The Evolution of Software Usability in Developer Communities: An Empirical Study on Stack Overflow
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates how software developers discuss usability on Stack Overflow through an analysis of posts from 2008 to 2024. Despite recognizing the importance of usability for software success, there is a limited amount of research on developer engagement with usability topics. Using mixed methods that combine quantitative metric analysis and qualitative content review, we examine temporal trends, comparative engagement patterns across eight non-functional requirements, and programming context-specific usability issues. Our findings show a significant decrease in usability posts since 2010, contrasting with other non-functional requirements, such as performance and security. Despite this decline, usability posts exhibit high resolution efficiency, achieving the highest answer and acceptance rates among all topics, suggesting that the community is highly effective at resolving these specialized questions. We identify distinctive platform-specific usability concerns: web development prioritizes responsive layouts and form design; desktop applications emphasize keyboard navigation and complex controls; and mobile development focuses on touch interactions and screen constraints. These patterns indicate a transformation in the sharing of usability knowledge, reflecting the maturation of the field, its integration into frameworks, and the migration to specialized communities. This first longitudinal analysis of usability discussions on Stack Overflow provides insights into developer engagement with usability and highlights opportunities for integrating usability guidance into technical contexts.
Source: Software
Authors: Hans Djalali, Wajdi Aljedaani, Stephanie Ludi
Institution: University of North Texas
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,207
OpenAlex ID: W4415815500