The IsoMetrics usability inventory: an operationalization of ISO9241-10 supporting summative and formative evaluation of software systems

Abstract

Aiming at a user-oriented approach in software evaluation on the basis of ISO 9241 Part 10, we present a questionnaire (IsoMetrics) which collects usability data for summative and formative evaluation, and document its construction. The summative version of IsoMetrics shows a high reliability of its subscales and gathers valid information about differences in the usability of different software systems. Moreover, we show that the formative version of IsoMetrics is a powerful tool for supporting the identification of software weaknesses. Finally, we propose a procedure to categorize and prioritize weak points, which subsequently can be used as basic input to usability reviews.