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Vol.28 No.1, January 1996
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In my October 1994 column, I reported on efforts to find a widely acceptable wording for the conformance sections in the software parts of ISO standard 9241, Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals. The revisions under consideration at that time were designed to eliminate conformance measures based on the degree to which software applications met the specific design requirements ("shall" statements) contained in each part.
Instead, it was proposed to have only one "shall" statement in each of the normative software parts (Parts 12 through 17). The wording of this statement would be adjusted as necessary to match the topic of each part. For example, in Part 14, the statement would read: "If a product is claimed to have met the applicable recommendations in ISO 9241-14, the procedure used in establishing requirements for, developing, and/or evaluating menu dialogues shall be specified. The level of specification of the procedure is a matter of negotiation between the involved parties."
This revised wording has been generally accepted by the international bodies authorized to vote on the software parts of ISO 9241. However, other changes are underway to further lessen the burden of proof for software developers. For example, the conformance section no longer specifies that adherence to the recommendations in each part of the standard can be demonstrated using either the checklist procedure appended to that part or a comparable procedure. The new wording simply says that another procedure can be used. This eliminates the need for anyone to demonstrate that a given procedure is indeed comparable to the checklist procedure.
It has also been agreed that the terms "conformance" and "compliance" should be removed throughout each of the software parts, including the appendices. The so-called "conformance section" of each part is now titled simply "Evaluation of products." In combination, these changes should help to generate wider acceptance of Parts 12-17 in the international community. This, in turn, will increase the number of end users and software developers able to benefit from the design and evaluation guidance contained in those parts.
On to committee updates...
ISO Technical Committee 159 (TC159) is concerned with Ergonomics; Sub-Committee 4 (SC4) addresses Ergonomics of Human-System Interaction. Working Group 5 (WG5) of SC4 addresses Software Ergonomics and Human-Computer Dialogues. WG5 is responsible for developing parts 10-17 of the multi-part ISO 9241 standard, Ergonomic Requirements for Office Work with Visual Display Terminals (VDTs). These parts cover dialogue design principles, dialogue styles, software usability, presentation of information, and user guidance.
The current status of the software-related parts (parts 10-17) of the ISO 9241 standard is as follows:
The sub-group developing a new standard, Ergonomic requirements for user interfaces to multimedia systems, continues to make progress on their document. They have completed a user requirements section and preliminary table of contents, but are not yet ready to release their document for review as a Working Draft.
WG5 has agreed to produce an Addendum to Part 1 of ISO 9241, which will contain guidelines for using the software parts of the standard. However, this work has not yet been assigned to a sub-group.
ISO Technical Committee 159 (TC159) is concerned with Ergonomics; Sub-Committee 4 (SC4) addresses Ergonomics of Human-System Interaction. Working Group 6 (WG6) of SC4 is responsible for updating Part 1 (Introduction) of ISO 9241, for expanding the content of ISO 9241 to address non-office environments, and for addressing design process considerations.
Part 1 of ISO 9241 was published as an ISO standard in 1988. WG6 has revised the document to more accurately reflect the current scope and contents of the other 16 parts of ISO 9241. The revised Part 1 passed its first CD ballot, and the DIS version is expected to be released to ISO for translation in mid-1995.
WG6 is continuing work on a new standard, ISO 13407, Human-centered design of interactive systems. The group expects to have a first CD ready for balloting by early 1996.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Technical Standards Committee (HFES TSC) is the ANSI-designated U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO TC159, Ergonomics. The SC4 TAG is a sub-group of the HFES TSC, and is responsible for preparing the U.S. position on ISO standards related to the ergonomics of human-system interaction. Membership in the SC4 TAG is open to any U.S. parties with an interest in these topics.
At the October 1995 meeting, the group reviewed the status of those parts of ISO 9241 that are still under development. (Note that the status of Parts 1 and 10-17 is discussed above, and Parts 2 and 3 are already approved International Standards.)
It was reported that both Part 4, Keyboard requirements, and Part 5, Workstation layouts and postural requirements, failed their first DIS ballots. Both documents have been revised, translated into German and French, and are currently being balloted as second DISs.
Part 6, Environmental requirements, passed its second CD ballot. The draft has been revised to incorporate comments, and is expected to be through translation and released for DIS balloting in late 1995. Part 7, Display requirements with reflections, is expected to be released for a first DIS ballot in late 1995.
Part 8, Requirements for displayed color, is currently out for ballot as a second DIS. Part 9, Requirements for non-keyboard input devices, failed its first CD ballot. The group expects to have all comments incorporated, and the draft ready for balloting as a second CD, in late 1995.
TAG members reported on several other SC4 activities that have an HCI component, including ISO 13406, Ergonomic requirements for visual display units employing flat panel technology. The second CD ballot for ISO 13406 was completed in September 1995, but the outcome of the ballot is not yet known. Work is also continuing on ISO 11064, Ergonomic Design of Control Rooms, an emerging 8-part standard. Parts 1 and 3 of this standard have been advanced for balloting at the CD level, while current development focuses on parts 4, 6, and 7.
It was reported that SC4 has approved development of a technical report on computer accessibility, based on the Nordic accessibility guidelines. It has not yet been determined whether this project will be assigned to WG5 or one of the other SC4 Working Groups.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) is an ANSI-authorized Standards Developing Organization. The HFES-HCI committee develops guidelines and standards in the area of software ergonomics. The committee is currently developing ANSI/HFES 200, Ergonomic Requirements for Software User Interfaces, a standard which reflects and extends parts 10-17 of the ISO 9241 standard. The HFES-HCI committee is the U.S. mirror group to ISO TC159/SC4/WG5.
At the October 1995 meeting, the committee reviewed new drafts of the introduction, definitions, color, accessibility, voice-based interaction, and menu sections of HFES 200. The participation of several technical advisors, particularly in the voice and accessibility areas, is helping to ensure that development of new material in these sections proceeds well.
The committee expects to have a full draft of the HFES 200 standard ready for canvassing by late 1996. The call for canvass committee participation will be sent to various professional and industry organizations in early 1996.
The committee's 1996 operating budget was approved by the HFES Executive Council, including continued support for HFES-HCI participation in the ANSI Information Infrastructure Standards Panel (IISP). The IISP is tasked with identifying areas in which standards are needed to support the growth of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Elizabeth Buie of Computer Sciences Corporation will continue to be the primary HFES representative on the IISP.
Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC1) is a combined activity of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Working Group 9 (WG9) of Sub-Committee 18 (Text and Office-based Systems) is currently developing standards in three primary topic areas: keyboard layouts, dialog interaction, and symbols.
Of the 6-part icon standard (ISO-IEC 11581, Graphical Symbols on Screens), Part 1, Interactive Icons - General and Part 2, Object icons have been published as International Standards. Part 3, Pointer Icons, has been released for DIS balloting. Parts 4, 5, and 6 (Control Icons, Tools Icons, and Status Indicator Icons, respectively) are still under development.
Following publication of the WG9 voice messaging standard (ISO/IEC 13714, Information Technology - Document Processing and Related Communications - User Interface to Telephone-Based Services - Voice Messaging Applications) as an International Standard, most of the voice messaging experts are no longer participating in committee work.
WG9's draft standard on objects and actions (ISO/IEC 11580, Information Technology - User System Interfaces for Text and Office Systems - Names and Descriptions of Objects and Actions Commonly Used in the Office Environment) is expected to be released for balloting as a first DIS soon.
WG9's draft standard on cursor control for linear text editing was approved as a DIS. A document on cursor control for tasks other than linear text editing is still at the Working Draft stage.
A draft standard on symbols for the office environment, created by consolidating several existing standards, is expected to be released for a first CD ballot in early 1996. This document addresses static symbols on office equipment, not screen-based icons.
WG9's draft standard on command gestures for pen-based systems, which is based on a document supplied by the Japanese delegation, was released for balloting as a first CD.
The group is also developing a standard for the method used to enter keyboard equivalents for the international character sets defined in ISO 10646. This standard will be very similar to the Unicode industry standard.
Task Group 9 of the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) X3V1 committee is responsible for developing national standards and guidelines for three primary components of text, office, and publishing systems: keyboards and keypads, symbols and icons, and user interfaces (including dialog interaction, names of objects and actions, and user guidance). The committee also serves as the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC18/WG9.
The voice messaging standard (ISO/IEC 13714, Information Technology - Document Processing and Related Communications - User Interface to Telephone-Based Services - Voice Messaging Applications) has been published by ISO as an International Standard. The standard has also been approved, but not yet published, by ANSI. Copies of the ISO version can be purchased through ANSI.
X3V1.9 is continuing to upgrade and revise the ANSI QWERTY standard (X3.154-1988), now that the international standard for keyboards, (ISO/IEC 9995, Information Technology - Keyboard Layout for Text and Office Systems) has been approved. The revised ANSI standard will serve as Part 2 of ISO/IEC 9995, which is reserved for national keyboard requirements.
At their last meeting, the committee prepared the US position on WG9's CD on command gestures for pen-based systems. Although there was general approval of all the gestures described in the CD, the committee voted that it should not be advanced to the DIS level in its current form because of problems with the readability and usability of the document.
ANSI requires standards-producing organizations to rescind, re-affirm, or update the standards they have developed every five years. The ANSI/HFES 100-1988 Revision Committee has been chartered by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society to update the ANSI/HFS 100-1988 standard, "Human Factors Engineering of Visual Display Terminal Workstations". The group is divided into six sub-committees addressing, respectively: CRT and flat-panel output devices, keyboard and non-keyboard input devices, workplace fixtures and furniture, the ambient working environment, external relations, and systems integration.
At the October 1995 meeting, the committee completed a final review of the HFES 100 draft standard. After a last round of editing, the Chair expects to submit the draft to ANSI in early 1996. ANSI will release the draft to the HFES 100 canvass committee and formally announce the start of the public review period in the Standards Action newsletter. Canvass committee members and other respondents will have 60 days to review and vote on the draft.
ANSI American National Standards Institute
CD Committee Draft
CEN European Committee for Standardization
DIS Draft International Standard
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IS International Standard
ISO International Organization for Standardization
TAG Technical Advisory Group
TC Technical Committee
SC Sub-Committee
WD Working Draft
WG Working Group
To contribute information to this column, call +1-413-268-0328, send email to billingsley.chi@xerox.com, send a fax to +1-413-268-7692, or write to Pat Billingsley, Principal Consultant, The Merritt Group, 82 South Street, PO Box 728, Williamsburg, MA 01096-0728, USA.
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