Putting the human factor into systems development

As the community of computer users expands beyond experienced professionals to encompass novice users with little technical training, human factors considerations must play a larger role. “Computer shock” and “terminal terror” cannot be cured, they must be prevented by more careful human engineering during the system design phase. This paper offers four approaches to including human factors considerations during system design. These approaches focus on increasing user involvement and emphasize extensive pilot testing. Human factors cannot be added as refinements to a completed design; they must be a central concern during the initial requirements analysis and through every design stage.