Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 2001

Grappling with Distributed Usability: A Cultural-Historical Examination of Documentation Genres over Four Decades

Clay Spinuzzi Texas Tech University

Abstract

Traditional models of usability assume that usability is a quality that can be designed into a particular artifact. Yet constructivist theory implies that usability cannot be located in a single artifact; rather, it must be conceived as a quality of the entire activity in which the artifact is used. This article describes a distributed approach to usability, based on activity theory and genre theory. It then illustrates the approach with a four-decade examination of a traffic accident location and analysis system (ALAS). Using the theoretical framework of genre ecologies, the article demonstrates how usability is distributed across the many official and unofficial (ad hoc) genres employed by ALAS users.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2001-01-01
DOI
10.2190/8gbc-j04r-vkcf-njjp
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Closed
Topics
genre theory technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (8)

  1. Campbell (2023)
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  1. Cooke et al. (2005)
    Connecting Usability Education and Research With Industry Needs and Practices
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  2. Selber (2004)
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CrossRef global citation count: 12 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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