Press Release: Florida Ballot Debacle Confirms Importance of Usability Concerns Highlighted at Nov. 16 Conference in Washington

November 10, 2000

Many voters were confused by poorly designed ballots in some Florida districts, apparently causing some voters favoring Vice President Gore to punch the wrong hole.

The flawed ballot design is a classic example of the types of usability problems to be addressed at the Conference on Universal Usability (CUU), to be held next Thursday and Friday (Nov. 16 and 17) in Arlington, Virginia.

According to CUU chair Dr. Ben Shneiderman (University of Maryland), "As we become dependent of more complex technology, designers have a greater responsibility to apply the scientific results of recent years and develop high quality products. These designs need thorough usability testing with a wide range of typical users." The Florida ballots are an excellent case in point.

Support for the CUU conference has been provided by leading companies such as America Online, Intel, Oracle, Motorola, and Sun MicroSystems, plus the U.S. National Science Foundation and U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (both government agencies).