INVOLVE USERS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE DESIGN PROCESS
UXD minor 0809Q4 theme ‘user research’
Theme program ‘user research’
June 8: Assignment kick-offJune 15: Theme introduction (Hans) and
assignment progressJune 22: Presentation and discussion of
assignment progressJune 29: Final presentations and workshop with
Ferry den Dopper (TamTam)
Theme in the scheme of things
User research can be used to validate any aspect of the user experience
Traditionally, research has focused on usability research
Analysis, exploration and co-creation
Usability research (‘user testing’) is addressing usability flaws in an interface
Its aim is to provide a thorough analysis to pinpoint the problem
Analysis, exploration and co-creation
Designers are focused on creating solutions
For a designer, the aim of (user) research is to explore these solutions, see how even better solutions can be created (iterate)
In a way, involving users in this creation process is co-creation, also referred to as participatory design
Analysis, exploration and co-creation
User involvement in the creation process will bring you (as a designer):
More empathy for users Make you more aware of the context of use Knowing the unexpected Inspiration for solutions
Analysis, exploration and co-creation
Crucial for its value: designers need to be directly involved in user research, preferably conducting the research
Here’s a fundamental difference with analysis: bias gives you tainted results
However, curiosity and openness are core competencies for designers
Prototyping
Every designer needs to communicate its design in every phase of the design process
Prototyping
The sole purpose of a prototype is to explore the solution, with or without the involvement of users
The fidelity of a prototype is determined by the purpose of the exploration
Cost and effect of design changes
Vordering van het ontwerp-/ontwikkelproces
Kosten van veranderingen aan het ontwerp
Impact van veranderingen aan het ontwerp
Toolkit
Repository for user research and design methodology
http://project.cmd.hro.nl/cmi/hci/toolkit/index.php
Testing during the design process (Steve Krug)
From: ‘Don’t Make Me Think’, Steve Krug (2006)
Usability heuristics
General principles for user interface designVisibility of system statusMatch between system and the real worldUser control and freedomConsistency and standardsError preventionRecognition rather than recallFlexibility and efficiency of useAesthetic and minimalist designHelp users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errorsHelp and documentation
Heuristic evaluation
Type of expert review using usability heuristics as criteria for inspection
Pros: easy to conduct, little effort/low costCons: no context of use, no rich data
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_evaluation.html
In-lab research
Research by inviting respondents to laboratory setting
Thinking aloud Co-discovery
Pros: controlled environment, low-fi prototype is no problem, high quality data capture
Cons: no context of use, time consuming/expensive
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/practical_usability_testing/
Remote research
Qualitative research using remote technology to capture data and interact with respondents
Pros: relatively cheap, in context of use Cons: hi-fi prototype required, limited data
capture
http://boltpeters.com/services/index.html
Assignment
Conduct an expert review based on Nielsen’s heuristic evaluation
Conduct a usability test using either: In-lab research Remote research
Compare the two, looking at quality of results and effort
Team presentation and individual blog post with team report plus individual reflection