Some links and references to IBM CUA: Common User Access which defines a lot of the UIs and UX we still use.
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/02/04
Back in the late 80s and early 90s of last century, engineers Richard E. Berry, Cliff J. Reeves set a standard that still influences the user interfaces and user experience of today: the IBM Common User Access.
I mentioned CUA a few times before, but since an old client of mine managed to throw away their paper originals in a “we don’t need that old stuff any more as we are now all digital” frenzy, I wanted to locate some PDFs. And I promised to write more about CUA.
If anyone has printed versions of the non-PDF documents below, please donate them to aek at bitsavers.org or scanning at archive.org as they are really hard to get.
A few search queries I used:
- IBM Common User Access bitsavers (as bitsavers.org keeps a lot of PDF materials)
- IBM CUA filetype:pdf
- IBM “Common User Access” filetype:pdf
The PDFs I think are most interesting:
- Common User Access – a consistent and usable human-computer interface for the SAA environments by R.E. Berry, IBM Systems Journal, vol 27, no 3, 1988.
Alternative: http://www.maxhost.org/other/ibmsj2703E.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20070927082756/http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/273/ibmsj2703E.pdf - The evolution of the Common User Access Workplace Model, by Richard E. Berry, Cliff J. Reeves, IBM Systems Journal, Volume 31, no 3, 1992.
http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/313/ibmsj3103C.pdf - The designer’s model of the CUA workplace, by Richard E. Berry, IBM Systems Journal, Volume 31, no 3, 1992.
http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/313/ibmsj3103D.pdf - Designing SAA applications and user interfaces, by W. P. Dunfee J. D. McGehe R. C. Rauf, K.O. Shipp, IBM Systems Journal, vol 27, no 3, 1988.
Alternative: http://www.owl.homeip.net/papers/edu/inf/saa/ibmsj2703I.pdf
And these non-PDFs (some via IBM Library Server Library):
- The Library for System Solutions: End User Interface Reference, Document Number GG24-4107-00, July 1994, International Technical Support Organization, Boca Raton Center.
- IBM, Systems Application Architecture: Common User Access: Panel Design and User Interaction, Document SC26-4351-0, 1987.
- IBM, Systems Application Architecture: Common User Access: Advanced Interface Design Guide, Document SC26-4582-0, 1990.
- IBM, Systems Application Architecture: Common User Access: Basic Interface Design Guide, Document SC26-4583-00, 1992.
- IBM, Systems Application Architecture: Common User Access: Guide to User Interface Design, Document SC34-4289-00, 1991
- IBM, Systems Application Architecture: Common User Access: Advanced Interface Design Reference, Document SC34-4290-00, 1991
- Object-Oriented Interface Design: IBM Common User Access Guidelines, Document Number SC34-4399-00, 1992
Alternative: Object-Oriented Interface Design: IBM Common User Access Guidelines: I.B.M.: 9781565291706: Amazon.com: Books.
ACM links:
- Common user access—a consistent and usable human-computer interface for the SAA environments, IBM Systems Journal archive, Volume 27 Issue 3, 1988, Pages 281 – 300.
- The evolution of the Common User Access workplace model, IBM Systems Journal archive, Volume 31 Issue 3, 1992, Pages 414 – 428.
- The designer’s model of the CUA workplace, IBM Systems Journal archive, Volume 31 Issue 3, 1992, Pages 429 – 458
CEESL002:
- IBM Library Server “SAA Common User Interface Bookshelf”
- CONTENTS “CUA Basic Interface Design Guide” IBM Library Server Document Number: SC26-4583-00
- CONTENTS “Object-Oriented Interface Design” IBM Library Server Document Number: SC34-4399-00
–jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 
weirdo12 said
I have printed copies of GC26-4341-2, SC26-4351-0 and SC26-4352-0.
jpluimers said
Hi Jeff. If you want to contribute them: please let me know. I’ll be in Florida starting monday. Lets try to keep in touch then.
For my memory:
I could not find “SC26-4352-0”, what’s the title of it?
weirdo12 said
I just logged in to WordPress and saw your reply – I’m a little late answering!
SC26-4352-0 is Common User Access: Advanced Interface Design Guide