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User-Centered Design (UCD)
Speaking Notes from a Tech Talks Presentation by Kristin Boyett, February 22, 2006
Introduction
User Centered-Design (UCD) is a philosophy and a process. It is a philosophy that places the person (as opposed to the 'thing') at the center; it is a process that focuses on cognitive factors (such as perception, memory, learning, problem-solving, etc.) as they come into play during people's interactions with things.
Web Interfaces Should:
- Provide Task Support
- Be Usable
- Have Aesthetically Pleasant Interface Design
To ensure a user-centered approach, site functionality needs to be defined in terms of what the user needs, rather than all the possible tasks the site could support.
Steps in UCD
- Identify your users and their needs/goals for visiting your site.
- Create information architecture.
- Develop visual design.
- Test design for success at meeting user needs.
- Iterate.
In UCD, the user's needs are central to the process; however, where to involve real users in the design process can vary widely, depending on needs and desires of the design team.
Hurdles to Overcome When Implementing UCD
- Facilitate, Not Teach
- KISS (Keep it Simple)
- Separate Opinion from UCD
- Branding
- Hide Technology
- Technology-Driven vs. User-Driven
Bibliography
For more information, please see the resources in the User-Centered Design Bibliography.
About the Author: Librarian Kristin Boyett is the project manager for the UNT Libraries' Multi-Media Development Lab.