fossasia'16: exploring how designer can contribute to open source software

Exploring How Designers can Contribute to Open Source SoftwareReview�� of�� existing�� research�� and�� resourcesby�� Victoria�� Bondarchuk

Victoria Bondarchuk

User Experience Researcher Seoul, South Korea

Background: BS Aerospace TechnologyMS Image Processing

Work: UX for Android Usability of Interfaces PM&UX

@seoul_victoria

Is FOSS culture open for design/usability contributions?

Academic Studies on FOSS and Usability

1999

The Cathedral and the BazaarEric Steven Raymond

Usability and open-source software development David M. Nichols, Kirsten Thomson and Stuart A. Yeates

2001

Getting to know you: open source development meets usability

Frishberg, N., Dirks, A.M., Benson, C., Nickell, S. & Smith, S.

2002 2003

The Usability of Open Source SoftwareNichols, D.M. & Twidale, M.B.

Shall We Dance? Ten Lessons Learned from Netscape's Flirtation with Open Source UI DevelopmentPeter Trudelle

Cited by 3922

Cited by 42

Cited by 44

Cited by 16

Cited by 248

Reitmayr, E., Balazs, B., Mühlig, J. Cited by 5

2006

Usability In Open Source Software Development: Opinions And Practice

Morten Sieker Andreasen, Henrik Villemann Nielsen, Simon Ormholt Schrøder, Jan Stage

Professional Usability in Open Source Projects: GNOME, OpenOffice.org, NetBeansBenson, Calum / Müller-Prove, Matthias / Mzourek, Jiri

Integrating Usability with Open Source Software Development: Case Studies from the Initiative OpenUsability

2004

Cited by 19 Cited by 44

Why Free Software has poor usability, and how to improve itMatthew Paul Thomas

2008

Cited by 7

Integrating HCI Specialists into Open Source Software Development ProjectsHenrik Hedberg and Netta Iivari

Cited by 14

Examining Usability Work and Culture in FOSSMikko Rajanen and Netta IivaryCited by 1

2012

Do open source software developers listen to their usersArif Raza and Luiz Fernando Capretz

20152010

Social Participation in Open Source: What it Means for DesignersPaula M. Bach, Michael Twidale

Non-response, Social Exclusion, and False Acceptance: Gatekeeping Tactics and Usability Work in Free-Libre Open Source Software DevelopmentMikko Rajanen, Netta Iivari and Arto Lanamäki

Cited by 8

Cited by 4 Cited by 3

Open Source and Human Computer Interaction Philosophies in Open Source Projects: Incompatible or Co-Existent?

2013

Mikko Rajanen and Netta Iivary

Cited by 4

Is FOSS culture is open for design/usability contributions?

What is Usability?

Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad 1963

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

What is usability?

“The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.”

ISO/IEC 25010:2011

Jakob Nielsen, 1993 “Father of Usability” Sun Microsystems, Nielsen Norman Group

Jacob Nielsen’s Definition of Usability

• Ease of learning • Efficiency of use • Memorability • Error frequency and

severity • Subjective satisfaction

Usability Goals

Usability Evaluation

• Hallway Testing • Remote Usability

Testing • Expert Review • A/B Testing

An IBM usability lab in the late 1970s.

Usability Metrics

1. Success rate 2. The time a task requires 3. The error rate 4. Users' subjective satisfaction

Nielsen, 1994

Create systems that are

• Usable by ordinary people

• Consistent interface

• Accessible

What Does Usability Research Offer?

What FOSS community think of usability?

Is Usability important?

Andreasen, M., Nielsen, H., Schrøder, S., Stage, J.: Usability in Open Source Software Development: Opinions and Practice (2006)

Usability is important, but what is it?


Do open source software developers listen to their users? A Raza, LF Capretz. First Monday 17 (3), 2012.

Do FOSS developers practice usability?

• Functionality • Reliability • Usability • Efficiency • Maintainability • Portability

Do FOSS developers practice usability?

Do open source software developers listen to their users? A Raza, LF Capretz. First Monday 17 (3), 2012.

What FOSS community think of usability?


“…it is more fun to add support for some protocol feature than fixing a dialog for grandma”

An OSS Contributor

What Design Community Think of FOSS?

FOSS is great, but there are cases where usability could be improved…

Henrik Hedberg and Netta Iivari “Integrating HCI Specialists into Open Source Software Development Projects”

Usability = Organizational Culture?

M. Rajanen and N. Iivari “Open Source and Human Computer Interaction Philosophies in Open Source Projects – Incompatible or Co-Existent?”

Organizational Culture for Usability

Usability Designer • Involved in entire development process

• Act as a user representative, speaking for and fighting for the user

• Have decision-making power regarding important design solutions

Organizational Usability Examples

2004

Gnome Usability Project

Apache OpenOffice User Experience

Mozilla

One Hundred Paper Cuts

But How About All Other Projects?

Designers in Open Source

My first contribution

My first contribution… in review for 2 years

Non-response, Social Exclusion, and False Acceptance: Gatekeeping Tactics and Usability Work in Free-Libre FOSS Development M. Rajanen, N. Iivari and Arto Lanamäki

‘Non-response’ Gatekeeping Tactic


‘Social Exclusion’ Gatekeeping Tactic


‘False Acceptance’ Gatekeeping Tactic

Is FOSS development culture in conflict with usability?

Bach, P., Twidale, M.: Social participation in open source: what it means for designers.

Community Structure in Open Source

“Talk is cheap, show me the code”

FOSS Culture

Linus Torvalds

David M. Nichols, Kirsten Thomson, and Stuart A. Yeates, 2001. "Usability and Open Source Software Development,"

1. Meritocratic culture: Gaining merit through contributing high quality code


“They just don't like to do the boring stuff for

the stupid people!"

(Bruce Sterling, 2002)

FOSS Contributors…



2. Typical Users are not Developers




2. Typical Users are not Developers 3. They are very protective


Is There a Conflict?

How a designer can contribute?

How to start?

• Become a user

How to start?

• Become a user• Be part of the community

• Become a user• Be part of the community • Earn the merit

How to start?

• Become a user• Be part of the community • Earn the merit • Start doing design

How to start?

Resources

http://www.openusability.org/

First steps for a designer

http://www.openusability.org/

http://jancborchardt.net/usability-in-free-software

First steps for a designer

https://helpwanted.apache.org/

How do I find out what projects I want to contribute to?

https://helpwanted.apache.org/

http://opensourcedesign.net/


http://designopensrc.com/


Thank you@seoul_victoria