Software Architecture Modelling: Bridging Two Worlds Using Ergonomics and Software Properties

The process of designing and constructing user interfaces is critical for building systems that satisfy the customer’s needs, both current and future. This process includes the original design of the interface, the implementation of the system, and the modifications to the operational system. These modifications are endemic in interactive systems. Since the user interface can account for approximately 50 per cent of total life cycle costs (Myers 89), the software engineer has a vested interest in constructing a user interface that both satisfies the customer and is constructed using the best available tools and techniques. In addition, the increasing complexity and size of software systems require sound engineering principles and frameworks to formally structure the design process into multiple but consistent perspectives.