Lecture 2: Understanding Users PDF

Lecture 2 Understanding Users Introduction Design is a crucial aspect of product development, and it influences the user’s experience. User-centered design (UCD) and human-centered design (HCD) are two approaches that help designers to create products that meet the needs of the user....

Lecture 2 Understanding Users Introduction Design is a crucial aspect of product development, and it influences the user’s experience. User-centered design (UCD) and human-centered design (HCD) are two approaches that help designers to create products that meet the needs of the user. UCD focuses on the users’ preferences and feedback while HCD takes a broader view by considering the socio-cultural and environmental factors that affect the user experience. What is UCD? User-centered design (UCD) is an approach to interactive system development that focuses specifically on making systems or applications easy to use (ISO/IEC 1999). Adopting this approach ends up with products that: o Help users achieve their goals o People want to use o People can understand how to use o Can be successfully used o Will satisfy the users o This will prevent users from making errors UCD aims at understanding the needs of users early in the design and development process, providing guidance for designing products that will meet user needs, and assuring that the product will be accepted by the users. UCD Process UCD Process The following are the general phases of the UCD process: Specify the context of use: Identify the people who will use the product, what they will use it for, and under what conditions they will use it. Specify requirements: Identify any business requirements or user goals that must be met for the product to be successful. Create design solutions: This part of the process may be done in stages, building from a rough concept to a complete design. Evaluate designs: Evaluation - ideally through usability testing with actual users - is as integral as quality testing is to good software development. The relationship between usability, HCI, UCD and UX Usability (Human Factors) Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) User-Centered Design (UCD) User Experience Application What is HCD? Human-centered design has its roots in semi-scientific fields such as ergonomics, computer science, and artificial intelligence. Human-centered design is an approach to designing interactive systems that prioritizes user experience and applies ergonomic and usability knowledge and techniques to enhance usability. ISO 9241-210 specifically recommends six characteristics: The adoption of multidisciplinary skills and perspectives Explicit understanding of users, tasks, and environments User-centered evaluation driven/refined design Consideration of the whole user experience Involvement of users throughout design and development Iterative process. Understand Human Needs Modified “design and society” Model A Conceptual model of HCD User Research Methods User research is a systematic study of target users, revealing their needs and pain points, and providing designers with valuable insights for effective design. User research can be divided into two subsets: Qualitative research: involves ethnographic field studies and interviews. Helps understand why users behave the way they do but requires careful collection of non-numerical data. Quantitative research: uses structured methods like surveys to gather measurable data about users' behaviors. Uses a larger sample of representative users to test assumptions and identify patterns within a larger user group. User Research Methods User research can be divided into attitudinal and behavioral approaches, with a combination of quantitative and qualitative research for a comprehensive understanding of design problems.  Utilize User Research Methods throughout the Development The Nielsen Norman Group provides key research methods for project stages: Discover user needs through diary studies and contextual inquiries, recording daily interactions and performance of activities. Explore user needs, organize meaningful phrases on cards for logical design, and create customer journey maps to identify potential pitfalls and crucial moments. Test your designs for ease of use and accessibility, ensuring they are accessible to everyone. Listen to issues, identify new problems and spot trends. Analyze website traffic and generate reports. Track user sentiment through surveys and questionnaires.  User Personas and Scenarios Personas are fictional product user descriptions based on real responses, used in early design processes. User scenarios provide detailed descriptions, enhancing understanding of user needs and behaviors, and promoting empathy in technological solutions. Personas and scenarios aid design teams in understanding target audiences, goals, and motivations, building empathy, and making user-centered decisions, avoiding self-referential design. What makes a good persona? A persona's description should be based on research data, analyzing patterns rather than roles. Avoid stereotypes and make personas specific, avoiding an elastic user. Successful personas are context-specific, focusing on the present actions of the user, rather than future desires. This ensures the product's design remains relevant and effective. Create personas using interviews, observations, analytics, and customer data. Analyze patterns, identify behavioral variables, and focus on trends, using realistic detail and relevance to design. The Design Process: Iteration and Prototyping Research Approach Thank you ☺