PROCESS » USER-CENTERED DESIGN PROCESS

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USER-CENTERED DESIGN PROCESS

The goal of the User-Centered Design Process is to ensure that the final site fulfills the users' wishes and needs. To achieve this goal, the first step is to form a multidisciplinary UCD team. BijouMIND includes representatives of the fields of visual or industrial design, human factors, information architecture, marketing, project management, service and support, technology, and user interface design to work with your team.

BijouMind Interactive then solicits user input throughout the design process. Below is a description of the six stages in the UCD design process, and some possible methods for gathering user input during each stage.

	Market Definition. Define the target audience, identify competitors, and determine the core user needs and wishes that must be fulfilled for the site to succeed. Typical methods: Ask members of proposed target audiences to rate their levels of interest in a new site or site enhancement; ask target users to list and prioritize their needs and identify current solutions they use and prefer. Review with end users proposed site content and functionality for pertinent feedback.
	Task Analysis. Identify and understand the users' goals and tasks, the strategies they use to perform the tasks, the tools they currently use, any problems they experience, and the changes they would like to see in their tasks and tools. Typical methods: Ask users to list and prioritize tasks; observe users accomplishing their tasks using current tools or technology.
	Competitive Evaluation. Determine the strengths and weaknesses of the competition's websites. Typical methods: Ask users to complete the same tasks using different websites and assess their overall satisfaction with each one; ask them to list the strengths and weaknesses of websites in order of importance.
	Design and Walk-through. Using the results from task and competitive analyses, create alternative proposed solutions, solicit feedback through design walk-through sessions with users, and choose a solution based on user input. Typical methods: Ask users to evaluate "lo-fi" prototypes such as simple sketches or paper prototypes.
	Evaluation and Validation. Periodically solicit user feedback on the evolving design, and iterate the design based on analysis of users' experiences with it. Typical methods: Observe users accomplishing important tasks working independently with a beta prototype and record critical paths taken by end users.
	Benchmark Assessment. Run a head-to-head benchmark assessment against the competition to verify that the product has met its primary objectives. Typical methods: Ask users to complete the same tasks using different websites and assess their overall satisfaction with each one; ask them to list the strengths and weaknesses of websites in order of importance.
For any single product, the process is usually recursive. For instance, periodic Benchmark Assessments typically uncover changes in the market and new user needs, which leads to a new Market Definition, and the process begins anew.

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