Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
5.1 Conclusions
The findings show interesting similarities with our background literature review,
which revealed that there were no proven process models available that met the spe-
cific needs of web development. This study showed that none of the companies were
using a development process designed specifically for web application development.
It also supported evidence that the use of best practice frameworks has been particu-
larly slow among SMEs.
The literature also suggested that the practice of UCD techniques was slow, which
was corroborated with the evidence from these case studies. The findings also uphold
suggestions that web developers are confused about how to implement usability.
Analysis of the interviews showed that the definitions of usability were inconsistent
and that there is still is a need for a definition of usability specifically for web applica-
tions. There was also very little awareness of usability standards. Also of concern is
the lack of involvement of end users in the development process.
There were positive findings in that the companies were demonstrating recent im-
provements in their process and an acknowledgement of process shortcomings. Inter-
viewees demonstrated a good understanding of their process, regardless of whether it
was documented or not. There was also a unanimously high level of pride in the end
product.
5.2 Limitations
The primary limitation of this research is the small number of companies it analysed.
It is difficult to draw firm conclusions from such a small set of case studies. How-
ever, it is still possible to draw tentative conclusions and a higher sample size of case
study companies could be used to strengthen the validity of the findings. Further
study would also benefit from a larger sample size of interviewees from each case
study company. This would enable the researcher to investigate whether the practices
and opinions differ according to different perspectives within the same company.
This study did not look at the products developed by any of the case study compa-
nies in order to assess their level of usability. When investigating usability awareness
and practices in a company, it would be of merit to also measure the usability in the
end product in order to see if the level of awareness has any bearing on the usability
on the end product.
5.3 Future Research
As the number and complexity of web applications grow, and user interactions with
these systems grow, the need for research in web application usability increases. The
background research revealed a need for further research in software process models
and UCD models that cater specifically to web application development. But before a
suitable model can be established, there is a need to understand the current practices
among web development companies and the difficulties they encounter. The scope of
the research into usability practices among web application development companies
could be widened to a larger number of case studies, based on an increased time-
frame. This would increase the validity of the findings and set the groundwork for
developing a suitable process model and UCD model for web application develop-
ment by SMEs.
