He is spearheading a new effort at Concordia to tackle this issue with a new research lab, graduate and undergraduate courses in user interface design and software usability, and collaboration with industry.
Usability means the ease of learning and using a software system.
It can include ease of switching to upgraded versions, and safety factors, such as the likelihood a user will develop repetitive strain injuries. Visual aspects, such as formatting and color, and psychological factors may also be involved. Seffah points out that lack of usability has significant and expensive consequences. Companies spend a great deal of time and money on training employees to master complex software. The increased productivity that computers are supposed to bring to the workplace is sometimes lost because the software is underutilized.