4.2 Human Factors Plan (HFP)

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The HFP is a researched document used for conducting human factors studies within the project environment. Human factors planning ensures that the team does not build a work environment that is not suitable for the workers or users of the project deliverables. For example, a test bench is fabricated to exact specifications of 54" in height. Later, it is discovered that the average height of the test team is 5'6" and the test bench is level with most test-team members’ collarbones!

Many other facets of testing are a part of the overall HFP. Such useroriented testing must occur in conjunction with requirements testing, integration testing, platform testing, media tests, and so on. It is generally a good idea to have a dedicated team exclusively devoted to the human factors process. Some organizations even believe it is best to have outside consultants come to work for them to explore these types of issues. Their reasoning for this is that outsiders do not have preconceptions about the internal workings, environment, or operation of the product and can provide the best objectivity. Following is a list of some other human factors to consider:

• O/S suitability tests

• Code testing

• User input testing

• General performance testing

• User feedback

• Graphics suitability

• Performance

• Functionality

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