Effect of Interface Design on Usability of Message Handling Systems

Abstract

Computer-based office support systems are designed to be used by people who view these systems as tools to accomplish tasks. For such users, the usefulness of a function is related to how well the interface to that function is designed. A comparison of two computer-based message systems shows that the amount of use received by a function supporting a secondary task is related to how easy that function is to use. It may be necessary to forego some system-wide power to provide user aids that improve usability of secondary functions.