Design Technology

User centered design

Advantages of UCD

The design will be more intuitive to the needs of the users

Disadvantages of UCD

Expensive, difficulty interpreting different types of data into the intial design, takes more time

Five stages of UCD

Research, Concept, Design, Implementation, Launch

Population Stereotypes

Responses that are widespread in a user population

Primary Persona

a profile of the primary user for a product experiencing a challenge in a process that presents a design opportunity. Persona provides a human face and story to a particular audience, making it easier to empathise and cater to the user’s needs effectively.

Field research

A first hand observation of users conducted in their real environment

Research question

a type of question that focuses research to find required answers

Research stage

Shadowing, diary studies, interviews, focus groups, benchmarking, usability, testing

Secondary research

Research undertaken by someone other than the user

Scenario

an imagined sequence of events in the daily life of a persona based on assumptions

Task

How the design is expected to function and fulfil its expectations. Consider the user may have several sub-uses for the product

Task analysis

The process of learning about a user by observing them carry out an action to understand how they perform it. The goal of task analysis is to identify aspects of the process that could be improved.

Target user

A particular group of customers or potential customers for whom a product, system or environment is designed.

User Centered Design

A design process that pays particular attention to the needs of potential users by involving them in all stages of the design process (research, concept, design, implementation and launch).

UCD research methods

A suite of research methods used to explore the true nature of a user population or of target users. These research methods include field research, task analysis, user observation, interviews, surveys and focus groups.

User observation

A research activity where the user is observed interacting with a product or completing a task to find pain points in the process or interaction.

User population

The range of users for a particular product or system.

User requirements

The essential requirements that a product system or environment must satisfy in relation to the user.