7.4 Strategies for UCD

7.4 Strategies for UCD

Essential idea here is that users have a central role in evaluating whether the product meets their wants and needs. A clear strategy for UCD will improve acceptability and usability, reducing costs and effort, while fulfilling user requirements.

Primary research and secondary research

• Primary research - collection and analysis of original information from persons or organisation perceived as the actual or intended market for a product or service. (User trial, observation, product analysis etc.) 
• Secondary research - analysis of existing information even though it might have been collected for a purpose other than the issue under investigation. (Web search, literature search) 

Qualitative & quantitative research

• Quantitative data deals with objective data such as numbers and logic
• Qualitative research deals with subjective materials such as words and images
• Qualitative research is open to bias and lacks the statistical reproducibility of the quantitative methods.
• Qualitative data is essentially concerned with how and why people behave.

Quantitative research is more focused on who, what, where and when.

Field research

• One way to find out if your product is really as good and useful as they think it is, is by going into the field and observing their customers firsthand.
• Watching people in a retail store. 
• Field studies are one of the various qualitative methods that market researches that market researchers use to better understand customers' needs and wants.
• It is powerful as company is able to see what people do as opposed to hearing what they have to say.
• However the cost which could run to thousands. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
First hand knowledge First hand experience Obtain detailed data of people and processes It emphasises the role and relevance of social context. Better understanding customer's needs & wants Help with future growth and development of the company	Data will be very narrow emotional taxing as relationship between interviewer and client has to be established. Time consuming  Expensive

Method of extremes

• Common way to define the range of a user population is the so called method of extremes. 
• Users are selected to represent the extremes of a user population, typically the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile. 
• Products are then designed and tested to ensure that they function for those users.

  Advantages	Disadvantages
  greatest number of users are accommodated	maybe sensitive for extreme groups to be involved

  

Observation, interviews and focus groups

Observation: 

• A user trial where the potential client uses the product and the expert observes (not asking for comments but only observes.) 
• Can be in field (natural environment) or in a lab (controlled environment) 
• Quantitative data. 
• Designers use this data and improve the design

Advantages	Disadvantages
Readily available Users may carry out tests in unexpected ways so truly challenge the design. Cheap to undertake as non-specialists.  They provide valuable data and feedback to refine a product.	Data collected maybe difficult to analyse

Interviews and Focus groups: 

• A collection of responses from users, a trail of observation of users interacting with the product.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Face to face  Dynamic  Body language and gestures can be observed	Expensive Some people may not want to share sensitive issues Small sample size may not be truly representative of the whole.

Questionnaires
A series of questions to solicit information

Advantages	Disadvantages
Cheap Easy to administer large numbers of questionnaires can be administered sent easily to a wide local, national, global regions	Static poor number of responses maybe only interested people fill out the survey thus perhaps a bias

Affinity diagramming
Affinity diagramming is a way for designer to brainstorm ideas, make improvements and solve problems with designs. It also helps organise the designers work. 

• 7 steps to making an affinity diagram:                                                                                    1. Identifying a general theme for your design associated with a problem or situation                2. Research, collect data, opinions and ideas, research can be from focus groups field                     research or secondary research                                                                                      3. Express the information in a common format, e.g notes on wall                                          4. Identify groups and common attributes or characteristics                                                  5. Organise those groups into larger groups                                                                        6. Repeat 4 and 5 to make larger groups                                                                            7. Present the results in a simple way so it doesn't look to confusing
  

Participatory design, prototype and usability testing lessons

Participatory Design

• Seeks to included the intended users either in the research, concept, design or production of an outcome. 
• It doesn't just ask users' opinions on design issues, but actively involves them in the design and decision-making processes.
• Example:                                                                                                                                                -when user representing the target market for a product perform realistic tasks by                         interacting with a paper version of the user-product interface manipulated by a person                acting as a computer who does not explain how the interface works                                            -https://youtu.be/DF2sZ_EC4PU                                                                                                    -however very rare. 
• Disadvantage                                                                                                                                          -Require an experienced moderator with thorough knowledge of the domain to guide them.

Paper prototype & usability testing sessions

• Is a variation of usability testing and example of participatory design, where representative users performs realistic tasks by interacting with a paper version of the interface that is manipulated by a person who doesn't explain how the interface is intended to work.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrV2SZuRPv0
• Paper prototyping, which is also known as low-fidelity prototyping is a participatory design, as it involves users in design development.

Natural environments and usability laboratories

Natural environments

Usability laboratories

The potential client is observed using the product, system or service where it is intended to be used Advantage: solicit data from real and intended contexts Advantage: usability is tested in the intended environment Disadvantage: biased opinions from the observers Disadvantage: mostly qualitative data is collected.

The potential client is observed using the product, system or service in a controlled. Advantage: controlled environment can ensure that product/service/system is used as intended. Advantage: Groups of ‘observers’ can view the usability and a more wider view of analysis Advantage: labs can be set up with high-tech sensors and equipment for better monitoring. Disadvantage: can be costly as facilities/personnel  must be hired. Disadvantage: can be intimidating to know people are behind one-way mirrors

Testing houses versus usability laboratories

Testing houses uses machines to test on the product whether can it do its function properly. However, testing houses has nothing to do with usability as it is not testing how the consumers can recall their memory on the product however usability laboratories tests on how the users will use the products.