CHAPTER 1
Newton and Its Users
Know Your Audience 1-3
using a step-by-step approach by thinking of how a person might get from
one place to the next in a logical fashion.
Involve users throughout the design process and observe them working in
their environment. Use people who fit your audience description to test your
prototypes and development products. Listen to their feedback and try to
address their needs in your product. Develop your product with people and
their capabilities, not computers and their capabilities, in mind. For more
information, see “Involve Users in the Design Process” on page 1-13.
What People Do With Newton 1
The features and capabilities that make Newton what it is also strongly
influence what people want to do with Newton devices. These expectations
indirectly affect the user interface of Newton software. An application must
make it easy for people to accomplish the following tasks on demand:
■Capture information fragments—write, sketch, pick from lists, specify
dates and times, and select options
■Organize information—file, sort, schedule, prioritize, copy, delete,
and format
■Retrieve information—find, recall, browse, skim, read, and view
■Send and in some cases receive information by various means—print, fax,
mail, and direct transfer
Accessibility 1
Your software needs to appeal to and be useful to people with a wide range
of abilities and backgrounds. There are likely to be members of your target
audience who are different from the so-called average user that you envision.
Users will undoubtedly vary in their ages, styles, and abilities. They may
also have physical or cognitive limitations, linguistic differences, or other
differences you need to consider. Identify how the individuals in your target
audience differ and what special needs they may have.