Design and evaluation of a PDF print estimating system
Mengtsung Tai · UNI ScholarWorks (University of Northern Iowa) · 2003
This research consisted of designing and evaluating portable document format (PDF) print estimating system to commercial systems. Taking into account functionality, reliability, standardization, and integration, the conventional design method (Pressman, 1997) was used to develop the print estimating system. Considering the printer's viewpoint, added features make the system function online and offline and compatible with all common computer platforms. After the system was developed, experts and entry-level users evaluated the system for software usability (Nielsen, 2000; Shneiderman, 1998). A total of 26 experts and 38 entry-level users responded to 14 questions about usability in a personal interview survey. Statistical analysis of survey responses provided evidence that the software is usable for both user groups. This was initially indicated by a mean score above neutral (2.5) for each of the 14 survey items rated by each user group. This result was verified using one-sample t tests and independent-samples t tests to compare survey items. A one-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between item responses. Finally, factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify survey response patterns.