web2 week-7-user-centered

22-3376 Web Design 2 // Columbia College Chicago

User Centered Design

Site Planning

Planning1

Design2

Production & QA3

Launch +4

Standard Web Development Process

Where does the web designer fit in?

Graphic/Communication Design Referred to as the “look & feel” of the site, but it is more than that. The skill of using type, imagery and layout to convey literal and emotional messages.

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UI (user interface) Design The skill of creating consistent, intuitive and engaging interactive systems. Include usability issues: is the user able to effectively complete their goals?

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UX (user experience) Design An umbrella skillset that asks the question: was the interaction positive? How could it be better?

Standard Web Development Process

Planning1

Design2

Production & QA3

Launch +4

Planning

This stage might include:

1. Statement of Work (SOW)

2. Creative Brief

3. Research and analysis: site goals, competitive research, defining the user, field research, brainstrorming, defining user scenarios, etc.

4. Technical requirements

5. Schedules

6. Budget

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Research and Analysis: Defining the user

Before you can start figuring out the shape and structure, you need to have some idea of who you users are, and why they would come to your site. Unless your role is strictly on visual design, this is usually the first stage that a UI/UX designer is engaged.

This analysis can take the form of

use cases,

personas,

and/or user/task flowcharts.

Use Case

Personas

User/Task Flows

Research and Analysis: Defining the shape and scope

The sitemap is the start of the IA phase of a project (information architecture). It is a schematic showing the pages and their relationships. It provides an overview of the site and navigation needs. This document and any user flow outlines are closely related.

Standard Web Development Process

Planning1

Design2

Production & QA3

Launch +4

Design

This stage might include:

1. Low fidelity prototypes/Wireframes

2. Moodboard/conceptual design

3. High-fidelity prototypes / Static Design

4. Asset production

5. Styleguide

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Wireframes / Prototypes

Wireframes / Prototypes

Wireframes / Prototypes

Moodboards

Moodboards

Utility, Usability, User Experience

Utility: Does it provide the features you need?

Usability: How easy and pleasant is it to use the features?

User Experience: “UX” encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products.

Usability

Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. (useit.com)

Easy to Learn: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?

Efficient to Use: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?

Easy to Remember: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?

Few Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors?

Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

(useit.com)

Five Basic Attributes of Usability

Usability Testing = what they do

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Focus Groups = what they say

User Experience (UX)

User Experience: The creation and synchronization of the elements that affect user’s experience with a particular company, with the intent of influencing their perceptions and behavior. (Unger and Chandler, A Project Guide to UX Design)

A Slippery Definition

There is no one defined role or definition for a UX designer within web and application design; typically it is a hybrid role that combines:

information architecture,

interaction design,

visual design and

usability engineering

— but different aspects of those roles may be emphasized more heavily depending on the team.

O N E D O L L A R

Building Credibility and Trust

User Centered Design (UCD)

Project 1: Group Crits

Is there a clear visual hierarcy?

Is it obvious what is clickable?

Does the design match the user goals (from last week)

Does the visual design embody the site’s message?

Is the imagery, type and color compelling, professional?

In what ways is the design using gestalt principles? Proximity, common region, connectedness, similarity

How is the design using these basic design principles: balance, emphasis, rhythm, unity contrast

BASIC PRINCIPLE

Know your user, for they are not you.

The chief difference from other product design philosophies is that user-centered design tries to optimize the product around how users can, want, or need to use the product, rather than forcing the users to change their behavior to accommodate the product. (Wikipedia)

Procrustean Bed

UCD principles in fork & spoon design

Needs to fit in a range of mouth sizes

Handle needs to accommodate large and small hands

Needs to function on both solids and liquids

Needs to be produced in large sets, equal amounts of each

Needs to be easily stackable in small spaces

Needs to be durable and reusable

There is plenty of room for ‘design’ in UCD

Change in plans. We need a low-cost, single use, all-purpose utensil. Our costs must come in below $.000001 a unit or I won’t get a bonus this year.

Business-Centered Design

UCD in a new user context

gov.uk

persuasive transactional/service informational entertainment

“There has been a reinvention of the internet and the behaviour of users in the last few years. Digital services are now more agile, open and cheaper. To take advantage of these changes, government needs to move to a ‘service culture’,putting the needs of citizens ahead of those of departments"