Failure in the technical user-interface design process

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Abstract

Despite readily accessible guidelines, user interfaces are often inappropriate for their users. How is it that the technical design process fails to take proper account of human factors? This paper presents a catalogue of plausible reasons, which might be used to promote awareness of these issues amongst designers. Unless human issues are made explicit, the human impact of computer systems will be unpredictable, and systems will generally have to rely for their effectiveness on the enforced adaptability and misplaced respect for technology in their users.

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