BKERGSTD.RVW   960207
 
"ISO and ANSI Ergonomic Standards for Computer Products", Smith, 1996, 0-13-
151119-X
%A   Wanda J. Smith
%C   One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ   07458
%D   1996
%G   0-13-151119-X
%I   Prentice Hall
%O   +1-201-236-7139 fax: +1-201-236-7131 beth_hespe@prenhall.com
%P   334
%T   "ISO and ANSI Ergonomic Standards for Computer Products"
 
There is something quixotic about a book that starts out by saying how much fun
computer standards committees can be.  Standards are necessary in all technical
fields, and the more technical the more necessary.  But anyone who says that
the ponderous, frustrating and meticulous work of standards committees can be
fun is either a fifth generation bureaucrat or passionately dedicated to
betterment of working conditions for her fellow men. *
 
In the case of Smith, I would vote for the latter.  Ergonomics (or human
factors, as we dinosaurs were taught to call it) is a very complex field, and
one in which purely technical answers do not always work.  It is additionally
frustrating in that ergonomic considerations are almost invariably last on
anyone's list.  (Particularly in view of the fact that the most conservative
assumptions and simplest calculations invariably show that ergonomics, far from
costing, always return their investment many times over.  But I digress.)
 
Smith has admirably blended technical and regulatory accuracy with practicality
of information.  The entire book is a most readable treasure trove of human
factors information.  (And irony.  The almost universal move to black-on-white
text by "user-friendly" systems such as the Mac, Windows and X runs counter to
the fact that in many ways white-on-black is more readable.)  As a software
reviewer I was delighted to find sections on screen design and program flow. 
The centerpiece of the book, from the non-expert's view, must be chapter eight,
which provides over seventy pages of usability checklists, ranging from the
most basic to highly specialized.
 
Aside from users and reviewers, this book is an absolute must for anyone
working in systems development.  Amidst the clamour of marketeers and managers
for features and completion, there is always the danger of losing sight of what
is really important.  This is a handy tool not only for design ideas, but for
staying on track as well.
 
 
* If you are *that* concerned about gender neutral language, you, too, are a
fifth generation bureaucrat.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996   BKERGSTD.RVW   960207
 
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