What is User-Centered Design?
User-Centered Design Principles
User-Centered Process
Cost of justifying ease of use

  
 

User-Centered Design process

 The goal of the User-Centered Design process is to ensure that the final product fulfills the users' wishes and needs. To achieve this goal, the first step is to form the multidisciplinary UCD Project Team. The project team includes representatives of the fields of visual or industrial design, human factors, information development, marketing, project management, service and support, technology architecture, and user interface design.

The Project Team then solicits user input throughout the design process. Below is a description of the six stages in the UCD design process, and some possible methods for gathering user input during each stage.

Market Definition. Define the target audience, identify competitors, and determine the core user needs and wishes that must be fulfilled for the product to succeed.
Typical methods: ask members of proposed target audiences to rate their levels of interest in a new product or product enhancement; ask target users to list and prioritize their needs and identify current solutions they use and prefer

Task Analysis. Identify and understand the users' goals and tasks, the strategies they use to perform the tasks, the tools they currently use, any problems they experience, and the changes they would like to see in their tasks and tools.
Typical methods: ask users to list and prioritize tasks; observe users accomplishing their tasks

Competitive Evaluation. Determine the design strengths and weaknesses of the competition.

Typical methods: ask users to complete the same tasks using different products and assess their overall satisfaction with each one; ask them to list the strengths and weaknesses of products in order of importance

Design and Walk-through. Using the results from task and competitive analyses, create alternative proposed solutions, solicit feedback through design walk-through sessions with users, and choose a solution based on user input.
Typical methods: ask users to evaluate "lo-fi" prototypes such as simple sketches

Evaluation and Validation. Periodically solicit user feedback on the evolving design, and iterate the design based on analysis of users' experiences with it.
Typical methods: observe users accomplishing important tasks with a working prototype

Benchmark Assessment. Run a head-to-head benchmark assessment against the competition to verify that the product has met its primary objectives. If a third-party company conducts the benchmark study, positive results can become important selling points in product promotions.
Typical methods: ask users to complete the same tasks using different products and assess their overall satisfaction with each one; ask them to list the strengths and weaknesses of products in order of importance

For any single product, the process is usually recursive. For instance, periodic Benchmark Assessments typically uncover changes in the market and new user needs, which leads to a new Market Definition, and the process begins anew.

 

*Source

tim holl, site map