User Interfaces in Information and Reservation Systems: Classification and Development Issues

This work derives from a broader investigation of usability in information and reservations systems and although these systems are now commonplace, research on system usability in the sector is scant. It is envisaged that this usability field will expand significantly and thus an attempt is made here to lay some foundations for this future work Difficulties in seeking to define and classify systems, users and user interfaces as a first approach to investigating usability, are described and pending subsequent refinement, a working definition is ascribed to information and reservations systems and users. However the central focus is the user interface itself since this is the key to usability. The paper concludes with an approach to classifying user interface configurations which may facilitate future research by applying a common approach to usability assessment for both system users and software developers.