Discursive Construction of Usability Workin the Cultural Context of Software Product Development

摘要

Users should be involved in the interactive systems development. However, involving users is often difficult and rare, especiallyrnin the product development context, referring to the development of commercial software products or systems. Thisrnpaper critically examines user involvement in the cultural context of three software product development organizations. Userrninvolvement is indirect and labeled as usability work. Empirical, qualitative material has been gathered from the organizationsrnduring three years time. A set of discourses constructing usability work and its cultural context are identified by followingrna poststructuralist, Foucauldian approach. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.