visualising the user experience

Visualising theUser ExperienceGrant RobinsonSenior Interaction Designer at Xerogrant@xero.com

1.2.3.

Let’s talk about...Rapid prototyping

Visualising the UX with screenflows

Movement and transitions

Rapid prototyping

Is this rapid prototyping?

Is this rapid prototyping? Nope!

What is rapid prototyping?• User-centered design methodology

• For designing, communicating and evaluating user interfaces

• Getting feedback as early as possible

• Fast

Prototyping life-cycle

Prototyping life-cycle

The more cycles the better

release early, release oftenAgile development mantra:

fail early, fail oftenAgile design mantra:

"If you’re not failing now and again, it’s a sure sign you’re not doing anything very innovative." Woody Allen

1. Fellow designers

2. Project team

3. Wider team

4. Users

5. Your mum

No designer is an island

Common techniques• Paper prototyping

• Wireframes and page schematics

• HTML wireframes

• Interactive prototypes

Paper prototypes...

Paper prototypesLove: • Quick & dirty • No software needed • Very inclusive

Hate: • Not quick enough • Too dirty (lack context & scale) • Hard to share amongst team • Still needs a separate documentation step

Wireframes & page schematics...

http://gapingvoid.com/2007/05/15/random-thought/

WireframesLove: • Good for defining content • Good for documenting screens

Hate: • Bad at showing interactivity / flow • Can’t really use them for testing • Slow. Too much time spent describing.

HTML wireframes...

• Better success rate• Much faster• Less confusion

HTML wireframesLove: • Can show interactivity / flow • Good for simple interaction (links, buttons etc) • Experienced in the browser (correct context & scale)

Hate: • HTML, CSS (and JS) knowledge necessary • Time wasted on hacking layout & advanced functionality • Design only what you can build • Can’t throw away, but should

Other interactive prototypes...

Axure (www.axure.com)

Axure (www.axure.com)

SketchFlow (www.microsoft.com/expression)

Other interactive prototypesLove: • Good for testing moderately complex interactions • Some support collecting feedback • Some can generate specs

Hate: • Difficult to get custom interactions working • Can require expertise in proprietary languages • Often not cross-platform (no love for Mac users) • Often low-fidelity only • Make me think like a developer, not a designer

Choosing a prototype technique

What a dilemma!

Visualising the UX with screenflows

http://gapingvoid.com/2007/05/15/random-thought/

So how do we describe what users do?

Visualise the experience...

• Show every step to complete a task

• Show every click

• Preview the experience - see and feel how everything flows together

It’s like stop motion

From low to high fidelity

• 32 iterations• 5 released

Using Flash as a design tool {eh, what?}

Flash: Not just a development tool

Flash: Not just for video

Flash: History in drawing & animation

FutureSplash Animator

FutureSplash Animator

Anatomy of a screenflow

Screenflows • Perfect fit for agile teams • Very effective communication tool • Easy to evaluate • Ideal for explaining changes over time • Easy to share. Experienced in the browser. • Obvious focus & limits • Significantly reduces documentation • Support low to high fidelity • No coding necessary

Getting serious aboutmovement & transitions

How did this...

...become this?

...become this?

How did this...

...become this?

How did this...

...become this?

"Unless you can show me where you've fleshed out the character and aspects of the transitions at the same level of thought, rational, exploration and fidelity as you have the states - you're fired."

Bill BuxtonHCI pioneer Currently Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research

Movement: the new affordance• Use movement to orientate user and keep them in flow

• Explain changes/transformations

• Use physical metaphors to describe the action: zoom, slide, reveal

• Not just for fun: Research on the importance of movement is just starting to come in

Yahoo Design Pattern Libraryhttp://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/richinteraction/transition/

Yahoo Design Pattern Libraryhttp://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/richinteraction/transition/

Transitions decreased task completion timesReduced error rates for reading tasks

0.3 seconds - optimal transition speed

Some takeaways... {nom nom nom}

The timeline is your friend

• Efficient digital sketching tool

• Best way to manage changes over time

• Supports low to high fidelity

• Natural starting point for exploring movement and transitions

Visualising the experience makes you a better designer

• Puts you in the user’s shoes

• Keeps you focussed on user flow

• Best way to communicate your designs to team and stakeholders

• Cuts documentation in half. Less time describing = more time designing

Please feel free to flick me an email: grant@xero.com

Any questions?

Photo credits:http://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/3370897686/http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuyoh/748118128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/celloc/3145987130/http://www.flickr.com/photos/eraphernalia_vintage/3777808203/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcourtie/3500123702/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcourtie/3500124362/http://www.flickr.com/photos/21218849@N03/3902295700/http://www.flickr.com/photos/21218849@N03/3901459255/http://www.flickr.com/photos/21218849@N03/3902296466/http://www.flickr.com/photos/21218849@N03/3901509379/