Table of Contents:

Definition and Overview

1. What Is the Human-Machine Interface?

2. Usability: Why Is It Important?

3. Usability Engineering Principle #1: Know Your Users

4. Principle #2: Involve Users Early and Continuously

5. Principle #3: Rapid and Frequent Iteration Toward Measurable Usability Targets

6. The Usability Engineering Lifecycle: Requirements Gathering and Rapid Prototyping

7. The Usability Engineering Lifestyle: Usability Evaluation

8. Relevant International Standards

9. Where to Find out More

Self-Test

Glossary

PDF of this tutorial

Definition
The human-machine interface (HMI) is where people and technology meet. This people-technology intercept can be as simple as the grip on a hand tool or as complex as the flight deck of a jumbo jet.

Overview
This tutorial introduces the underlying principles of good HMI design and outlines a core usability engineering lifecycle.

In addition, the tutorial guides the reader to relevant international standards and sources of further information.

The target audiences for this tutorial are as follows:

• engineers and designers with an interest in meeting end users' wants and needs
• individuals who have heard about usability or user-centered design and would like to find out more