KDE Usability Project
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about the KDE Usability Project.
- What is the KDE Usability Project?
- What kind of things do you do?
- Who is in charge?
- How much do you get paid for this?
- What do I need to know to get involved?
- How can I get involved and contribute to the project?
What is the KDE Usability Project?
The KDE Usability Project is an initiative to improve the user experience by assisting developers in creating more usable software. We work with developers and educate them on integrating usability in to the development cycle, review software for usability issues, and make suggestions to improve the overall quality of KDE software. We help make KDE more user-friendly.
What kind of things do you do?
There are several things we do to help improve the usability of KDE.
Working with developers. Most often we answer usability-related questions developers have while writing software. Sometimes we are available to work side-by-side with developers and integrate the usability process in their development. We also help educate developers by answering their questions, providing Human Interface Guidelines for their software, and give usability talks at conferences.
Provide usability feedback. We can give developers feedback concerning their software in many ways. Sometimes it is as simple as an email with a suggestion for change. We often perform usability tests with test users to find difficulties in software that harder for advanced users to find. We also write usability reports grading a software and offering suggestions on how to improve it.
Discuss and create software standards. Consistency is key, and sometimes how the 'other guy' is doing it isn't always the best solution for KDE. Through our mailing lists, IRC, and meeting with each other, we can discuss the best changes for KDE, test them, and suggest them to developers.
Who is in charge?
There isn't one person in charge of KDE Usability, although there is a core group of contributors who do a lot of the work. If you have any questions, or would like know more about us, send us an email at KDE-Usability@KDE.org.
How much do you get paid for this?
Nothing! Like many free software projects, we are all completely volunteer based and work on the project in our spare time or a moment at work when the boss is not looking.
What do I need to know to get involved?
We are looking for people with a variety of interests and skills. We are always looking for Application Usability Report maintainers for the many KDE applications that do not have report maintainers. We are also looking for people to perform usability tests on applications, and also for people to make suggestions and discuss various ideas for KDE application design. If you have any other skills that you feel could be useful you are more than welcome to get involved.
How can I get involed and contribute to the project?
The first place to get started is to join our mailing list. The mailing list is the place where we discuss things to do with the project. You should send an email to the list saying you are interested in getting involved and mention what skills you have to offer. We then let you know things that need doing and what you can get involved doing if you are interested. Also feel free to suggest new ideas for the project...we always welcome fresh ideas. The other place you can speak to people in the project is on IRC. Not as many people go on IRC as the mailing list, but if you would like to chat in real time...give it a go. The main thing is to enjoy yourself working on the study and do as much as you are happy with. We don't make any assumptions on how much work anyone can do, so there is no pressure.
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