IB DT: Topic 7.4: Strategies for UCD

credits https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wJwrS2w1nvMU27ZpvTA2eYizpmRbEKFPf6DR-wi62_I/present?slide=id.g1009cac4fe3_0_391

what do designers gain by including potential consumers in testing designs and prototypes?

designers gain valuable data relating to how they interact with a product

what is involved in primary research?

• user trial

• user research

• field trials

• product analysis

• observation

better understanding of data/problem due to first hand experience. flexibility and options.

what is involved in secondary research?

• literature search

• web search

fast and readily available. saves time and money

what is qualitative research?

• deals with subjective materials such as words and images

• usually uses tools such as interviews and literature search

• open to bias and lacks statistical reproducibility

what is quantitative research?

• measuring sets of variables and their relationships to one another

• built around numbers, logic and objectivity

what is a focus group?

a group interview involving a small number of participants who are demographically similar - or who have common traits/experiences. their reactions to researcher-posed questions are studied.

• used for feedback and data collection

• controlled meeting of potential users

what is field research?

a first hand observation of a customer’s user experience - conducted in the user’s environment.

• companies receive real feedback from users in real time that can be actioned to create and develop products that meet consumer need/demand

• can be very expensive

what is a user trial?

a collection of responses from users/trail of observation of users interacting with the product

• creates primary, quantitative data

what is an affinity diagram?

a graphic tool designed to help organise and classify loose unstructured ideas generated in brainstorming.

what is the process for creating an affinity diagram?

1. identify a general theme

2. collect facts, opinions and ideas

3. express and enter the data in a common format

4. identify groups/clusters

5. cluster the data

6. repeat 4 and 5 to form super clusters

7. present the results

what is paper/low fidelity prototyping?

• an example of participatory design

• representative users perform realistic tasks by interacting with a paper version of the interface that is manipulated by a person who doesn’t explain how the interface is intended to work