User centered Design

ACL Wireless Limited Jan 2006

Agenda

What is User-Centered design

Why UCD

UCD principles

UCD process

Advantages/ Disadvantages

What is User-Centered design UCD is a process that involves the users of a product throughout its lifecycle, from planning through post-release assessment.

In UCD, all "development proceeds with the user as the center of focus."

Jeffrey Rubin (Author- Handbook of Usability Testing)

“ Human-centered design is an approach to interactive system development that focuses specifically on making systems usable. It is a multi-disciplinary activity.”

- Human centered design processes for interactive systems, ISO 13407 (1999)

What is User-Centered design

User-Centered Design is a method for designing ease of use into

the total user experience with products.

"User-Centered Design (UCD) is a user interface design process that focuses on usability goals, user characteristics, environment, tasks, and workflow in the design of an interface. The UCD process is an iterative process, where design and evaluation steps are built in from the first stage of projects, through implementation."

- Shawn Lawton Henry (Author- Accessibility in UCD process)

Why User-Centered design

UCD seeks answers to:

What is important to users

The tasks users do, how frequently, and in what order

The users' work environment

The users' problems and constraints

Users’ expectations in terms of functionality

Output required & in what form

How can the design of this ‘product’ facilitate users' cognitive processes?

The goal of UCD is to create products that users find useful and usable .

Why User-Centered design UCD cuts costs and i ncreases user satisfaction and productivity .

UCD can improve the usability ( ease-of-use) and usefulness ( relevance) of everything from "everyday things" to software to information systems to processes. . . anything with which people interact.

- D. Norman

Why User-Centered design

Easy-to-use products

Satisfy customers

Decrease expenditures on technical support and training

Advertise ease-of-use successes

Ultimately increase market share

UCD seeks to answer questions about users and their tasks and goals, then

use the findings to drive development and design.

UCD principles

1. Set business goals

Determining the target market, intended users, and primary competition is central to all design and user participation

UCD principles

2. Understand users

A commitment to understand and involve the intended user is essential to the design process. If you want a user to understand your product, you must first understand the user.

UCD principles

3. Design the total user experience

Everything a customer sees, hears, and touches is designed to satisfy user’s needs.

UCD principles

4. Evaluate Designs

User feedback is gathered early and often, using prototypes of widely ranging fidelity, and this feedback drives product design and development.

UCD principles

5. Assess competitiveness

Competitive design requires a relentless focus on the ways users currently carry out the tasks and a determination to make designs add value.

UCD principles

6. Manage by continual user observation

Throughout the life of the product, continue to monitor and listen to your users, and let their feedback inform your responses to market changes and competitive activity.

UCD process

UCD is a process, and the process is iterative .

Essential activities in a user-centered design project:

Requirements gathering : Understanding and specifying the context of use

Requirements specification : Specifying the user and organizational requirements

Design : Producing designs and prototypes

Evaluation : Carrying out user-based assessment of the product

UCD process

Common methods used: Requirements gathering & evaluation High Interviews Requirements gathering & evaluation Low Questionnaires Design Low Participatory design Design High Card sorting Design & evaluation High Usability testing Requirements gathering Low Focus groups When to use Cost Method

Advantages/Disadvantages

The product may be too specific for more general use, thus not readily transferable to other clients; thus more costly The collaborative process generated more creative design solutions to problems. May be difficult to translate some types of data into design Products require less redesign and integrate into the environment more quickly May require the involvement of additional design team members (i. e. ethnographers, usability experts) and wide range of stakeholders Users develop a sense of ownership for the product It takes more time. Assists in managing users’ expectations and levels of satisfaction with the product. It is more costly. Products are more efficient, effective, and safe Disadvantages Advantages

Thank you