What is Human Factors Theory?

The Human Factors Institute of User-Centered Design, Development, and Deployment bases its fundamental theory on the approach of Thomas Landauer. He is the former director of Cognitive Science Research at Bellcore and professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In his book The Trouble with Computers: Usefulness, Usability, and Productivity (MIT Press, 1996), Landauer writes:

“I will offer some solutions that all have to do with how to direct and apply innovation to real human needs, rather than solving just traditional technical problems. They all hinge on methods for evaluative feedback. By name, the proposed solutions are UCD, UCD, and UCD, standing for user-centered design, user-centered development, and user-centered deployment. They don’t require separate acronyms because at base they’re all the same: techniques for getting and using empirical evidence on how systems help and hinder people in their work. There’s already compelling evidence that these methods will work wonders. Unfortunately, there are also indications that getting them employed will be an uphill battle."