Both the software engineering and the user experience design skillset is essential for the creation of high quality software products. Project managers must recognize when the user interface is important for the success of the software. And they must have some methods & tools on the list that support project success.

1. Project Management with
Usability Engineering Methods
PMI Switzerland Event, HWZ Hochschule für
Wirtschaft Zürich, Feb 7th 2012
Slide 1
7. February 2012
Dr. Thomas Memmel
© Zühlke 2012

2. Motivation
Both the software engineering and the user experience
design skillset is essential for the creation of high
quality software products.
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 2 © Zühlke 2012

3. Take Aways
Recognize when the user interface is important for the
success of the software. Have some methods & tools on
the list that support your project success.
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 3 © Zühlke 2012

4. Speaker
• Dr. Thomas Memmel
• Zühlke Engineering AG, Schlieren (Zürich)
• Business Unit Manager «Java Integration & Channels»
• Manager Competence Centre Client Technology
• Usability Engineering «Evangelist > 10 Years
• https://www.xing.com/profile/Thomas_Memmel
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 4 © Zühlke 2012

5. Baseline
Why is
Usability
important?
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 5 © Zühlke 2012

6. The Age of Usability & User Experience
Customer Interaction on Multiple Channels
Call Center Intranet
Call Center
Point-of-Sale
Corporate Portal
Tablets / iPad
Smartphone
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 6 © Zühlke 2012

7. The Age of Usability & User Experience
Broad Variety of Use Cases, Contexts & Users
Demands of product managers and customers
with regards to productivity, new sales channels,
ease-of-use, learnability, etc.
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 7 © Zühlke 2012

8. The Age of Usability & User Experience
The Apple Moment
Since the success of Apple’s devices in the customer
market, people across all social and business levels
SCREAM for usability.
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 8 © Zühlke 2012

9. The Age of Usability & User Experience
Some Challenges
• Increasing user expectations
• Demand for effective and efficient interactions
• Software must be motivating or even fun
• Differentiation of channels and user profiles
• Implementation complexity increasing
• Time-to-market for software decreasing
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 9 © Zühlke 2012

10. Usability ISO 9241-11: 1998
Defined
Extent to which a product
can be used by specified users
to achieve specified goals with
effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in a specified
context of use
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 10 © Zühlke 2012

11. User Experience Design
ISO 9241-210
Before Usage
During Usage After Usage
(Anticipated Usage)
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 11 © Zühlke 2012

12. Usability Engineering Lifecycle
ISO 9241-210
Analyse & Analyse &
Plan User-
Specify Context Specify User
Centred Activities
of Use Requirements
Design &
Implement Evaluate Prototype
Solution
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 12 © Zühlke 2012

13. Project Management
with Usability Engineering Methods
Usability Engineering will help you learning the right
things at the right time. This enables you in decision
making and leading the project in the right direction.
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 13 © Zühlke 2012

14. Project Management Tasks
Examples
• Requirements management • Definition of requirements
• Scope management • Understand vision and needs
• Change Request management • Build the right solution
• Cost management • Assess and decide about changes
• Time management • Goal-oriented spending
• Quality management • Delivery, time-to-market
• Communications management • Software quality (e.g. ISO 9126, Usability)
• Risk management • Common denominator
• Stakeholder management
• Efficient team collaboration
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 14 © Zühlke 2012

15. Challenges in Project Management
Typical Issues in PMP Life
• Poor quality of requirements • Quality of the software and the user
interface is evaluated too late
• Inaccurate project vision
• Bad user acceptance
• Communication gap between
Business & IT • Little interdisciplinary teamwork across
disciplines (e.g. design vs. development
• Pressure of time, especially in
vs. business)
case of error
• Consequences of unexpected
events
• Costly changes at later stage
• Test management
• Conflicts among stakeholders
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 15 © Zühlke 2012

16. Challenges in Project Management
Cosmetic Software Surgery
User interface cosmetics will not change the
behaviour of the software, but only add, move
or hide pixels across the screen
Surface alteration is costly and difficult. The chance
of failure is high – and may result in an even more
fake or ugly look & feel
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 16 © Zühlke 2012

17. Pivotal Question – This Talk
What can
Usability Engineering
do for you?
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 17 © Zühlke 2012

18. Challenges in Project Management
Complex Software Surgery (Refactoring)
Once a complex (or wrong) product is assembled,
changes and fixes are more expensive and time-
consuming than during earlier stages
Understand Context of Use:
Contextual Inquiry
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 18 © Zühlke 2012

19. Challenges in Project Management
Not to see the wood for the trees
User Needs:
Personas
Visualization of
requirements: Prototyping
Bunch of requirements
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 19 © Zühlke 2012

20. Usability Engineering Lifecycle
ISO 9241-210
Analyse & Analyse &
Plan User-
Specify Context Specify User
Centred Activities
of Use Requirements
Design &
Implement Evaluate Prototype
Solution
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 20 © Zühlke 2012

21. Contextual Inquiry
Basis
Data Gathering with Users for Decision Making on FRs / NFRs
Goal
• Understand users and their needs (also tacit knowledge)
• Understand current work styles and processes
• Be objective
Simple Approach
• Go where the users are doing their work
• Observe users during their work
• Talk with users About their work
• In “empirical partnership”
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 21 © Zühlke 2012

22. Contextual Inquiry
• Find hard facts
• Listen to users – Instead of listening to assumptions
• Check interpretations of the development team and
stakeholders (e.g. sources of requirements) with real
users within the context of use
• Deduce consequences for product vision and design
from the given evidence
• Document implications
• Have traceability from design to learned facts and vice
versa
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 22 © Zühlke 2012

23. Contextual Design & Contextual Inquiry
5 Views on Context-of-Use
• Information- &
Communication Flow
• Workflows
• Artefacts
• Culture
• Physical Environment
Source : http://incontextdesign.com/contextual-design/
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 23 © Zühlke 2012

24. Contextual Design
Flow Model – How Information Flows Across People
Source : http://www.interaction-
design.org/encyclopedia/contextual_design.html
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 24 © Zühlke 2012

25. Contextual Design
Artefact Model –Learn From Today’s Artefacts
Source : http://www.interaction-
design.org/encyclopedia/contextual_design.html
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 25 © Zühlke 2012

26. Contextual Design
Sequence Model – Visualize Processes & Scenarios of Use
Source: http://www.interaction-
design.org/encyclopedia/contextual_design.html
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 26 © Zühlke 2012

27. Analyse & Specify the Context of Use
For Example Relevant During Benefits / ROI, e.g.
• Visioning • Understand users
• Definition of requirements • Learn about context
• Scoping • Shape product vision
• Quality assessment of • User acceptance
intermediate releases
• Make sure to develop a helpful
product
• Evaluate releases in the
context of use (field studies)
• Traceability design  facts
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 27 © Zühlke 2012

28. Usability Engineering Lifecycle
ISO 9241-210
Analyse & Analyse &
Plan User-
Specify Context Specify User
Centred Activities
of Use Requirements
Design &
Implement Evaluate Prototype
Solution
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 28 © Zühlke 2012

29. Personas
Define and Describe Target Group
Characterized by
• Goals, values, fears & desires
• Function, responsibilities & tasks
• Behavioural patterns & procedures
• Technical & business know-how:
education, knowledge & skills
• Requirements for the product
• Frustration & excitement factors for the product
Bring the Persons to Life by
Alan Cooper, Robert
Reimann: About Face
• Age, name, citations, pictures, characteristics 2.0: The Essentials of
Interac-tion Design,
Wiley, 2003
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 29 © Zühlke 2012

30. Low-Fidelity Prototyping
Tools for Paper Prototyping
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 30 © Zühlke 2012

31. Low-Fidelity Prototyping
Overview
Typical Goals
• Gather (initial) requirements Sketch the
UI
• Communicate with stakeholders
Focus is on Users, context of use, flow of events
Discuss,
Supplementary methods, e.g. workshops, interviews Analyze
Sketch Wireframe Storyboard
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 31 © Zühlke 2012

32. Paper Prototyping
• Rapid feedback while the design is still (literally) “on
the drawing board"
• Clarify requirements through simulation
• Detect misunderstood requirements and usability
problems very early
• Promote communication between designers and
users
• One of the cheapest and fastest visual techniques
• Useful for any type of human-computer interface
• Only minimal resources and materials required
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 32 © Zühlke 2012

33. Paper Prototyping
• Paper prototypes simulates the UI dialog
flow
• System feedback is simulated by the
usability expert
• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrV2SZuRPv0
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 33 © Zühlke 2012

34. Analyse & Specify User Requirements
For Example Relevant During Benefits / ROI, e.g.
• Definition of requirements • Reflect implementations with persons
• Decision making • Know your users (needs)
• Solution design • Personas are cheap “on-site users”
• Development • Discuss ideas with non-technical
stakeholders
• Communicate informally
• Externalize designs
• Reduce risk – Build the right product
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 34 © Zühlke 2012

35. Usability Engineering Lifecycle
ISO 9241-210
Analyse & Analyse &
Plan User-
Specify Context Specify User
Centred Activities
of Use Requirements
Design &
Implement Evaluate Prototype
Solution
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 35 © Zühlke 2012

36. Requirements Documentation
A picture is worth a thousand words
«If I can't picture it, I can't understand it.»
- Albert Einstein
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 36 © Zühlke 2012

37. Why UI Prototyping?
Beyond Text-Based Requirements & Specifications
• Text has limited expressivity
with regards to interaction
design
• Tons of paper make needs &
requirements intransparent
• People do not see the wood
for the trees
• Consequences of
requirements not realized until
they can be experienced
• Make the impact of changes to
requirements obvious
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 37 © Zühlke 2012

38. Why UI Prototyping?
See and interactions before they are built
• Don’t loose time discussing
intangible requirements
• Visualize ideas in front of
users and stakeholders
• See and interact with
applications before they
are built
• Consider alternate designs
• Avoid premature decisions
• Visualize and change
requirements as long as
it is cheap and easy
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 38 © Zühlke 2012

39. High-Fidelity Prototyping
Overview
Typical goals
(Re-)Design
Prototype
• Visualize requirements and CRs in detail
Analyze
Define solution design, ensure product success
Results
•
• Discover usability issues, especially with interactive
behaviour Evaluate
Prototype
• Develop a UI specification
Prototyping Tool Prototyping with GUI Builder
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 39 © Zühlke 2012

40. High-Fidelity Prototyping
From Prototype to Product
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 40 © Zühlke 2012

41. High-Fidelity / Evolutionary Prototyping
Overview on Tools
MS Expression Blend
For Example
• Microsoft Visio, PowerPoint
• MS Expression Blend
• Axure Pro
• iRise Studio
Axure Pro
MS Visio
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 41 © Zühlke 2012

42. Microsoft Expression Blend
High-Fidelity Prototyping Tool
Source: http://www.microsoft.com Source: http://www.microsoft.com
Expression Expression Blend Visual Studio
Development
Design
User Experience
Design with Sketch Flow
Adobe
Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 42 © Zühlke 2012

43. Design & Prototype Solution
For Example Relevant During Benefits / ROI, e.g.
• Requirements specification • Specify the product visually
• Construction • Reduce text-based material
• Change request management • Communicate with
stakeholders
• Visualize the impact of
(changing) requirements
• Get buy-In from stakeholders
early
• Reduce risk of late changes to
the product
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 43 © Zühlke 2012

44. Usability Engineering Lifecycle
ISO 9241-210
Analyse & Analyse &
Plan User-
Specify Context Specify User
Centred Activities
of Use Requirements
Design &
Implement Evaluate Prototype
Solution
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 44 © Zühlke 2012

45. Heuristic Evaluation
Approach
• Several usability experts take on the perspective of
the user
• Use of checklists to assess the user interface in
different dimensions
Useful Heuristics
Use When
• ISO 9241-110
• Nielsen‘s 10 Heuristics
• No users available for usability test
for User Interface Design
• Shneiderman's Eight
Golden Rules of Interface
Design
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 45 © Zühlke 2012

46. Usability Testing
Approach
• Users execute realistic tasks with the product
• Recoding of screen and user reactions
• Experts analyse recordings after the test
Usability Testing is the Best Method to
• Highlight costly product failures
• Convince stakeholders (e.g. to invest in usability)
• Demonstrate improvements
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 46 © Zühlke 2012

47. Usability Engineering Lifecycle
ISO 9241-210
Analyse & Analyse &
Plan User-
Specify Context Specify User
Centred Activities
of Use Requirements
Design &
Implement Evaluate Prototype
Solution
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 47 © Zühlke 2012

48. Agile User Experience
Iteration Iteration Iteration
n n+1 n+2
EXPLORATION DEVELOPMENT
Start Development
Development Current Complete
Iteration
UI
Parallel Tracks
Business Current Sprint (Iteration n)
Domain
Persistency UX-Experts:
User Research for Iteration
UI Concept System Metaphor
• UI Storyboards • Architecture Spikes n+2
• Usage Scenarios • Prototypes Prototyping for Iteration
n+1
Usability Tests for
Source: Jocham, R.; Memmel, T. (2009): Agile User Experience. In: Computerworld – die Schweizer IT-
Developed Parts (e.g. Small
Plattform für IT-Professionals, Ausgabe Fokus Software-Entwicklung. IDG Verlag, erschienen 21.11.2009,
24-25; online http://www.computerworld.ch/aktuell/businesssoftware/49822/
Release from Iteration n-1)
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 48 © Zühlke 2012

49. XP & Usability Engineering
XP Praktiken Usability Engineering Praktiken
http://www.extremeprogramming.org/
Iteration, Small Increments, Prototyping
Adaptivity
Story Cards, Task Cards, User User Profile, Task Model
Stories
On-Site Costumer User-Centered Design, User Participation
Testing, Test Story Evaluation, Usability Inspections
Metaphor Conceptual Model, Mental Model, UI
Metaphor
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 49 © Zühlke 2012

50. Agile Modeling & Usability Engineering
Agile Modeling Praktiken Usability Engineering Praktiken
http://www.agilemodeling.com/
Prove It With Code Prototyping
Create Several Models in Parallel Concurrent Modeling (User Role-, Task-,
Content-Model)
Active Stakeholder Participation Usage-Centered Design, User
Participation
Consider Testability Evaluation, Usability Inspections
Display Models Publicly Design Room
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 50 © Zühlke 2012

51. Agile + Usability
The Best of Two Worlds
Some goals of Agile projects
• Deliver in defined time and budget…
• Develop the simplest but most functional solution…
• …that fulfils the requirements of the customer
One important goal of Usability Engineering
• Develop software that works and deliver the best possible usability
Combined
• Do not just deliver the simplest solution in the most efficient way (Agile)
• But to also reach a high usability and user experience
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 51 © Zühlke 2012

52. Agile + Usability
Some Facts
• Scrum & UX methods demand a product vision in the beginning
• The agile way of handling requirements in a non-waterfall fashion perfectly
matches with UX
• Design space is kept open
• Developers and UX experts learn from small releases and can continuously
improve the product quality
• Delivered releases can be usability tested and assessed while applied in the
context of use
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 52 © Zühlke 2012

53. User Stories with Usability
Description of user
needs (e.g. reference to
persona)
User Story Discussion about
requirements in detail
Card (btw. user/customer
and developer).
Conversation Supported by
prototyping.
Confirmation Acceptance tests, e.g.
also usability tests
based on usability
goals etc.
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 53 © Zühlke 2012

54. Usage Scenarios, User Stories, Use Cases
User
Describes step of
Story
Usage
Scenario,
Prototype Describes step of
Explains possible sequence of
Use Case
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 54 © Zühlke 2012

55. Summary
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 55 © Zühlke 2012

56. Project Management with Usability
Summary / Discussion
• Develop the right product • Additional complexity for the project
• Define scope and • Additional costs for UX personnel
deliverables with real users
• More changes: user feedback is
• Create usable and iterative
aesthetically pleasing results
• Demands more agility
• Improve software quality
• Not all feedback is valuable
• Reduce risk due to high user
• Some stakeholders will know it better
acceptance and validation
• Reduce textual specification
and Documentation Effort Applied in the right way – UX
• Bridge the Gaps with Visual ROI will be significant
artefacts and Communication
Project Management with Usability Engineering Methods | Dr. Thomas Memmel 7. February 2012 Slide 56 © Zühlke 2012