What is User Centered Design?
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User-centered design is a process that considers users' needs at each stage of design. It involves analyzing how users will use a product, testing assumptions with users, and iterating on designs based on feedback. For mobile design specifically, considerations include screen size, connectivity, minimizing inputs, and prioritizing important content given space constraints. Gathering feedback through methods like focus groups, usability testing, surveys, and interviews is important. The key aspects of UCD are understanding users, building customized solutions, and constantly testing and refining designs.
What is User Centered Design?
- 1. What is User Centered Design?
- 2. UCD Defined User Centered Mobile Design User-centered design (UCD) is the process where the needs, wants, and limitations of end-users of a (mobile) product are given attention at each stage of the design process. UCD is a problem solving process that analyzes and foresees how users are likely to use an app. It also tests their assumptions with regard to user behavior in real world scenarios. Source: Wikipedia - User Centered Design http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design
- 3. UCD Simplified What it means? Success hinges on knowing your users and building a solution customized to effectively connect with them. Consider and examine... - User needs, wants, constraints
- 4. Analysis User Requirements Analysis - What are your mobile product goals? - Determine what users “really” need - Conduct a usability evaluation - Make a list of the most important features and functions
- 5. Evaluation Usability Evaluation - Heuristic/expert evaluation: get constructive criticism and honest feedback from mobile design and/or industry experts - Competitive analysis: assess the strengths and weaknesses of your closest competitors - User interviews: ask questions to discover facts and opinions held by potential app users
- 6. Concept Conceptual Design - Sketch out the design of the app pages and layout - Rapidly create app visual representations (mockups) or interactive representations (prototypes) - Evaluate the usability - get feedback Quickly iterate - take what learned from the “evaluation” and make changes to your designs
- 7. Implement Design + Implementation - Revise user interface based on concept evaluation - Apply style, look, and feel to design - Create user interface according to mobile best practices and platform guidelines - Design for accessibility
- 8. Evaluate Usability Evaluation - Conduct a usability evaluation on the final design - Refine the product based on results - Iterate and then iterate again - repeat this process until goals/ needs are met
- 9. Launch Launch + Maintenance - Document the process - Collect feedback from users through feedback forms, surveys, or interviews - Iterate to improve the user experience
- 11. Differences Desktop vs Mobile Some principles of desktop design apply to mobile design, but mobile experiences are unique because of... - Smaller screen size - Connectivity issues - Mobile app use cases
- 12. Mobile Mobile Means Mobile Mobile users are not captive like computer users are. Desktop users access technology sitting comfortably, while mobile users are on the move. - Micro-tasking: Using the phone for short bursts of activity. - Local : Finding out what’s around the user. - Bored : Using the phone for distraction/entertainment.
- 13. Screen Size When SIZE Matters Mobile screens vary widely in size (Android especially). Know your audience and choose your target devices accordingly.
- 14. Device Questions User Devices Research what type of devices your users are purchasing.. - Tablets - Android vs iPad vs Surface - Phones - Android vs iPhone Decide whether to go native or go with a cross platform solution
- 15. Usability Navigation Best Practices - Reduce the levels of navigation, and rearrange based on priority, presenting the most important items first. - Use clear, concise and consistent labels for navigation - Make sure the tap size (width or height) for icon items are at least 33 pixels width/height - Make everything obvious - Provide clear and immediate visual feedback for actions
- 16. Prioritize Prioritize Content Be succinct. Smaller screen sizes require careful attention to content displayed. Prioritize the content and display the most important content first. Cut unnecessary content, then cut some more.
- 17. Minimize Tasks Minimize Input Actions -Use device capabilities for input - motion, camera, gyroscope, voice, GPS -Limit manual input. If registration is required, limit it to the minimum required fields. Alternatives -- entering zip code instead of city and state
- 18. Minimize Tasks Minimize Input Actions -Select the best mobile input option allowing users to select from a list of options is often faster than typing - Remember the last selection and plug it in as default data - When users need to log in, offer the option to stay signed in
- 19. Connectivity Connectivity Considerations Users may be disconnected from data access or be tethered to a limited data plan. - Keep memory demands in check so the app loads quickly and doesn’t cause crashes - Remove unnecessary code or graphics when possible - Optimize image sizes and resolutions - Save info locally when data access disconnected
- 20. Error Handling Tell Users When Things Go Wrong - Lost connectivity - Data entry mistakes - Upload or download failure
- 22. Feedback Feedback Mechanisms - Focus Groups - Usability Testing - Surveys - Interviews
- 23. Focus Groups When to use them Focus groups are most often used as an input to design. They generally produce non-statistical data and are a good means of getting more in-depth information on a particular subject.
- 24. Focus Groups Issues It's necessary to have an experienced moderator and analyst for a focus group to be effective. Focus groups can be difficult to organize and expensive.
- 25. Usability Testing What is it? Usability testing sessions evaluate an by collecting data from people as they use it. A user is asked to perform a series of tasks while a moderator takes note of any difficulties they encounter. Users can be asked to follow the think-aloud protocol which asks them to verbalize what they're doing and why they're doing it. You can also time users to see how long it takes them to complete tasks, which is a good measure of efficiency.
- 26. Usability Testing When to use Usability testing can be used as an input during app design or at the end of a project. It represents an excellent way finding out what the most likely usability problems with an app are likely to be. Usability testing can generate non-statistical or statistical data.
- 27. Usability Testing Issues Usability testing requires some form of design to be available to test - even if it's only on paper. Testing works best if it focuses either on gathering non-statistical feedback on a design through 'talking aloud'.
- 28. Surveys What are they? Questionnaires are a means of asking users for their responses to a pre-defined set of questions. It is a good way of generating statistical data.
- 29. Surveys When to use Questionnaires are usually employed when a design team: - Can only gain remote access to an app - Is seeking a larger sample size than can be realistically achieved through direct contact It is for this reason that questionnaires are usually administered electronically
- 30. Surveys Issues Questionnaires allow statistical analysis of results, which can increase a study's credibility through its scientific appearance. This makes it all the more important that the questionnaire is well- designed and asks non-biased questions.
- 31. Interviews What are they? An interview usually involves one interviewer speaking to one participant at a time. The advantages of an interview are that a participant's unique point of view can be explored in detail. It is also the case that any misunderstandings between the interviewer and the participant are likely to be quickly identified and addressed.
- 32. Interviews When to use Interviews are usually employed early in the design process. This allows an app designer to gain a more detailed understanding of a specific area of activity or requirement.
- 33. Interviews Issues Interviewing places a high premium on the experience and skill of the interviewer and analyst. Human error and internal biases can play a factor in receiving the flawed feedback.
- 34. Recap • UCD analyzes user’s needs, wants and constraints • Constantly test and iterate • Mobile design is highly specialized • Be sensitive to user device choices and data issues • Get feedback, then get more feedback • Plan, research, design, adapt, measure —> repeat