7.1 - User Centered Design (UCD)

User centered design (UCD)

A design process paying particular attention to the needs of potential users of a product through involvement of users at all stages of the design process.

User

The person utilizing the product, the person who is being affected by the product or who is reaping the benefits/drawbacks.

Tasks

The thing the product is supposed to do, however the user may have several sub-uses for the product

Environment 

The place where a product is likely to be used.

Empathy

The designer takes the place of the user to see who potentially could use the product and how the object could be better suited for the consumer.

Products should be…

Useful, usable, desirable

Iterative

Act of repeating a process with the aim of approaching a desired goal, target, or result. Each repetition of the process is also called an iteration.

User centered designs are…..

Designed with an iterative process, intuitive to the user, designed with the user in mind, and feel effortless.

User Centered Design Cycle

Research, concept, design, implementation, launch.

Research (UCD Cycle)

Context studies, focus groups, and questionnaires - gather info on the user, task, and environment. 

Concept

Initial ideas put forward, use of conceptual modeling.

Design

Development of conceptual ideas - create scaled models or prototypes that the user can test/review.

Implementation

Usability testing - final product is tested, expertly evaluated, evaluated for accessibility. 

Launch

Final product is displayed - usability testing, expert evaluation, focus groups.

Inclusive design

Design of mainstream products so they are accessible and usable by as many people as possible without the need for adaptation including those with disabilities.

Usability testing

Method that evaluates a product's ease of use by observing real users as they complete specific tasks. 

Whole user experience

Design addresses functional, emotional, and phycological elements of design.

Design teams

A group of people with different backgrounds and experiences to encourage a range of views and opinions

Multidisciplinary teams

Teams with lots of skills. May include: Anthropologists or Ethnographers

Anthropologists

Tackle human problems such as overpopulation, human welfare, poverty and considers how human behaviors change over time. 

Ethnographer

Gathers and records data on human culture and societies.