Week 18 - User Centred Design (UCD)

Week 18: User Centred Design (UCD)

CS2003 Usability Engineering

  • Instructor: Dr Thomas Coleman (Thomas.coleman@brunel.ac.uk)

  • Focus: Successful design solutions through a user-centric approach.

Lecture Overview

Learning Objective 3 (LO3)

  • Design and implement a usability engineering cycle for a product, service or application.

  1. Design of Software Systems

    • Problems with traditional software design methods.

    • Addressing user needs effectively.

  2. Why and What is UCD?

    • Overview of UCD methods and approaches.

  3. UCD from Other Disciplines

    • Integrating various methodologies into UCD.

Importance of User Centred Design

Statistics on Product Development Failures

  • 70% to 80% of new products fail due to lack of user needs understanding (Von Hippel, 2007).

  • Consider user experiences with products that didn’t meet expectations.

Contextual Examples

  • Microwaves: Start and stop buttons located near the bottom.

  • Impact of UI redesigns in new software versions (iOS/Android).

Issues with Traditional Software Development

  • Traditional methodologies focus on non-interactive software.

  • Overemphasis on system functionality over user interactivity.

  • Users treated as input sources rather than collaborators in design.

Prototyping and Software Development Cycles

  • Development processes are iterative:

    • Prototyping

    • Testing

  • Various models:

    • Waterfall Model: Sequential and rigid, challenges with requirements gathering.

    • Spiral Model: More flexibility, allows for client feedback and incorporates risk management but lacks user involvement.

    • Agile Approach: Emphasizes collaboration, adaptability, and incremental development focusing on user needs and experiences.

Usability Engineering Defined

Purpose and Importance

  • Discipline that enhances usability and user-friendliness in interactive systems.

  • Investing in usability yields significant long-term cost savings.

Usability-related Issues

  • Common usability problems leading to project overruns:

    1. User-requested changes.

    2. Overlooked tasks.

    3. Misunderstood user requirements.

    4. Ineffective user-developer communication.

Engineering User-Focused Systems

  • Collaborate with potential users during the integrated design process.

User Centred Design Overview

Fundamental Principles

  • Based on understanding user needs:

    1. User involvement is paramount.

    2. Involves knowledge from varied disciplines.

    3. Highly iterative approach.

Identifying Users and Requirements

  • Determine:

    • Who are the users?

    • What system is needed?

    • Under what conditions will it be used?

  • Employ gradual stages from rough concept to full design.

UCD Methods and Techniques

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)

  • Holistic approach, emphasizes understanding complex problems through user input.

The 7 Stages of Soft Systems Methodology

  1. Identify the problem situation.

  2. Articulate problems.

  3. Develop root definitions and conceptual models.

  4. Evaluate and compare findings.

  5. Action planning for improvements.

Usability Engineering Lifecycle

  • Integrated usability test plan incorporating three main phases:

    1. Requirements Analysis: Understand user needs and set usability goals.

    2. Design, Testing, Development: Iterative design process incorporating feedback.

    3. Installation: Implement based on user feedback.

Star Lifecycle Methodology

  • Developed by HCI professionals emphasizing an evaluation-centered approach to design.

Participatory Design (PD)

Key Features

  • Users are engaged throughout the design process, promoting co-design.

  • Benefits and drawbacks of PD:

    • Pros include increased user ownership and system alignment with user needs.

    • Cons include complexity and time requirements in accommodating diverse stakeholder needs.

External Influences: Other Disciplines

  • Techniques from other fields inform UCD innovations (e.g., Design Thinking, Service Design, User Experience Design).

Design Thinking Process

  1. Empathize – Understand users and context.

  2. Define – Outline the problem area.

  3. Ideate – Generate creative solutions.

  4. Prototype – Build and evaluate designs.

  5. Test – Refine design through user interaction.

Double Diamond Framework

  • Phases of the design process:

    1. Discover (research insight)

    2. Define (focus on specifics)

    3. Develop (generate potential solutions)

    4. Deliver (implement solutions)

Importance of Divergent and Convergent Thinking

  • Enhances problem definition and solution development processes.

Final Thoughts on UCD Methodologies

Preparing for Exams

  • Understand methodologies such as the Star Lifecycle, Design Thinking, and Double Diamond.

  • Be ready to select and justify the most appropriate UCD methodology for hypothetical scenarios in the exam.

Summary

  • Traditional methodologies often overlook user-centered approaches.

  • UCD focuses on tailoring designs to meet user needs effectively.

  • Various UCD methodologies to be aware of, including SSM and Participatory Design.

Questions and Answers

Identifying Suitable UCD Methodologies

  1. Educational Game for 5-6 Year Olds: Use Star Life Cycle due to the need for iterative design.

  2. Health Services Improvement: Apply Soft Systems Methodology to address complexity.

  3. Manufacturing System Design: Use Participatory Design to involve knowledgeable adult workers.