ISO 9241-960-2017 PDF

Full title and description

Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 960: Framework and guidance for gesture interactions. Provides guidance for selecting or creating human gestures used in gesture interfaces, covering usability considerations, design process elements, parameters to consider, and how gestures should be documented.

Abstract

This part of ISO 9241 offers a framework and practical guidance to improve the usability of gesture-based interfaces. It focuses on the human-expressed gestures themselves (not on the internal system response) and describes factors to consider when designing, evaluating and documenting gestures for 2D and 3D capture devices.

General information

• Status: Published; reviewed and confirmed (remains current as of the ISO five-year review).
• Publication date: September 2017 (Edition 1, 2017).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.180 (Ergonomics); 35.180 (IT terminal and peripheral equipment).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2017).
• Number of pages: 24 (official ISO publication).

Scope

ISO 9241-960 provides guidance for the selection and creation of gestures used in gesture interfaces. It addresses usability and design considerations, documents parameters that influence gesture behaviour and recognition, and gives recommendations for documenting gestures. The standard applies to gestures expressed by humans (captured in 2D or 3D) and does not specify system-side responses to those gestures.

Key topics and requirements

• Principles for selecting and creating usable gestures for human–system interaction.
• Guidance on the gesture design process, including user- and context-centred considerations.
• Parameters and constraints to consider (e.g., spatial/temporal characteristics, device capture modality — 2D vs 3D, user ergonomics).
• Recommendations for documenting gestures (notation, descriptive metadata and context of use).
• Notes on standardization relationships (references to related ISO/IEC gesture standards and series).

Typical use and users

Used by HCI and UX designers, interaction designers, product managers, developers of gesture-enabled hardware and software, accessibility specialists, researchers in human–computer interaction, and standards or compliance teams responsible for interface ergonomics and usability. It is applied when designing or evaluating gesture vocabularies, interaction flows, and documentation for gesture interfaces across devices (touchscreens, tablets, spatial sensors, AR/VR systems).

Related standards

ISO 9241-960 is part of the broader ISO 9241 series on ergonomics of human‑system interaction. It cross-references gesture-specific work in ISO/IEC 14754 and the ISO/IEC 30113 series; related ISO 9241 parts cover other interaction modalities (for example tactile/haptic parts and evaluation methods).

Keywords

gesture interactions, gesture design, human-system interaction, ergonomics, usability, HCI, gesture documentation, 2D/3D gesture capture, interaction design.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 9241-960:2017 is an international standard that provides a framework and guidance for designing, selecting and documenting human gestures used in gesture-based interfaces.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers usability considerations for gestures, the gesture design process, parameters affecting gesture performance and recognition, and recommendations for how gestures should be documented. It applies to human-expressed gestures and not to the internal system responses.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Interaction and UX designers, device and software developers working on gesture interfaces, accessibility and usability professionals, researchers in HCI, and standards or compliance teams.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The standard was published in 2017 (Edition 1) and was reviewed and confirmed by ISO during the five-year review cycle (confirmed in 2022), so this edition remains current unless formally revised or withdrawn by ISO.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 960 of the ISO 9241 series (Ergonomics of human‑system interaction), which contains many parts addressing different modalities and usability topics; ISO 9241-960 specifically addresses gesture interactions.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Gesture interactions; gesture design; ergonomics; usability; human-system interaction; gesture documentation; HCI.