Week 18 - User Centred Design (UCD)

Flashcards covering key concepts and methodologies from User Centred Design and Usability Engineering.

User Centred Design (UCD)

A design philosophy that places the user at the center of the design process to create usable and understandable products.

Usability Engineering

A discipline focusing on improving the usability and user-friendliness of interactive systems.

Waterfall Model

A sequential software development methodology with distinct steps that cannot be revisited once completed.

Boehm’s Spiral Model

A software development model that incorporates risk management and allows for flexibility in revisiting phases. No User Involvement

Agile Approach

A flexible software development methodology emphasizing close collaboration with stakeholders and adaptability to change.

Participatory Design (PD)

An approach that actively involves users in every stage of the design process to ensure it meets their needs.

Double Diamond

A structured design approach consisting of four phases: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver, uses divergent and convergent thinking.

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)

A systems methodology that uses a holistic approach to understand and solve complex problems early in the design lifecycle.

Prototyping

The process of developing preliminary models of a product to test and refine functionalities before final implementation.

Usability Goals

The objectives that guide the design process to ensure functionality is user-friendly and meets user needs.

User Centred Design(UCD) 4 elements

• Places the User at the centre of design

• Involves the user

• Integrates knowledge/ expertise from different disciplines in HCI

• Highly Iterative

Usability Engineering Lifecyle

Making sure product is viable and easy to learn

Designed as a usability test plan
Iterative

Usability Engineering Lifecyle 3 Phases

• Requirement analysis - user issues, tasks users need to do

• Design, testing, analysis - final design

• Installation - feedback from users

Star Lifecycle

• Ordering of activities is inappropriate

• Evaluation centred & encourages iteration

• For both small and large projects

Star Lifecyle Advantages

• Allows designers to match user needs with specific design solutions.

• Flexible around specifics of design context

Star Lifecyle disadvantages

• Hard to control process

• Lacks a clear step-by-step process, which can make project planning, time estimation, and coordination difficult

Participatory Design (PD) Advantages

• Users’ sense of ownership is increased over the end product

• Results in a system that meets the users’ needs due to early feedback

Participatory Design (PD) disadvantages

• Complex and time-consuming - getting stakeholders together

• Difficult to accommodate everyone’s needs & requirements

Design Thinking Process

is a user-centered, iterative approach to problem-solving that has 4 phases.

Design Thinking Process Phase 1

Empathise - Understand context and users

Design Thinking Process Phase 2

Define - Define the problem area

Design Thinking Process Phase 3

Prototype - Build, evaluate and refine the design

Design Thinking Process Phase 4

Test - Gather feedback and validate solutions

First Diamond in Double Diamond

Understand the problem - opens it up

Second Diamond in Double Diamond

Develops a solution - Narrow down your options / solution

Lean UX (User Experience)

• Aims to create well designed products

• Highly collaborative with users - constant iteration & frequent contact with users

Lean UX (User Experience) 4 Phases

• Outcomes, Assumptions, Hypothesis

• Design it

• Create MVP

• Learning and Researching