Specifying usability features with patterns and templates

Functional usability features like Undo or Auto-Save can greatly add to the usability of interactive software systems. This paper presents a pragmatic approach to considering usability features as “first-class citizens” during early phases of software development, in particular during requirements analysis and definition. A catalog of usability patterns is used to describe proven and reusable solutions and to support software engineers in selecting appropriate usability features for a system. To allow for a systematic consideration, usability features are specified in a use case-based software requirements specification using semiformal specification templates. The resulting extended specification defines where and how usability features shall be integrated in the system, thus facilitating subsequent development activities (e. g. software architecture design, implementation, and test).