Questioning Usability

Abstract

This chapter is intended to question what usability is, or should be, in the field of computer science. We focus the design of information systems meant as systems enabling large virtual communities to access information and communications; systems aimed to support the working activities of a restricted team, but also to offer services accessible and usable in the perspective of global digital inclusion. We shall not propose a specific viewpoint to usability, but a focus to many concepts, aspects, potentialities which have to be nowadays considered to detail the idea of usability and design suited systems. Systems must be used by a community of users in their complex working activity to process material or information; to modify rough material but also the working environment and methods. This requires to consider them as tools in a social context of use which has expectations from the technological progress.