User-Centered Design Techniques

Personas and Scenarios

• Personas are representations of users, based on research (interviews, questionnaires, observations).
• Personas have specific goals and want to accomplish tasks.
• PACT analysis (People, Activities, Contexts, Technologies) evaluates personas.
• Scenarios are stories illustrating user experiences with a system, used for creating use cases.
• Scenarios have a story/background, actions, and motivation.
• Examples include finding products online or resetting passwords.
• Personas and scenarios help design user-centered systems that meet real needs.

Prototyping and Envisionment

• Envisionment visualizes ideas to share with others, using methods like stories, storyboards, navigation maps, wireframes, and prototypes.
• Envisionment aims to explore alternatives and consider constraints (technology, resources).
• Creativity in envisionment is judged by fluency (quantity of ideas) and flexibility (diversity of ideas).
• Storyboards represent key moments in interaction, visualizing the flow and linking to personas and scenarios.
• Storyboards include scenes, highlighting climaxes and endings.
• Questions to consider include the tool's need, motivations for use, tasks accomplished, and involved steps.
• Wireframes focus on screen structure and layout and are used for defining screen layouts.
• Prototypes are partial representations, ranging from paper to digital, for evaluating interaction and addressing technical issues.
• Prototypes can be low-fidelity (paper-based) or high-fidelity (detailed digital).

Accessibility and Usability

• A good system is easy to use, learn, and provides a positive user experience.
• Accessibility focuses on designing for people with disabilities, ensuring system use by all.
• Usability focuses on system ease and efficiency for all users.
• Inclusive design addresses diverse user needs, possibly with specialized solutions.
• Universal design aims for one experience usable by everyone, avoiding adaptations.
• Accessibility is crucial due to high numbers of people with disabilities (e.g., 1 in 5 in Norway) and aging populations, promoting equal access and reducing exclusion.
• Approaches include universal design (single experience) and inclusive design (including many users).
• Designing for accessibility involves user involvement, established guidelines, and adapting to diverse needs.

Dark UX

• Dark UX manipulates users for business gain at the cost of good UX.
• It exploits user biases and behaviors through various strategies.
• Dark UX techniques include hidden costs, forced continuity, and misleading buttons.
• Examples include subscription traps, cookie consent banners, and endless scrolling.
• Dark UX concerns include user distrust, negative brand image, and potential legal issues.
• Alternatives to dark UX are transparent pricing, easily cancellable subscriptions, and clear consent options.
• Dark UX tactics, while potentially profitable, ultimately damage user relationships and brand reputation.

UX Laws and Principles

• Jakob's Law: Users expect your site to function like others they're familiar with.
• Fitts' Law: Buttons should be large enough to click easily(at least 44x44 px) and placed conveniently.
• Hick's Law: Decision time increases with more choices. Limit and suggest options.
• Miller's Law: People can hold about 7 ± 2 things in short-term memory. Group related information.
• Postel's Law: Provide clear feedback, and be flexible with errors.
• Aesthetic-Usability Effect: Attractive designs seem easier to use, even with flaws.
• Von Restorff Effect: Unique items stand out and are remembered easier.
• Doherty Threshold: Feedback within 400 ms keeps users engaged. Use animations.