A Merger of HCI and SDLC: HCSDLC

Zhang, P., Carey, J. Te’eni, D. & Tremaine, M. (2005). Integrating human-computer interaction development into the systems development life cycle: A methodology. Communications of the Association for Information Systems 15, 512-543.

Zhang et al. (2005) propose a methodology that incorporates human-computer interaction (HCI) theories into the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). They begin by countering some of the misconceptions of HCI, including the misconception that HCI only concerns user interface design. HCI actually considers the whole system from the physical, cognitive, psychological, emotional and cultural aspects of the human person. Accordingly, the authors argue that systems analysis and design should consider HCI beyond just the design phase, which is the only area HCI is usually considered in popular systems analysis and design textbooks. To address this deficit of popular models, Zhang et al. propose a new methodology: the Human-Centered Systems Development Life Cycle (HCSDLC). The philosophy behind the methodology is that “information systems development should meet both organizational and individual’s needs” (p. 523). The HCSDLC does this by including typical activities of the SDLC and activities unique to HCI methodologies. As a result, the HCSDLC still consists of four phases: Project Selection and Planning, Analysis, Design and Implementation. The Project Selection and Planning phase is generally the same, but each of the other three phases includes traditional systems analysis and design concerns (meeting organizational needs) and typical HCI concerns (meeting human needs). By addressing organizational and human needs throughout the analysis and design process, the HCSDLC becomes a strong methodology, uncovering and addressing more of the needs of those who will be using the new or renovated system.

A distinction of interest made by the authors during the course of the article is between the terms usefulness, utility and usability. Zhang et al., drawing from Nielsen’s 1993 book Usability Engineering, define “usefulness of a computer system as the issue of whether the system can be used by users to achieve some desired goals” (p. 518). Usefulness is then “broken down into two categories: utility and usability [Grudin, 1992; Nielsen, 1993].” Utility concerns the ability of the computer system to help users achieve their tasks or goals. It addresses the broad question of usefulness regarding whether a system can “get the job done,” or help the user to get the job done, as the case may be. Usability goes a step further and concerns “how well users can use the functionality or utility of a system” (p. 518). This addresses the usefulness of the system regarding how well users can understand and operate the program so that they can achieve their tasks and goals. After all, if a user cannot understand or easily use a system, it matters little if the system is "technically" capable of performing the task. By specifying the terms usefulness, utility and usability, Zhang et al. illustrate some of the subtle depths of HCI and how they can contribute practically to system analysis and design.