This is the material I presented in school in 10 Feb 2010, which is modified from the IASDR 2009 presented paper.

1. A conceptual model construction
in user-centred design (UCD)
Wen Nivala
Supervisor: Dr.Robert Chen, Mr.Nick Higgett
10 Feb 2010

2. Wen’s Profile(http://uk.linkedin.com/in/wennivala)
Research student in Art & Design (2nd year)
MSc in Physics
BSc in Telecommunication(Electronic Engineering)
Research Area
User-centred design(UCD), empathic design,
user research, personas, usability, CAD
A member of DMU UCD Studio (http://ucdgroup.blogspot.com/)
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3. Agenda
User-centred design
• Before the user-centred design
• What is user- centred design
The paper in IASDR2009
• Problematic Domain
• Research Aim/Objectives
• Methods&Experiments
• Results & Discussions
• Conclusions
• Future Recommendations
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4. Before the user-centred design
Pull? Push?
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5. Before the user-centred design
Oh~ a push door..
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6. Before the user-centred design
Which switch is for me?
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7. Before the user-centred design
So intuitive!
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8. Before the user-centred design
A first step to user-centred design
Design should consider users, try not to
make user feel frustrated.
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9. User-centred design (UCD)
First mentioned by Donald Norman in his
book (The Design of Everyday Things)
(http://www.jnd.org/books.html)
Bad Designs fill our Surroundings
that make us feel frustrated. A philosophy,
User Centre design which means the design
should be done as close to user’s need as
possible, therefore be promoted
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10. User-centred design (UCD)
User-centred design is an iterative process
where you consider users all the time
ISO 13407 provides the guidelines on
achieving quality in use by incorporating
UCD
(http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/13407stds.htm)
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11. User-centred design (UCD)
However, ISO 13407 only offers the
guidelines, but it does not show how to do
user-centred design..
Several approaches are suggested for
UCD
• Participatory design
• Contextual design
• Empathic design http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design
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12. The paper in IASDR2009
IASDR is held biannually. It was held in Seoul last
year. Next time the venue will be in Delft(2011).
For detail:
http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=8ecb3b03-0967-4876-bc6c-b36b454f4a0b
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13. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Problematic Domain
The User centred design(UCD) is a philosophy which
promotes that the design should satisfy users
demands. The main approaches are :
• Participatory Design
• Contextual Design
• Empathic Design
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14. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Problematic Domain
Nevertheless, some drawbacks in participatory design
(PD) and Contextual design(CD) are found :
Require high skills to manipulate.
• to co-ordinate a meeting among stakeholders
• to arbitrate in conflict situation among stakeholders
• to familiar with the anthropology or sociology to explore user’s need.
Heavy time cost is blamed to the longer design process.
High price to hire end-users to join/longer time/the
difficult skills.
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15. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Problematic Domain
To conclude,the present UCD methods(PD/CD) are
complex,high price and time consuming which means the
UCD is consequently easier to be carried out in big
enterprises,but not for the budget-limited firms or design
houses. They are less willing to use it due to the
difficulties we mentioned.
UCD for smaller design companies is just desirable,but not
touchable.
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16. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Research Aim
To develop an economic conceptual model to in
user research by the implementation of UCD, in
order to encourage more usage.
Economic --> Easier to use
Less time consume
Lower price
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17. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
The illustration of the research Aim
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18. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Objectives
1. Context of the Current design
2. The design by Empathic skill
3. Comparisons & Model building
4. Refine model
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19. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Methods/Experiments
Take MP3 as the design target; users:18-25 Office Ladies
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20. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Result: task 1(context of current design work)
less ideas &
diverse!
Distractive!
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21. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Result: task 1I (empathic design)
IV Style is with quite similar direction as
“soft” “fashion” and ”girly”
1.Colour series converges to
feminine/young
III Function: easy to more ideas and think
more detail than task 1
II Form design tend to
be“simple”,”light weight” and
“girly”
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22. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Comparison:
“Successful UCD”
UCD”
Take colour scheme as
the example, the left
side(using the
empathic design)
converges to
feminine and young
which match the
users we set to .(18-
25 yr-old office lady)
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23. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Discussion
Current design pattern
•The design tends to fail to approach UCD
•Less ideas are gathered
•Ideas are more diverse
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24. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Discussion
Design by empathic technique :
•Design ideas converge to similar directions.
•Design ideas are fruitful and more detail
The Design work is more UCD by the empathic method
than current work!
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25. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Discussion
The use of personas
• personas are known as the communication tools between teams or in a
team. The experiments indicated that personas also help designer’s
individual work(self communication), hence it forms the basis of the
theoretical model.
• --help designers to concentrate on users when designing
• --help designers to inspire more design ideas and think more detail
Designers concern “few personas” may induce bias when designing
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26. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Discussion
•Personas can be mix-used in their present work behavior
•Designers need to have the options to choose more personas.
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27. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Discussion
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28. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Limitations
•Time constrained(10-15 mins) in the experiments which is
shorter than their usual design work
•No real product is made for users to get further evaluation,
but we use the comparison between designers, it still showed
significant results from the use of the personas.
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29. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Conclusions
•Current works tend to fail to approach UCD and the
persona-based model may solve the problem.
•The new model doesn’t need high skill to manipulate;the
model doesn’t need real users involves all the time;the
model doesn’t need extra cost of use. As a result, the
conceptual model implemented by the empathic technique
is more economical; the probabilities of use therefore
increase.
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30. The development of a conceptual model in user research using an
empathic design technique as the basis for user-centred design
Future Recommendations
•A real product can be made to do further evaluation from end-users.
•Different product range test for this model can further refine the model.
•Multi-user product test can be also arrange to extend the use of the model.
•A CAD development is needed to assist designers using personas database.
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31. Thank you for your listening
We appreciate further suggestions by email
< WenNivala>shw.dmu@gmail.com
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