Presentation given to Untangle the Web, 10 June 2013. What is user-centred design (UCD) and how can you use it within the constraints of your project?

1. [pragmatic]
user-centred design
David Little
david@littled.net
@djlittle

2. my guide to getting
started with ucd.

3. pragmatic.
based on my own experiences of working in small
teams (i.e. usually me) with limited resources.
(and not all of us work for the BBC, The
Guardian or a cool new start-up).

4. outcomes.
agile, user experience design, lean ux, whatever

5. overview.
getting started & next steps.

6. hang on, who are
you?

7. 1995: learned html.
1996: first website (Geocities!).
1999: web as profession.
2001-2011: BBC, Wellcome Trust, Birkbeck,
University of London.
2009: user interface design and evaluation
(Open University): practical HCI techniques.
2011-: senior ui designer, Department of Digital
Humanities, King’s College, London.

8. generalist to specialist.
from designer/developer (plus a bit of project
management & content) to
user experience designer: interaction design &
user interface design.

9. education, research, arts and
cultural heritage projects.
currently: user researcher on project with royal
opera house & pop to create a hybrid mobile web
app for the roh & mobile “toolkit” for other arts &
cultural organisations.

10. what is user-
centred design?

11. “focus on the user and all else will follow.”
users: people with motivations, goals and
behaviours.
involve users at all stages of the design process.
a mindset: research, testing and iteration. Don’t
make stuff up or make assumptions: you are not
your users.

12. constraints.
financial / time / technology.
culture.
determine what you can do and how
you can do it.

13. #1 research
#2 design & iteration
#3 usability testing

14. #1 research.
users
! who are they?
goals
! what do they want to be able to do?
behaviour and motivations
! how / where / why do they currently do this?

15. connecting with
users.
! existing user base.
! organisational information & contacts.
! personal contacts.
! social media.
! mailing lists.

16. methods & tools.
time & resources?
! ethnography (observation).
! face-to-face interviews.
! diary studies.

17. methods & tools.
limited time & resources?
! email interviews.
! skype.
! surveys (e.g. google docs).
! social media.

18. questions
non-judgmental.
non-leading.
not too open ended.

19. analysis.
takes time.
data validity: how representative was
your sample? don’t overclaim.

20. what next?
time & resources?
! personas.

21. what next?
limited time & resources?
!
! user stories.
! “as a [type of user] I want [a goal] !so that [some
! reason]”.
! bit.ly/102kefA
!
! break down functionality by user types.

22. #2 design and
iteration.

23. the “d” word:
deliverables.
starting point for discussion.
constraints (time, tools, culture)
! sketches.
! wireframes.
! prototypes.
no “one size fits all” approach.

24. #3 usability testing.
constraints (time / money / culture).
low / medium / high fidelity prototypes.
incentives for users.
small number of users (3-4).

25. methods and tools.
laptop and screen recording software
(e.g. silverback; reflector: mirror iphone on mac).
task-based.
“think aloud”: what users say.
observation: what users do.

26. questions.
task scenarios.
“what would you do ...”
“what would you expect to happen ...”
ask, don’t answer questions.
don’t interrupt (unless you really have
to).

27. analysis
takes time.

28. report findings &
suggest changes.
involve other stakeholders in testing.
summarise findings.
short video clips. show where users
are experiencing problems.

29. how many rounds
of testing?
constraints (time / financial / culture).

30. challenges.
“no time”.
“no money”.
“I don’t think we need to do that”.
resistance to usability testing findings.
technical constraints: it just works that
way.
trends: “did you read that list apart
article?”

31. be pragmatic.
get someone senior on board.
“sell” benefits: costs, conversions,
impact ...
what can you achieve with your
constraints?
start small. slowly change culture.
victories & defeats.

32. in summary
ucd: helps you make informed design
decisions.
does take time, but needn’t be
expensive.
every project has constraints. what
are yours?

33. books
steve krug
! don’t make me think.
! rocket surgery made easy.
cennydd bowles & james box
! undercover user experience design.
jesse games garrett
! the elements of user experience.