What is it they say? The right tool for the job! Indeed!

When I got my first car, it was a mess. It always needed work… in fact the Scarsdale police department knew my mom’s phone number by heart. “Mrs. Heese your kid is stuck again up by the Exxon station… Do you want us to send the tow truck?” I learned all about combustion engines that summer and I learned that there are particular tools that are designed to make some jobs easier AND having those tools could mean the difference between working on the car all weekend and driving it up and down Central Avenue! It’s no different today.

Nice story… But where are we going with this? Well… now instead of using socket wrenches and screwdrivers, its all about software packages and hardware! But that’s only half the story there’s still the human element. How do we interact with the tools we use? The ISO (or International Organization for Standardization) have put together a number of standards for how humans with computers. One in particular, ISO 9241 (Ergonomics of Human System Interaction) details various best practices from how Workstations should be layout, to postural requirements, to keyboard layouts, and even to how menu dialogues boxes should be laid out!

NOTE: A great list of other usability standards can be found at http://www.userfocus.co.uk/resources/iso9241/intro.html

I find that if my desk is cleared of all distractions I can work efficiently and effectively. But that’s only part of the equation… your workspace must be organized as well! Any effort put into organizational planning is well worth the time. A big part of this is knowing how you work. What things are required? Do you need to have a radio on or… is silence best. Best practices are everywhere these days… And for good reason! We as people know there’s no point reinventing the wheel. It functions and serves it purpose well. Sure we can always improve upon and idea… but why spend the effort trying to do the same thing people have done over and over again!