Collaboration-Based Usability Training for Developers

Abstract

Applying user-centered design methodology, we developed a usability training workshop for beginning developers which has remarkable impact on participants’ attitudes towards the collaboration with nontechnical professions. Mainly through a simulation game we let course participants experience typical pitfalls of and opportunities for collaboration with non-technical professions in the development team, with the primary focus on User Interface Designers. Rather than teaching abstract high-level usability principles we induce learning by insight and social forms of learning.