In 1982, I published my first book on computer usability, Human Performance Engineering. At that time, there were no other books that directly addressed the steps necessary to optimize computer system usability. Ben Shneiderman eventually published his excellent book, Designing the User Interface, in 1987.

During the previous 20-year period (1962-1982), there had been some book chapters written, and a few books that focused primarily on improving the input-output hardware. These are listed below:

 

  • Gagne (1962) – Psychological Principles in System Development (Men and Computers)
  • DeGreene (1970) – Systems Psychology (Man-Computer Interrelationships)
  • VanCott and Kinkade (1972) – Human Engineering Guide to Equipment Design (Data Entry Devices and Procedures)
  • Martin (1973) – Design of Man-Computer Dialogs
  • Engel and Granda (1975) – Guidelines for Man/Display Interfaces
  • Ramsey and Atwood (1979) – Human Factors in Computer Systems: A Review of the Literature
  • Schneiderman (1980) – Software Psychology
  • Cakir, Hart and Stewart (1980) – Visual Display Terminals 

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