“How Do I Save It?” Usability Evaluation of a Systems Theory-Based Incident Reporting Software Prototype by Novice End Users

The level of usability achieved by software tools is a key factor that determines their success and indeed uptake by end users. This paper describes a study that was undertaken to evaluate the usability of a prototype incident reporting software tool. The study involved novice end users completing a series of tasks using the software tool and then completing Ravden and Johnson’s Human Computer Interaction (HCI) checklist. The findings identify aspects of the system that pose particular challenges for participants. Participants appeared to lack a clear understanding of the relationship between the information required from them, and the underpinning accident analysis method of the software tool. This is perhaps unsurprising, considering that most incident reporting systems do not include these functions. The findings indicate that the tool requires better levels of intuitiveness to assist users in complex tasks so the focus is on awareness of accident causation methods rather than task instructions. The implications for the design of incident reporting software tools are discussed.