The document discusses the contrast between user-centered design (UCD) and the realities faced by designers in the industry. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating user research and testing into the design process despite common reasons clients might have for skipping these steps. The text advocates for validating design assumptions regularly to ensure products truly meet user needs.

1. Design Centered User
A little reality check on UCD.
Reto Lämmler • UXCamp ZH 2015
@rlaemmler @testingtime

2. • Co-Founder & CEO TestingTime.com
• 58rocks GmbH / RememberTheName App
• MAS Human Computer Interaction Design
• VP Product Management at Doodle.com
• BS Computer Science
About me
Every product should put a smile on your face.

3. • About the IDEAL world (UCD)
• About the REAL world (DCU)
• Discussion
Session break down

4. In a IDEAL world…

6. User Experience (UX) involves a person's behaviors,
attitudes, and emotions about using a particular
product, system or service.
User Experience (UX)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience

9. User Centred Design (UCD)

10. User-centered design (UCD) is a process in which the
needs, wants, and limitations of end users of a product,
service or process are given extensive attention at each
stage of the design process.
User Centred Design (UCD)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design

13. During the UCD process, a Persona representing the
user may be created. It is a fictional character with all
the characteristics of the user. Personas are created
after the field research process.
Personas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design#Persona

14. A scenario created in the UCD process is a fictional
story about the "daily life of" or a sequence of events
with the primary stakeholder group as the main
character. Typically, a persona that was created earlier
is used as the main character of this story. .
Scenarios
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design#Scenario

15. Iteration 1: Paper Prototyp

16. Moderated Remote User Test

17. Iteration 2: Project overview

18. Iteration 2: Plan view

19. In-House User Test

20. Usability Lab

21. User Testing

22. Iterate until the requirements are met

23. In the REAL world…

24. Design Centered User

25. Designer meets client / stakeholder.
Meetings

26. Design
By assumptions

27. • Pen & Paper
• Photoshop
• Sketch
• Axure
• Balsamiq
• InVision
• Mockups
• Protoshare
• Proto.io
• UXPin
No shortage on tools

28. • Moqups
• Gemini
• ForeUI
• Pidoco
• FluidUI
• HotGloo
• Solidfy
• Flinto
• Framerjs
• …
And the list goes on…

29. With client / stakeholder
Review

30. It looks great! Let’s build it.
Implementation

31. What about the user?

32. • No time
• No budget
• Not now
• Not ready
• Not…?
Reasons to skip User Research & Testing

33. 1. Doers
2. Wanna Doers
3. “We are like Apple”
The 3 UCD Camps

34. “User Testing is very important.
But we don’t have time for it because we are in the
middle of a big redesign and need to get this done first.”
What companies say:

35. “Test early, test often.
The worst thing you can do is wait until something is
finished before you validate it with users.
It’s going to cost you a lot more later in terms of time,
money and happy users.”
What I say:

36. “We would really like to do it. It’s very important.
But our client wouldn’t pay for it at the moment.”
What agencies say:

37. “Sell your design process
and not the design steps to your clients.
It’s further your responsibility to validate your work
before you hand it over to your customers.”
What I say:

38. “We already do it!
We ask our friends and family.”
What startups say:

39. “Do you really think your friends and family represent
your target users?
Whatever you assume in regards of your future users is
probably wrong. Validate your assumptions regularly on
stay on track.”
What I say:

40. How do we bring the
User back in the Center?
Let‘s dicuss

41. Test early.
Test often.
www.testingtime.com