The scope of HFES 200 is primarily focused on user interaction with software for personal, business, and educational use, most commonly implemented on a desktop PC or terminal (e.g., see ANSI/HFS 100-1988). Most of the recommendations in this standard also apply to home and mobile computing and to interactive voice response applications. Many of the recommendations may also apply to other interactive software.

Although the recommendations in this standard do not definitively address areas such as high-risk applications, nuclear power plant control room environments, alarm/security applications, process control, and entertainment, many of the recommendations in HFES 200 can be used to improve the quality of software applications in these environments. Developers in these areas are advised to obtain guidance from more directly applicable standards or guideline documents.

This standard does not address system or software design processes. For guidance on the role of software ergonomics in the system/software design process, please refer to ISO 9241 Part 11, Guidance on Usability, and to ISO 13407, Human-Centred Design for Interactive Systems (1997).