Usability in practice: Perception and practicality of management and practitioners

Usability has been plagued in many years since the birth of the term called human computer interaction. Many studies have proved numerous benefits gained from usability, from the software product specifically to the business as a whole. Moreover, international standards, and guidelines have incorporated usability in the quality assessment. As there is growth of software consultancy industry in the recent years and the concept and theories have been introduced in the education curriculum in Malaysia, we are wondering if the practice of usability is in the ICT industry specifically in the interactive computer-based system. We have developed a preliminary qualitative and quantitative assessment for both managers and practitioners in the ICT companies in Klang valley, Malaysia. The purpose of the assessment is to understand and to evaluate the practice of usability among practitioners in ICT companies in Malaysia. The research uses both structured questionnaire and follow-up by semi-structured interview either through face-to-face or email. The pilot result shows that average scale range from 4 to 4.6 out of 5 perceptively and practically importance putting usability in determines a project success, average scale range from 3.4 to 3.8 out of 5 agree to put usability concept in their practice of design and development, and average scale range from 3.8 to 4.1 out of 5 perceptively and practically importance to include usability criteria in their designed system.