User-Centered Technology

<p><b>Presents a theoretical model for examining technology through a user perspective.</b></p><p><b>Winner of the 1999 Best Book presented by the National Council of Teachers of English NCTE Awards for Excellence in Technical and Scientific Communication </b></p><p>User-Centered Technology presents a theoretical model for examining technology through a user perspective. Johnson begins with a historical overview of the problem of technological use from the ancient Greeks to the present day-a problem seen most clearly in historical discussions of rhetoric theory. The central portion of the book elaborates on user-centered theory by defining three focal issues of the theory: user knowledge human-technology interaction and technological determinism. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective Johnson uses rhetoric theory to present a definition of user knowledge; human factors engineering to illuminate the ideological presuppositions built into technology design; and history philosophy and sociology to explain technological determinism possibly the greatest impediment to user-centered technology development in modern times. The latter part of the book applies user-centered theory in two contexts: the nonacademic sphere where the writing and design of computer user documentation is discussed and the academic sphere through a discussion of how user-centered concepts might drive university technical communication and composition curricula.</p>