Delivering usable interactive computer systems

Nine papers, three book chapters, an edited book and a sole author book are included in this submission for a Doctorate in Philosophy by published work. These publications are the result of collaborative research projects between academia and industry applied research and business development. These works contribute to the single objective of advancing the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). That is, improving the ability of the software development community to develop usable interactive systems. The works contained in this submission span four distinct periods. Firstly. those relating to the development of adaptive user interfaces to computer systems. Secondly, those considering the role of user interface design in the development of interactive systems. Next experiences from field work and finally those documenting a method for the analysis and design of user interfaces. The common theme to all of these works is "how to develop usable interactive computer systems". This chapter begins by describing this collection of publications. the objectives of the work and the progression between the various publications. It then goes on to discuss the most substantial publication; a book describing a method for the analysis and design of interactive systems. This is followed by a critique covering the value of having a method and the qualities that a user interface design method should demonstrate.