled. ISO have renamed it: as the parts are re-issued they will adopt the much sexier title, “The Ergonomics of Human System Interaction”. It is a shame that ISO 9241 is more widely cited than read because it includes a wealth of information that covers every aspect of usability, including hardware, software and usability processes. You could use the standard to design a workstation, evaluate a display, set usability metrics, evaluate a graphical user interface, test out a new keyboard, assess a novel interaction device such as a joystick, check that the working environment is up to scratch, and measure reflections and colour on a display screen. It contains checklists to help structure a usability evaluation, examples of how to operationalise and measure usability, and extensive bibliographies. It even has the courage to define usability! There are a few reasons why it is not widely read.

! Standards are not easy to get hold of. You can’t get them in bookshops or find them on the high street (although you can now order them online through ISO).

! ISO 9241 is expensive. If you purchase all of the parts from ISO’s website (www.iso.org) it will cost SFr.1820 (about £837, !1183 or $1329). Hence the illustration on the front page: standards are big business. (See Appendix 1 for the price of the individual parts.)

! The use of the phrase “office work” in the title of all of the parts of ISO 9241 makes it sound like the standard is relevant only for, well, office work. In practice, many of the parts are relevant to a wide range of applications. A good example is part 17 (Form Filling dialogues). Although this part was conceived before web sites were common, it contains a lot of guidance that web designers would do well to follow.

! Standards have a reputation for being inaccessible, either because the language is legalistic or because they are written in a peculiar dialect of English that is favoured by people for whom English is not their first language.

! ISO 9241 is big. If you pile all the parts on top of each other it measures over two inches in thickness. This is about as thick as the hardback versions of Nielsen’s Usability Engineering and Shneiderman’s Designing the User Interface combined. (And ISO 9241 is softback and printed on A4 paper).

The truth is that few people would be interested in all of the parts of ISO 9241, which is why indeed it has been published as separate documents. But it is hard to work out which particular part you are interested in just from the title, and that is about all the information that is publicly available. Also, although you may be interested only in a few of the parts, it’s always nice to get an overview and see what you are missing in the other parts. You might choose the standard credit card over the platinum version, but you still like to know about the extras you have forfeited. I hope this document comes to your rescue. View it as your Michelin travel guide to the various destinations of ISO 9241. If nothing else, it will help you bluff your way through a meeting.

Who is ISO?

ISO stands for the International Organisation for Standardisation and is a network of national standards institutes from 147 countries. Because technology is an international business, manufacturers pay attention to international standards. Many countries (especially those in Europe) also adopt ISO standards as national standards, and so you may find parts of ISO 9241 cited as the route to compliance with health and safety legislation.



Other usability standards

ISO 9241 is just one of many standards that apply to usability and ergonomics. Other relevant ISO usability standards:

! ISO 6385:1981 Ergonomic principles in the design of work systems ! ISO 10075:1991 Ergonomic principles related to mental work-load -- General terms and

definitions ! ISO 10075-2:1996 Ergonomic principles related to mental workload -- Part 2: Design principles ! ISO 11064-1:2000 Ergonomic design of control centres -- Part 1: Principles for the design of

control centres ! ISO 11064-2:2000 Ergonomic design of control centres -- Part 2: Principles for the arrangement

of control suites ! ISO 11064-3:1999 Ergonomic design of control centres -- Part 3: Control room layout ! ISO 13406-1:1999 Ergonomic requirements for work with visual displays based on flat panels --

Part 1: Introduction ! ISO 13406-2:2001 Ergonomic requirements for work with visual displays based on flat panels --

Part 2: Ergonomic requirements for flat panel displays ! ISO 13407:1999 Human-centred design processes for interactive systems ! ISO 14915-1:2002 Software ergonomics for multimedia user interfaces -- Part 1: Design

principles and framework ! ISO 14915-3:2002 Software ergonomics for multimedia user interfaces -- Part 3: Media selection

and combination ! ISO/TS 16071:2003 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Guidance on accessibility for

human-computer interfaces ! ISO/TR 16982:2002 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Usability methods supporting

human-centred design ! ISO/TR 18529:2000 Ergonomics -- Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Human-centred

lifecycle process descriptions ! ISO/IEC 9126-1:2001 Software engineering -- Product quality -- Part 1: Quality model ! ISO/IEC TR 9126-2:2003 Software engineering -- Product quality -- Part 2: External metrics ! ISO/IEC TR 9126-3:2003 Software engineering -- Product quality -- Part 3: Internal metrics ! ISO/IEC 11581-1:2000, Information technology -- User system interfaces and symbols -- Icon

symbols and functions -- Part 1: Icons -- General. ! ISO/IEC 11581-2:2000, Information technology -- User system interfaces and symbols -- Icon

symbols and functions -- Part 2: Object icons. ! ISO/IEC 15910:1999 Information technology -- Software user documentation process

This list is far from exhaustive. There are also important national standards, such as BS 7380: 1996 Guide to the design and preparation of on-screen documentation for users of application software and ANSI/NCITS 354-2001 Common Industry Format for Usability Test Reports. Just as each of the parts of ISO 9241 need to be seen in the context of the whole standard, ISO 9241 needs to be seen in the context of national and International standardisation efforts.



The parts of ISO 9241

To help you choose the part of ISO 9241 that is of interest to you, I have provided information about each part of the standard on a single page. Each page contains the following information:

! Citation ! Status ! Lifecycle phase ! Type of Guidance ! Application area ! Scope ! Audience ! See also

For each part of ISO 9241, Appendix 2 summarises the lifecycle stage, the type of guidance, and the application area in a single table. In combination with the one-page descriptions of each part, this table should help you choose the parts that are most relevant to you.

Citation

This section provides the full reference you should use if you want to cite the standard in a document (this is a bluffers’ guide after all).

Status

This section describes the current position of the standard. International standards are not born fully-formed but go through a number of gestation stages, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The Natural History of an International Standard. Documents move from left to right, starting out as an AWI and ending up as an IS.

AWI Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft

DIS Draft International Standard

FDIS Final Draft International Standard

IS International Standard

The terms used in Figure 1 have the following meanings: AWI Approved Work Item. This signals ISO’s intention to produce

a standard. WD Working Draft. This is an early draft of the standard, for

circulation only amongst the experts who are developing it. CD Committee Draft. The first completed draft, now available

for comment (and voting) by national bodies. DIS Draft International Standard. The last draft for vote and

comment by national bodies. FDIS Final Draft International Standard. Virtually the final

document, pending minor editorial changes (such as punctuation).

IS International Standard. In fact, all of the parts of ISO 9241 are now at IS stage. The reason I have kept this section in the document is to support later issues of this report, which may also describe standards at earlier stages. Programmers call this “upward compatibility”.



Lifecycle phase

In my book E-commerce Usability1, I described a development lifecycle model based closely on the usability standard, “Human Centred Design processes for Interactive Systems” (ISO 13407: 1999). This model (shown in Figure 2) has four main lifecycle phases:

! Analyse the opportunity; ! Build the context of use; ! Create the user experience; ! Track real-world usage and continuously improve the system.

We can flesh out this skeleton as follows:

! Analyse the opportunity This stage provides the business context for the product or service: within this stage usability professionals identify why the system is being developed, identify the stakeholders and segment the market for the system. They look across platforms and e-channels with a focus on audience behaviour and attitudes.

! Build the context of use

This results in a rich description of customers, the environment in which customers access the system and a description of realistic activities or scenarios. Usability professionals use these to tease out the inherent psychological aspects of the customer experience.

! Create the user experience

This is a rapid, iterative process. Usability professionals begin by agreeing key performance indicators for the system: quantitative measures, based on key customer and business

1 Travis, D. S. (2003) E-Commerce Usability. London: Taylor and Francis.

Segment the Market

Identify the Stakeholders

Write the

System Mandate

Analyse the Opportunity

Build the Context of Use

Create the User Experience

Track Real-World Usage & Continuously Improve the System

Build

Customer Profiles

Develop the

information architecture

Agree Key

Performance Indicators

Layout the screens

Evaluate usability

Build

Environment Profiles

Build

Task Profiles

Figure 2: Lifecycle model



requirements that the management team use to determine if the system is ready to release. Next, they develop the user interface architecture (the high-level, conceptual design) and carry out the detailed design, starting with paper sketches and then moving to electronic slide shows or interactive prototypes. They then test for usability, by using both domain experts and representative customers.

! Track real-world usage and continuously improve the system

Usability professionals track customer behaviour as they update their skills, their tasks and their environment. They also track several key business measures to ensure clients get a return on their investment.

For each part of ISO 9241, I use this model to show where the part can be applied in the lifecycle. Some of the parts can be applied at more than one stage.

Type of Guidance

Some parts of ISO 9241 contain detailed specifications. For example, ISO 9241-3 contains the following specification: “For character fonts without serifs, the between-character spacing shall be a minimum of one stroke width or one pixel”. Other parts contain more general guidance. For example, ISO 9241-110 contains the following recommendation: “If defaults exist for a given task, they should be made available to the user”. This section simply identifies the type of guidance contained within the standard.

Application area

Some parts of ISO 9241 apply to hardware, some to software and others apply to usability processes. Hardware guidelines are useful for evaluating the ergonomics of workstations. Software guidelines are useful for detailed guidance on the way user interfaces should look and feel. Process guidelines are useful for specifying overall quality and usability requirements. This section identifies the application area for the standard.

Scope

In this section, I provide a detailed description of the contents of the standard.

Audience

ISO 9241 is aimed at a range of professional groups, including engineers, usability professionals, designers of user interface development tools, end users, and people responsible for procuring software and hardware. However, some of the parts require a certain amount of technical expertise (ISO 9241-7 on display reflections is a good case in point). Other parts are accessible to anyone. In this section I try to give some idea of the technical skills you will need to fully understand the part.

See also

The final section contains cross-references to other parts of ISO 9241 and other standards.



Part 1: General introduction

Citation ISO 9241-1:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 1: General introduction.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft




Lifecycle phase Analyse the

opportunity Build the context of use

Create the user experience

Track usage and improve

Type of Guidance Specifications Principles and general

recommendations

Application area General

guidance Equipment Environ-

ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 serves as an introduction to all of the parts in the ISO 9241

series. It describes the purpose of the 9241 standard and discusses the user performance philosophy. This philosophy is the bedrock of the ISO 9241 series. Standards making is a slow process, partly because of the need for consensus and partly because it takes some time for stability to emerge in any new technology. This means that ergonomics standards may not be available to support the procurement of newer interface devices (such as a novel keyboard or a new type of visual display). In such cases, requiring manufacturers to demonstrate evidence of the usability of their products provides the most effective route for ensuring good ergonomics quality. So a number of the parts in the ISO 9241 series contain user performance tests, to help manufacturers do just that. The standard also includes a bibliography and an informative annex that describes how to apply the software parts of ISO 9241 (parts 10-17). Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO/TR9241-1 and ISO 9241-130.

Audience Anyone interested in any part of ISO 9241. See also • ISO 13407:1999 Human-centred design processes for interactive systems.



Part 2: Guidance on task requirements

Citation ISO 9241-2:1992 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 2: Guidance on task requirements.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides guidance on the design of tasks and jobs that

involve work with visual display terminals. It provides guidance on how to identify task requirements and how to specify them within an organisation. It also describes how task requirements can be incorporated into the system design and implementation process.

Audience Managers and designers responsible for organising work practices. See also • ISO 13407:1999 Human-centred design processes for interactive systems.



Part 3: Visual display requirements

Citation ISO 9241-3:1992 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 3: Visual display requirements.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations Application area General


ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 sets image quality requirements for the design and

evaluation of monochrome and colour visual displays. In the UK, the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require displays to be clear, legible and stable under normal working conditions. Displays that meet the requirements in this part of ISO 9241 are deemed by the Health and Safety Executive to satisfy this design requirement. The requirements in this part of ISO 9241 are stated as performance specifications and the standard provides test methods and conformance measurements. The specifications cover: design viewing distance; line-of-sight angle; angle of view; character height; stroke width; character width-to-height ratio; raster modulation and fill factor; character format; character size uniformity; between-character spacing; between-word spacing; between-line spacing; linearity; orthogonality; display luminance; luminance contrast; luminance balance; glare; image polarity; luminance uniformity; luminance coding; blink coding; temporal instability (flicker); spatial instability (jittter); and screen image colour. There are four annexes. The first provides analytical techniques for predicting screen flicker. The second describes an empirical method for assessing temporal and spatial instability (flicker and jitter) on screen. The third describes a comparative user performance test method: this annex has since been updated and re-issued as a separate document (ISO 9241-3:1992/Amd 1:2000). The final annex is a bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by the ISO 9241-300 subseries.

Audience Manufacturers of visual displays (especially CRT displays) and people that need

to evaluate the quality of visual displays. This is a technical standard that requires some knowledge of display design and human vision.

See also • ISO 9241-3:1992/Amd 1:2000 Visual performance and comfort test.

• ISO 13406-1:1999 Ergonomic requirements for work with visual displays based on flat panels -- Part 1: Introduction.

• ISO 13406-2:2001 Ergonomic requirements for work with visual displays based

on flat panels -- Part 2: Ergonomic requirements for flat panel displays.



Part 4: Keyboard requirements

Citation ISO 9241-4:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 4: Keyboard requirements.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft











ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides guidance on the design of keyboards for typical

office tasks. The specifications cover the general design of the keyboard and the design of keys. General design includes items such as: palm rests; the visible surfaces of the keytops; the slope of the keyboard and keyboard slope adjustment. The design of keys covers items such as: key layout; key displacement and force; keying feedback (such as kinaesthetic feedback); rebound action; key roll-over; key repeat function; key legends; cursor keys; numeric keypad; and keytop shape. The standard specifies the technical measurements that need to be taken to assess compliance, and includes a user performance test for manufacturers of novel keyboards (whose keyboard would otherwise not meet the standard) in an appendix. A second appendix contains a bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced the ISO 9241-400 subseries.

Audience Manufacturers of keyboards and people that need to evaluate the quality of

keyboards. See also • ISO 9241-5:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements.

• ISO 9241-9:2000 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 9: Requirements for non-keyboard input devices.

• ISO/IEC 9995:1994 Information processing - Keyboard layouts for text and office systems.



Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements

Citation ISO 9241-5:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft











ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 specifies ergonomic guiding principles that apply to the

design of workstation equipment used for display screen work. The standard emphasises that the design of the workplace needs to be preceded by an analysis of the tasks that it is intended to support. This information will help identify the different tasks that are carried out and the relative contributions of the different components that support the tasks, which in turn will help users adopt a comfortable and healthy working posture. The specifications are derived from five guiding principles: versatility-flexibility; fit; postural change; user information; and maintainability-adaptability. The specifications themselves cover: posture; ease of adjustment; support surfaces; seating; additional support elements (such as document holders and footrests); and the layout of the workstation in the workspace. An informative annex provides anthropometric data needed for workstation design and selection. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-500.

Audience Manufacturers of office workstation products and people that need to design and

implement office workstations. See also • ISO 9241-6:1999 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTS) -- Part 6: Guidance on the work environment.



Part 6: Guidance on the work environment

Citation ISO 9241-6:1999 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 6: Guidance on the work environment.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft











ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides guidance on basic properties of the working

environment to support display screen work. The characteristics of the work environment are considered under six headings: natural and artificial lighting (including glare control); sound and noise (including the reduction of noise effects); mechanical vibrations (for example, from air conditioning systems or nearby industrial activities); electromagnetic fields and static electricity (and its effects on the image quality of visual displays); thermal environment (including thermal comfort and humidity); and space organisation and workplace layout. The standard includes four annexes that cover: lighting; methods for measuring and evaluating sound; measurement, evaluation and assessment of whole-body vibrations; and thermal environment (this includes recommended values for thermal comfort). Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-600.

Audience People that need to design and implement office layouts. See also • ISO 9241-5:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements.



Part 7: Requirements for display with reflections

Citation ISO 9241-7:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 7: Requirements for display with reflections.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft











ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 aims to help designers measure screen reflections that

might affect user comfort and task performance when using display screen equipment. It specifies requirements and methods to measure image quality in lighting environments that can cause specular and diffuse reflections from the screen. The requirements cover: image luminance ratio with reflections; specular reflection luminance ratio; reflection control method and effect on image quality; and the reference luminous environment. The standard includes a detailed section describing how to measure and calculate reflections. The standard also includes four annexes: an alternative, performance-based test method; a graphical report format; a worked example; and a bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by the ISO 9241-300 subseries.

Audience This is a technical standard that assumes a good working knowledge of light

measurement. The main audience is display engineers who want to make sure that anti-reflection treatments do not degrade image quality.

See also • ISO 9241-3:1992 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 3: Visual display requirements.

• ISO 9241-8:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 8: Requirements for displayed colours.

• ISO 13406-2:2001 Ergonomic requirements for work with visual displays based on flat panels -- Part 2: Ergonomic requirements for flat panel displays.



Part 8: Requirements for displayed colours

Citation ISO 9241-8:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 8: Requirements for displayed colours.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft











ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 specifies how colour should be used on display screens. It

restricts itself to text and graphic applications (photorealistic images are explicitly excluded) but includes both the perceptual and the cognitive aspects of colour. The main guiding principle is that colour should be used to help people correctly perceive, recognise and interpret images and information. The specifications cover: default colour set; colour uniformity; colour misconvergence; character height and object size; colour differences; contrast for symbol and character legibility; spectrally extreme colours; background and surrounding image effects; and number of colours. The standard includes a detailed section on colour measurement from visual displays. There are three annexes: colour difference calculations; a visual performance test (this annex is currently blank, since the test in under development); and a bibliography. In many ways, this part of ISO 9241 is an elaboration of ISO 9241-3, which deals with colour displays only in passing. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by the ISO 9241-300 subseries.

Audience Manufacturers of visual displays (especially CRT displays) and people that

develop user interfaces that use colour for coding, formatting and design. Some parts of the standard are technical and assume knowledge of colour measurement.

See also • ISO 9241-3:1992 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 3: Visual display requirements.

• ISO 9241-7:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 7: Requirements for display with reflections.

• ISO 9241-12:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 12: Presentation of information.

• ISO 13406-2:2001 Ergonomic requirements for work with visual displays based on flat panels -- Part 2: Ergonomic requirements for flat panel displays.



Part 9: Requirements for non-keyboard input devices

Citation ISO 9241-9:2000 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 9: Requirements for non-keyboard input devices.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft











ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 applies to several types of non-keyboard input devices

including mice, pucks, joysticks, trackballs, tablets and overlays, touch-sensitive screens, styli and light pens. The standard specifies the quality of the input device in terms of a performance criterion: “it is considered useable [sic] if users can achieve a satisfactory level of performance on a given task and maintain an acceptable level of effort and satisfaction”. The standard also includes a set of design requirements that first covers general requirements and recommendations (such as resolution, button design and upper extremity and head posture), and then addresses specific input device requirements and recommendations (such as mice, pucks and joysticks). Compliance with the standard can be achieved only by carrying out a usability test. The standard has four annexes: input device selection, usability testing and analysis; testing of efficiency and effectiveness; assessment of comfort; and additional evaluation methods. The standard also includes a bibliography with over 100 references. Note that this standard does not cover voice input. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by the ISO 9241-400 subseries.

Audience Manufacturers of non-keyboard input devices and people that need to evaluate

these devices. See also • ISO 9241-4:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 4: Keyboard requirements.



Part 110: Dialogue principles

Citation ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 110: Dialogue principles.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 presents a set of usability heuristics that applies to the

interaction of people and information systems (the heuristics are based on an earlier German standard). The standard refers to this interaction as a “dialogue” and describes seven “dialogue principles”. These general principles span the specific dialogue techniques that are discussed in parts 13-17 of ISO 9241. The seven principles are: suitability for the task (the dialogue should be suitable for the user’s task and skill level); self-descriptiveness (the dialogue should make it clear what the user should do next); controllability (the user should be able to control the pace and sequence of the interaction); conformity with user expectations (it should be consistent); error tolerance (the dialogue should be forgiving); suitability for individualisation (the dialogue should be able to be customised to suit the user); and suitability for learning (the dialogue should support learning). The standard describes applications and examples of the dialogue principles. It has one annex (a short bibliography). This part of ISO 9241 used to be known as ISO 9241 part 10, but has now been renumbered under ISO's revision and restructuring programme.

Audience User interface designers and evaluators. See also • ISO 9241-12:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 12: Presentation of information.

• ISO 9241-13:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 13: User guidance.

• ISO 9241-14:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 14: Menu dialogues.

• ISO 9241-15:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 15: Command dialogues.

• ISO 9241-16:1999 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 16: Direct manipulation dialogues.

• ISO 9241-17:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 17: Form filling dialogues.



Part 11: Guidance on usability

Citation ISO 9241-11:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 11: Guidance on usability.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 introduces the concept of usability but does not make

specific recommendations in terms of product attributes. Instead it defines usability as the “extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use”. One of the benefits of this approach is that it helps design teams plan for usability as part of the development lifecycle, by setting and measuring usability goals for the product. The standard describes how it can be applied to: specify and measure the usability of products; specify and evaluate usability during design; and specify and measure a work system in use. The standard includes five annexes: an example of how to specify the context of use; examples of usability measures; an example of a usability requirements specification; relationship to other international standards; and a bibliography. The term “satisfaction” in the definition of usability has been criticised as sounding weak: it sounds like “adequate” or “just good enough”, which is hardly a design goal worthy of aspiration. However, this is more an artefact of current usage: the dictionary defines satisfaction as “the feeling of pleasure that comes when a need or desire is fulfilled”.

Audience Anyone that needs to set or measure usability goals for a system. See also • ISO 13407:1999 Human-centred design processes for interactive systems.

• ISO/IEC 9126-1:2001 Software engineering -- Product quality -- Part 1: Quality model.

• ISO/IEC TR 9126-2:2003 Software engineering -- Product quality -- Part 2: External metrics.

• ISO/IEC TR 9126-3:2003 Software engineering -- Product quality -- Part 3: Internal metrics.



Part 12: Presentation of information

Citation ISO 9241-12:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 12: Presentation of information.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 contains recommendations on how to present visual

information on screens so that users can easily perform “perceptual tasks” (such as searching for information on the screen). The recommendations are based on seven guiding principles: clarity (information should be conveyed quickly and accurately); discriminabilty (information should be able to be distinguished accurately); conciseness (provide only the information necessary to complete the task); consistency (present the same information in the same way throughout the application); detectability (direct the user’s attention to the information required); legibility (information should be easy to read); and comprehensibility (the meaning should be clearly understandable). The recommendations are provided in three main areas: organisation of information; graphical objects; and coding techniques. There is no discussion of icon design in this standard. The standard has two annexes. The first is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a detailed design checklist spanning 13 pages. This compliance procedure is based on the notion of “conditional compliance”: the assessor first determines which recommendations are relevant and then determines whether or not they have been adhered to. The reason for this approach is that users, tasks and technological solutions vary and it is therefore not possible to give blanket recommendations that apply to all systems that present visual information. The conditional compliance route is ISO’s acknowledgement of this variability and complexity. The second annex is a bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by replaced by ISO 9241-111 and ISO 9241-141.

Audience User interface designers and evaluators. See also • ISO 9241-8:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 8: Requirements for displayed colours. • ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 110:

Dialogue principles. • ISO/IEC 11581-1:2000 Information technology -- User system interfaces and

symbols -- Icon symbols and functions -- Part 1: Icons -- General.

• ISO/IEC 11581-2:2000 Information technology -- User system interfaces and symbols -- Icon symbols and functions -- Part 2: Object icons.



Part 13: User guidance

Citation ISO 9241-13:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 13: User guidance.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 contains recommendations on user guidance. The

recommendations cover general advice; prompts; feedback; status information; error management; and on-line help. This standard does not cover documentation (either on-line or paper) or on-line tutorials. The standard contains two annexes. The first is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a six-page checklist (using a conditional compliance route, see the description of ISO 9241-12). The second annex is a bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-124.

Audience User interface designers, user interface evaluators and documentation experts. See also • ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 110: Dialogue principles.

• ISO/IEC 6592:2000 Information technology -- Guidelines for the documentation of computer-based application systems.

• ISO/IEC 15910:1999 Information technology -- Software user documentation process.

• BS 7649: 1993 Guide to the design and preparation of documentation for

users of application software. • BS 7380: 1996 Guide to the design and preparation of on-screen

documentation for users of application software.



Part 14: Menu dialogues

Citation ISO 9241-14:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 14: Menu dialogues.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides recommendations for the design of systems that

use menus (such as pop-up, pull-down and text-based menus). The standard begins by reviewing the application areas where menus are most useful (for example, when use of the system is infrequent and the user does not know what options are available). The recommendations cover: menu structure (such as logical categories, grouping options and ordering items); menu navigation (including titles and access time); option selection and execution (including selection methods, use of the keyboard and voice activation); menu presentation (including placement and use of icons). The standard contains three annexes. The first is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a ten-page checklist (using a conditional compliance route, see the description of ISO 9241-12). The second annex provides three scenarios of how to apply the standard (from the perspective of the user interface designer, the procurer and the evaluator). The third annex is a detailed bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-131.

Audience User interface designers and evaluators. See also • ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 110:

Dialogue principles.



Part 15: Command dialogues

Citation ISO 9241-15:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 15: Command dialogues.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides recommendations for systems that use command

line interfaces (such as DOS and UNIX). With a command line interface, the user works with the system by typing in commands that meet certain syntactic rules. The standard begins by describing the appropriate application areas for these interfaces (for example, applications that people use frequently, and that require speed and flexibility). The recommendations cover: structure and syntax (for example, macros and command arguments); command representation (for example, command names and abbreviations); input and output considerations (for example, command reuse and editing); and feedback and help (for example, command processing and error feedback). The standard contains two annexes. The first is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a five-page checklist (using a conditional compliance route, see the description of ISO 9241-12). The second annex is a bibliography. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-132.


Dialogue principles.



Part 16: Direct manipulation dialogues

Citation ISO 9241-16:1999 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 16: Direct manipulation dialogues.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides recommendations for systems that use direct

manipulation (such as Windows and Macintosh). With direct manipulation, the user acts directly on the objects on the screen (for example by dragging a document icon and dropping it on an application to open it). The standard points out that this is not the same as a graphical user interface, which may or may not implement direct manipulation. The standard begins by describing the appropriate application areas for these interfaces (for example, the system can simulate real-world task objects, their properties and operations). The recommendations cover: general information (metaphors; the appearance of objects used in direct manipulation; feedback; and input devices); manipulation of objects (general considerations; pointing and selecting; dragging; sizing of objects; and rotating); direct manipulation of text objects (pointing and selecting; and sizing of text); direct manipulation of windows (general considerations; pointing and selecting; and sizing of windows); and direct manipulation of control icons (pointing and selecting). The standard contains one annex and a bibliography. The annex is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a three-page checklist (using a conditional compliance route, see the description of ISO 9241-12). Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-133.


Dialogue principles. • ISO 9241-14:1997 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 14: Menu dialogues. • ISO 9241-17:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 17: Form filling dialogues.



Part 17: Form filling dialogues

Citation ISO 9241-17:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 17: Form filling dialogues.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 provides recommendations for systems that use form filling

interfaces (now commonly seen on the web). With form filling (or “fill in the blanks”) interfaces, users see a display of related fields and enter data where required. The standard begins by describing the appropriate application areas for these interfaces (for example, when users have experience with paper forms but limited experience with computers). The recommendations cover form filling structure, input considerations, feedback and navigation. Form filling structure covers: general; layout; and fields and labels. Input considerations covers: general; alphanumeric text entry; choice entries; control; and field validation. Feedback covers: echoing; cursor and pointer position; field errors; transmission acknowledgement; and database changes. Navigation covers: initial cursor position; movement between fields; return to initial field; tabbing; scrolling; and form selection. The standard contains two annexes. The first is a sample procedure for assessing applicability and adherence and includes a nine-page checklist (using a conditional compliance route, see the description of ISO 9241-12). The second annex is a bibliography and contains a table cross-referencing the recommendations in the standard to the academic sources. Under ISO’s plans to renumber ISO 9241, this part will be replaced by ISO 9241-134.

Audience User interface designers and evaluators. See also • ISO 9241-110:2006 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 110: Dialogue principles.



Part 400: Principles and requirements for physical input devices

Citation ISO 9241-400:2007 Ergonomics of human-system interaction -- Part 400: Principles and requirements for physical input devices.

Status AWI

Approved Work Item

WD Working Draft

CD Committee Draft









recommendations



ment Software User

testing Process

Scope This part of ISO 9241 describes generic ergonomic principles for the design and

use of input devices, such as keyboards, mice and joysticks. It does not provide specific design guidance for these devices, but instead provides a background in the important ergonomic requirements that designers need to consider. The whole of the “400 series” will be devoted to input devices and this part is really the introduction to the series (the other parts in the series are listed in the next section, “The future parts of ISO 9241”). There are three key sections: (a) “definitions”, (b) “design requirements” and (c) “properties of input devices relevant for usability”. The bulk of the standard (around 40% of the page count) is devoted to various definitions, from “click” through to “ulnar deviation”. (In case you were wondering, a “click” is the “depression and release of a button or actuation point on an input device”). The design guidelines are “Appropriateness” (the input device should match the user, the user’s tasks and the user’s work environment); “Operability” (its intended use should be obvious, predictable and consistent); “Predictability” (it should match user expectations); “Consistency” (it should behave in the same manner when used in similar situations); “User compatibility” (the design should match the anthropometric and biomechanical capabilities of users); “Feedback” (the device should let the user know when it is responding to the user’s actions); “Controllability” (the device should be responsive); and “Biomechanical load” (which should be minimised). The properties of input devices relevant for usability include functional properties (such as keyboard slope); electrical properties (such as the thickness of cabling for a mouse); mechanical properties (such as the weight of a hand-held device); and interdependency with software.

Audience Manufacturers of input devices and people that need to evaluate the quality of

input devices. It is unlikely that anyone would read this part in isolation: it makes sense only as an introduction to the other parts in the “400 series”.

See also • ISO 9241-4:1998 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display

terminals (VDTs) -- Part 4: Keyboard requirements.



The future parts of ISO 9241

ISO is carrying out a major revision and restructuring of the ISO 9241 standard to incorporate other relevant standards. ISO is also renaming the standard to “The ergonomics of human system interaction”. The table below shows the title and the current status of the parts (as at September 2007). Part Title Status

20 Accessibility guidelines for information / communication technology (ICT) equipment and services

Under preparation

100 Introduction to software ergonomics Planned 111 Presentation principles Planned to partially revise and replace ISO

9241-12 112 Multimedia principles Planned to revise and replace ISO 14915-1 113 GUI and controls principles Planned 121 Presentation of information Planned 122 Media selection and combination Planned to revise and replace ISO14915-3. 123 Navigation Planned to partially revise and replace ISO

14915-2. 124 User guidance Planned to revise and replace ISO9241-13. 129 Individualization Planned 130 Selection and combination of dialogue

techniques Planned to incorporate and replace ISO 9241-1:1997/Amd 1:2001

131 Menu dialogues Planned to replace ISO 9241-14 132 Command dialogues Planned to replace ISO 9241-15 133 Direct manipulation dialogues Planned to replace ISO 9241-16 134 Form based dialogues Planned to replace ISO 9241-17 135 Natural language dialogues Planned 141 Controlling groups of information (including

windows) Planned to partially replace ISO 9241-12

142 Lists Planned 143 Media controls Planned to partially revise and replace ISO

14915-2 151 Guidance on World Wide Web software user

interfaces Under preparation

152 Interpersonal communication Planned 153 Virtual reality Planned 171 Guidance on software accessibility Under preparation 200 Introduction to human centred design

standards Planned

210 Human centred design of interactive systems Planned to revise and replace ISO 13407 220 Human-centred lifecycle processes Planned to revise and replace ISO/PAS 18152 230 Human-centred design methods Planned to revise and replace ISO/TR 16982 300 Introduction to requirements and

measurement techniques for electronic visual displays

Under preparation

302 Terminology for electronic visual displays Under preparation 303 Requirements for electronic visual displays Under preparation 304 User performance test methods Under preparation 305 Optical laboratory test methods for electronic

visual displays Under preparation

306 Field assessment methods for electronic visual displays

Under preparation

307 Analysis and compliance test methods for electronic visual displays

Under preparation



Part Title Status

308 Surface conduction electron-emitter displays (SED)

Under preparation

410 Design criteria for physical input devices Under preparation 411 Laboratory test and evaluation methods for

the design of physical input devices Planned

420 Selection procedures for physical input devices Under preparation 421 Workplace test and evaluation methods for

the use of physical input devices Planned

500 Workstation layout and postural requirements Planned to revise and replace ISO 9241-5 600 Guidance on the work environment Planned to revise and replace ISO 9241-6 710 Introduction to ergonomic design of control

centres Planned

711 Principles for the design of control centres Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-1 712 Principles for the arrangement of control

suites Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-2

713 Control room layout Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-3 714 Layout and dimensions of control centre

workstations Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-4

715 Control centre displays and controls Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-5 716 Control room environmental requirements Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-6 717 Principles for the evaluation of control centres Planned to revise and replace ISO 11064-7 900 Introduction to tactile and haptic interactions Planned 910 Framework for tactile and haptic interactions Planned 920 Guidance on tactile and haptic interactions Under preparation 930 Haptic and tactile interactions in multimodal

environments Planned

940 Evaluation of tactile and haptic Interactions Planned 971 Haptic and tactile interfaces to publicly

available devices Planned



Appendix 1: What it costs

This table shows the price of the first 17 parts of ISO 9241 as at July, 2003. The prices in Swiss Francs were taken from ISO’s website (www.iso.org). The prices were translated into Euros, UK Pounds and US Dollars at the rate of exchange valid in 2003 and are now out of date. The aim of the table is simply to make the point that the standard is expensive. Part Swiss Francs Euro UK Pound US Dollar

ISO 9241-1 SFr. 52.00 ! 33.80 £ 23.92 $37.96 ISO 9241-1 Amd 1 SFr. 15.00 ! 9.75 £ 6.90 $10.95 ISO 9241-2 SFr. 40.00 ! 26.00 £ 18.40 $29.20 ISO 9241-3 SFr. 108.00 ! 70.20 £ 49.68 $78.84 ISO 9241-3 Amd 1 SFr. 15.00 ! 9.75 £ 6.90 $10.95 ISO 9241-4 SFr. 108.00 ! 70.20 £ 49.68 $78.84 ISO 9241-5 SFr. 102.00 ! 66.30 £ 46.92 $74.46 ISO 9241-6 SFr. 114.00 ! 74.10 £ 52.44 $83.22 ISO 9241-7 SFr. 114.00 ! 74.10 £ 52.44 $83.22 ISO 9241-8 SFr. 108.00 ! 70.20 £ 49.68 $78.84 ISO 9241-9 SFr. 140.00 ! 91.00 £ 64.40 $102.20 ISO 9241-10 SFr. 65.00 ! 42.25 £ 29.90 $47.45 ISO 9241-11 SFr. 95.00 ! 61.75 £ 43.70 $69.35 ISO 9241-12 SFr. 140.00 ! 91.00 £ 64.40 $102.20 ISO 9241-13 SFr. 114.00 ! 74.10 £ 52.44 $83.22 ISO 9241-14 SFr. 148.00 ! 96.20 £ 68.08 $108.04 ISO 9241-15 SFr. 108.00 ! 70.20 £ 49.68 $78.84 ISO 9241-16 SFr. 114.00 ! 74.10 £ 52.44 $83.22 ISO 9241-17 SFr. 120.00 ! 78.00 £ 55.20 $87.60 TOTAL COST SFr. 1,820.00 ! 1,183.00 £ 837.20 $1,328.60



Appendix 2: Summary of information

This table summarises some of the information about each part of ISO 9241. The table shows the lifecycle phase where the standard applies, the type of guidance in the standard, and the application area. For more information about these categories, see pages 4-6.

Lifecycle phase Guid-ance

Application area

Part of ISO 9241 Analy

se t

he o

pport

unit

y

Build t

he c

onte

xt

of

use

Cre

ate

the u

ser

experi

ence

Tra

ck u

sage a

nd im

pro

ve

Speci

fica

tions

Pri

nci

ple

s and r

eco

mm

endati

ons

Genera

l guid

ance

Soft

ware

Equip

ment

Use

r te

stin

g

Envi

ronm

ent

Pro

cess

1: General introduction ! ! ! 2: Guidance on task requirements ! ! ! 3: Visual display requirements ! ! ! ! 4: Keyboard requirements ! ! ! ! 5: Workstation layout & postural requirements ! ! ! 6: Guidance on the work environment ! ! ! 7: Requirements for display with reflections ! ! ! ! 8: Requirements for displayed colours ! ! ! ! ! ! 9: Requirements for non-keyboard input devices ! ! ! ! 110: Dialogue principles ! ! ! ! 11: Guidance on usability ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

12: Presentation of information ! ! ! ! 13: User guidance ! ! ! 14: Menu dialogues ! ! ! 15: Command dialogues ! ! ! 16: Direct manipulation dialogues ! ! ! 17: Form filling dialogues ! ! ! 400: Requirements for physical input devices ! ! !



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