An Introduction To User Centred Design Techniques

An Introduction to User Centred Design Techniques Suze Ingram November 2009

Introduction What is UCD? Techniques
Personas and Scenarios
Wireframing
Paper Prototyping
User Testing
Contextual enquiries
Diary studies
User workshops
Card sorting
Suze Ingram November 2009

What is UCD?
The best websites, intranets and applications result from understanding the needs of the people who will use them
learn about users and their tasks and goals
Inform the vision and direction of a website or intranet
Benefits
ideas generated early
unfavourable ideas ruled out early
hidden requirements uncovered
final product matches what users need

Suze Ingram November 2009 Contextual enquiries

Call centre example
Shadow the participant
Observe normal, day-to-day tasks
Pretend this is my induction
Ask what would make their job easier
Why do it?
you really need to understand the users' work context
learning about work practices in domains that you know nothing about

Suze Ingram November 2009 Diary studies

Brief the participants and provide a kit
Kits can contain a diary, stickers, a camera, a voice recorder, pens, post-it notes, staplers etc
Reminders…
Follow-up interview
Why do it?
gather information from users with minimal influence on their actions
the process or event takes place intermittently or over a long period

Suze Ingram November 2009 User workshops

About 2 hours
Collaborative
Design your own homepage
Bullseye Priotisation
Why do it?
Brings users into the design process as partners
Start to conceptualise the solution

Suze Ingram November 2009 Card sorting

Each card contains the name of one content item
Sort a set of cards into groups which made sense to them
Create labels for each of their card groups
Look for patterns in the groups and labels
Why do it?
Simple
Cheap
Quick to execute (not analyse)
Provides a good foundation

Analyse outcomes of user research
Amalgamate findings from many sources
Look for pattern and themes in user needs, beharviours and motivations
Why do it?
Understand your users, their needs, behaviours and motivations
Puts observations and learnings into memorable stories
Provides a constant touchstone allowing the project team to maintain focus on the user and their needs throughout the project.

Wireframes

Wireframes
Can be handrawn or computer based (Visio, Axure)
Creates the layout and functionality of a page
Takes user needs and user journeys into account
No colour or decoration invovled
Why do it?
Provides an early visual that that can be used to review with the client
Can be tested with users
Saves considerable time and money

Paper prototyping

Paper prototyping
Design and testing
User performs realistic tasks by interacting with the paper prototype
Inclusive nature of paper
Users can cut up the design, cross things out and add new features
Why do it?
helps identify usability problems even before any code is written
Cheap and simple

User testing

User testing
One person per test session
45min – 1 hour
Users work through a set of tasks using the product being evaluated
Usability laboratory, at the person's desk or in a room
Why do it?
Evaluate, from the user's perspective, the ease of use and intuitiveness
Discover likes and dislikes
Uncover difficulties users may have
Used during redesign or to evaluate an existing product

Recap… Suze Ingram November 2009

Wireframes

Paper prototyping

User testing

If there’s one thing to take away…
You are not your audience
Add some UCD techniques into your work

Keep in touch… [email_address] Mobile 0413 473 151 My blog (google “suze ingram”) Suze Ingram November 2009

Photo credits Suze Ingram November 2009 Contextual enquiries http://www.flickr.com/photos/psmithson/44990517/ Diary studies http://www.flickr.com/photos/jderuna/2312274541/ User workshops http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbarahona/2033523991/sizes/l/ Card sorting http://www.flickr.com/photos/yandle/907991950/in/set-72157600662519454/ Personas and scenarios http://www.flickr.com/photos/katiekills/2271842696/ Wireframes http://www.flickr.com/photos/collylogic/2715890481/ Paper prototyping http://www.flickr.com/photos/21218849@N03/2880770542/ User testing http://www.flickr.com/photos/l-i-n-k/3654390818/in/set-72157620252713653/

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An Introduction To User Centred Design Techniques

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