A Context-of-Use Taxonomy for Usability Studies

The interest in developing usable products has led to the inclusion of usability aspects in product development processes. Nonetheless, the fact that there is a tendency to overlook characteristics of the context in which a product is to be used means that the usability of a product in its operational environment is often diminished. One of the main reasons why this is the case is because there is no clear and sufficiently detailed model available for defining the concept of context of use. A comprehensive taxonomy that describes context of use and its attributes by means of precise definitions is proposed. This taxonomy will serve as a basis for improving the validity of usability activities by enabling an analysis of the conditions of use of a product in usability studies in a structured way.

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