Usability Methods at the Millennium: How We Got Here and Where We Might Be Going
Douglas J. Gillan · Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting · 2000
This paper proposes that usability methods can be organized into a three-dimensional space. The dimensions of this method space are (1) the genesis of the method, (2) the function of the method, and (3) the point(s) in the design that the method is typically used. The paper exemplifies and explains each dimension by discussing where on the dimension certain methods might fall. The future of usability methods is discussed by examining (1) how new methods might be developed within the space defined by the three dimensions (inner space methods) or (2) how new methods might require extending a dimension (outer space methods).