User Centred Design

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User Centred Design

• Laura Massa

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Summary

• UCD (User Centred Design)
• Introduction
• Standard ISO 13407
• Methods to realise standard ISO 13407
• TRUMP Project
• Generalities
• Methods
• Applications

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What Is User Centred Design?

• Is an approach to software development which
  focuses specifically on making products usable
• The usability of a product is defined in a
  standard ISO 9241, part 11 as
• the extent to which a product can be used by
  specified users to achieve specified goals with
  effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a
  specified context of use

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Why User Centred Design?

• To obtain a software which
• is easier to understand and use, thus reducing
  training costs
• improves the quality of life of users by reducing
  stress and improving satisfaction
• significantly improves the productivity and
  operational efficiency of individual users and
  consequently the organisation

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UCD and Other Methods

• In other methods for designing software
  applications the stress is placed on meeting the
  technical and functional requirements for the
  software
• In this method it is equally important to
  consider usability requirements

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Summary

• UCD (User Centred Design)
• Introduction
• Standard ISO 13407
• Methods to realise standard ISO 13407
• TRUMP Project
• Generalities
• Methods
• Applications

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UCD Standard

• User centred design is based on a standard ISO
  13407 (Human Centred Design Processes for
  Interactive Systems)

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Main Principles

• In line with the ISO 13407 standard
• appropriate allocation of function between user
  and system
• it is needed to determinate which aspects of a
  job or task should be handled by people and which
  can be handled by software
• active involvement of users
• to utilise people who have real insight into the
  context in which an application will be used
• iteration of design solutions
• iterative software design entails the feedback of
  end-users following their use of early design
  solutions
• multi-disciplinary design teams
• user-centred software development is a
  collaborative process which benefits from the
  active involvement of various parties, each of
  whom have insights and expertise to share

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The Four Essential Activities(1)

• According to the ISO 13407 standard there are
  four essential user-centred design activities
  which should be undertaken to incorporate
  usability requirements into the software
  development process
• understand and specify the context of use
• specify the user and organisational requirements
• produce designs and prototypes
• carry out user-based assessment

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The Four Essential Activities(2)

• The activities are carried out in an iterative
  fashion, with the cycle being repeated until the
  particular usability objectives have been attained

start
Understand and specify the context of use
Carry out user based assessment
Specify the user and organisational requirements
Produce prototypes
Meets requirement
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Understand and Specify the Context of Use for the
System(1)

• The quality of use of a system depends very much
  upon the context in which a system will be used
• In some cases contextual information may already
  be known although, where a new product or system
  is to be introduced, then it will be necessary to
  collect the relevant contextual information

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Understand and Specify the Context of Use for the
System(2)

• At the end the following aspects are understood
• the characteristics of the intended users
• the tasks the users will perform
• the environment in which the users will use the
  system
• The results of this initial activity are embodied
  in a document which describes the context of use
  for the proposed software

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Specify the User and Organisational Requirements

• Building on the context of use description
  obtained before, an explicit statement of the
  user-centred requirements for the new software
  should be formulated
• There are various methods which can help define
  these requirements, but some elements (as listed
  in ISO 13407) should be covered in the
  specification (next slide)

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Important Elements

• identification of the range of relevant users and
  other personnel in the design
• provision of a clear statement of design goals
• an indication of appropriate priorities for the
  different requirements
• evidence of acceptance of the requirements by the
  stakeholders or their representatives
• acknowledgement of any statutory or legislative
  requirements, for example for health and safety

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Produce Designs and Prototypes

• explore design solutions by creating simple
  mock-ups of the proposed system and then later
  presenting them to a representative sample of
  users
• the initial design will be refined in light of
  user feedback
• the key goal is to
• simulate the design solution(s) using paper or
  computer-based mock-ups

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Avantages of Using Prototypes

• The activity fosters greater communication
  between the development team and end-users
• Simple prototypes also allow different design
  options to be explored prior to coding allowing
  future problems to be identified early on in the
  development process

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Carry Out User-based Assessment of the System or
Prototype

• help providing further information for refining
  the design
• is comprised of the following steps
• evaluation plan
• data collection and analysis
• reporting the results and recommendations for
  change
• iterate this activity until design (and
  usability) objectives are met
• tracking changes, maintenance and follow-up

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Summary

• UCD (User Centred Design)
• Introduction
• Standard ISO 13407
• Methods to realise standard ISO 13407
• TRUMP Project
• Generalities
• Methods
• Applications

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Methods (1)

• There is a range of methods which can be used to
  achieve the goals of user-centred software
  development
• Planning
• Usability planning
• For each feature in which an investment is to be
  made in usability work, one or more tasks are
  identified
• Cost-benefit analysis
• a generic framework for identifying the costs and
  benefits associated with user-centred design
  activity
• Usability context analysis
• a structured method for eliciting detailed
  information about a product and how it will be
  used

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Methods (2)

• Expert-based evaluation and inspection
• Heuristic evaluation
• technique used to identify potential problems
  that operators can be expected to meet when using
  a computer or a telematics application
• Usability walkthrough
• users, developers and usability specialists
  review a set of designs individually, and then
  meet to discuss each element of the design in a
  walkthrough meeting
• Early prototyping
• Paper prototyping
• Paper prototyping Designers create a paper-based
  simulation of interface elements (menus,
  dialogues, icons etc.) using paper, card,
  acetate, and pens
• Video prototyping
• Video prototyping this is a variant of
  paper-prototyping that makes use of video
  equipment to create short movies of the paper
  interface

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Methods (3)

• Usability performance evaluation
• User-based observation
• A small number of participants work with system
  while an observer makes notes
• Co-operative evaluation
• Users employ a prototype as they work through
  task scenarios. They explain what they are doing
  by talking or 'thinking-aloud' and this is
  recorded on tape and/or captured by an observer
• Subjective assessment
• Cognitive workload
• For example this can be obtained from
  questionnaires
• Focus groups
• bring together various stakeholders in the
  context of a facilitated but informal discussion
  group
• Individual interviews
• are a quick and cheap way to obtain subjective
  feedback from users

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Summary

• UCD (User Centred Design)
• Introduction
• Standard ISO 13407
• Methods to realise standard ISO 13407
• TRUMP Project
• Generalities
• Methods
• Applications

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Trump Project (1)

• has, in its objectives, the integration of user
  centred methods into the development process
• is part funded by the European Commission under
  ESPRIT project 28015
• involved three partners and one subcontractor
  Serco Usability Services co-ordinated the project
  and provided the usability expertise to the user
  partners, Inland Revenue and Israel Aircraft
  Industries. Lloyd's Register provided independent
  assessment of the usability maturity before and
  after the application at IR

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Trump Project (2)

• gives some methods which respond to ISO 13407
• Stakeholder Meeting, Paper Prototyping,
  Usability Testing are three basic methods

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Stakeholder Meeting (1)

• To collect and agree information about
• Why is the system being developed? What are the
  overall objectives?
• Who are the intended users and what are their
  tasks?
• What are the technical and environmental
  constraints?
• What key functionality is needed to support the
  user needs?
• How will the system be used? What are typical
  scenarios of how and why users will interact with
  the system?
• What are the usability goals?
• How will users obtain assistance?
• Are there any initial design concepts?

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Stakeholder Meeting (2)

• Method
• Planning
• Arrange a one-day meeting
• Invite stakeholders who have knowledge about the
  intended users and usage, including project
  manager, different types of user and developer(s)
  
• Need a facilitator and a person to record the
  information provided during the meeting
• Produce a list of issues to be discussed and a
  detailed context of use checklist
• Before the meeting
• Identify the key issues you need to explore
• Provide all participants with the agenda and a
  copy of the context checklist

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Stakeholder Meeting (3)

• At the meeting
• After discussing the major issues, discuss and
  fill in each item on the context checklist
• After the meeting
• Obtain any missing information if the
  information is not easily available, arrange a
  field study to observe users in their work
  environment
• Circulate to all participants a summary of the
  conclusions of the meeting, and the filled in
  checklist.

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Paper Prototyping(1)

• To enable draft interaction designs and screen
  designs to be very rapidly simulated and tested
• Method
• Planning
• Arrange a workshop attended by user(s) and
  developer(s)
• You will also need a facilitator and a person to
  record the issues raised during the meeting
• Four stages of paper prototyping may be required
• concept design
• interaction design
• screen design
• screen testing

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Paper Prototyping(2)

• 1. Concept design
• Sit round a table and sketch out possible
  approaches in a brainstorming environment
• Evaluate the extent to which each approach meets
  the objectives agreed in the stakeholder meeting
• 2. Interaction design
• Brainstorm possible screens or page types based
  on user tasks
• Write the name of each suggested screen or page
  on a post-it-note.
• Put each post-it-note on the wall close to
  related notes.
• Group the post-it-notes in clusters that are
  meaningful to users.
• Consolidate duplicates
• Give a name to each cluster

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Paper Prototyping(3)

• 3. Screen design
• Sit round a table and sketch out design ideas in
  a brainstorming environment
• Use this as a basis for rough sketches of each
  screen
• Produce a rough design for each screen drawn by
  hand, or using a drawing package or prototyping
  tool
• 4. Screen testing
• Ask the user to carry out a realistic task
• As the user selects options on each screen, the
  developer explains what happens, and either
  points to the next screen or presents the next
  screen to the user
• To test more detailed interaction, prepare pieces
  of paper with menus, scroll boxes, dialogue
  boxes, etc., and present these to the user when
  they select the appropriate option. The user
  simulates pointing and clicking using a pencil,
  and simulates typing by writing on paper

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Usability Testing(1)

• To identify usability problems and obtain
  measures of usability
• Method
• Planning
• Select the most important tasks and user groups
  to be tested
• Select users who are representative of each user
  group
• Produce a task scenario and input data and write
  instructions for the user
• Plan sessions allowing time for giving
  instructions, running the test, answering a
  questionnaire, and a post-test interview
• Invite developers to observe the sessions
• If possible use one room for testing, linked by
  video to another room for observation

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Usability Testing(2)

• Running sessions
• Welcome the user, and give the task instructions
• Do not give any hints or assistance unless the
  user is unable to complete the task
• Observe the interaction and note any problems
  encountered
• Time each task
• At the end of the session, ask the user to
  complete a satisfaction questionnaire
• Interview the user to confirm they are
  representative of the intended user group, to
  gain general opinions, and to ask about specific
  problems encountered
• Assess the results of the task

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Usability Testing(3)

• Reporting
• Produce a list of usability problems, categorized
  by importance (use post-it-notes to sort the
  problems), and an overview of the types of
  problems encountered
• Arrange a meeting with the project manager and
  developers to discuss whether and how each
  problem can be fixed
• If measures have been taken, summarise the
  results of the satisfaction questionnaire, task
  time and effectiveness (accuracy and
  completeness) measures

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Case Study of LAHAV

• TRUMP applied methods to realize UCD in the LAHAV
  division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in
  Israel
• IAI LAHAV division has a group of about 100
  people developing aircraft avionics and uses a
  well-established development methodology, but
  their process for specifying operational
  requirements is not supported by any specific
  methods and techniques
• The TRUMP project was undertaken as one of the
  process improvement activities at IAI

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Benefits from Joining TRUMP

• They found out that most methods are quiet
  intuitive and can be learnt on the job
• The methods were practised by developers
• They liked them and recommended to make them a
  standard in the development process
• Another important point is a close link between
  process improvement and product improvement
• In the TRUMP project the methods cost was
  extremely low and the results were obvious in the
  very short term

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Cost benefits

• Cost-benefits were calculated
• Maturity assessments
• The maturity briefings and assessments cost 5K
  in staff time
• Development cost/benefits
• IAI estimated that all the methods used resulted
  in savings in development costs of between 5K
  and 70K for each method, with a total saving of
  330K. The cost of using the methods was only
  22K, giving a cost-benefit ration of 115
• Sales cost/benefits
• Increased sales because customers would be more
  likely to buy the product were estimated to be
  400K
• Support cost/benefits
• Reduced costs of training and support were
  estimated at 50K
• Overall cost benefits
• The overall costs of the maturity assessments and
  use of methods was 27K. The total estimated
  savings and increased sales is 780K, giving a
  cost-benefit ration of 129

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References

• Handbook of User-Centred Design
• http//www.ejeisa.com/nectar/inuse/6.2/contents.ht
  m
• Trump Project
• http//www.usability.serco.com/trump/methods/index
  .htm

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Usability Maturity Assessment

• is used to identify any gaps in the
  organisations ability to apply user centred
  design
• the assessment is based on the Usability Maturity
  Model, which consists of a list of activities
  that represent good practice in user centred
  design
• in the assessments, each activity is rated on the
  scale
• Not performedPartly performedLargely
  performedFully performed

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Evaluation Plan

• any evaluation activity is planned for in advance
• its needed the identification of relevant
  stakeholders
• a group of representative end-users should be
  contacted to asking them to use the new system to
  achieve assigned tasks
• at a more specific level the evaluation plan
  should identify
• the roles for those people who will run the
  evaluation sessions
• the aspects of the system to be evaluated
• the tasks to be assigned to the users
• the methodology and resources required for the
  evaluation

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Data Collection and Analysis

• users should normally work with the system to
  accomplish tasks
• the evaluation should be carried out in
  accordance with the evaluation plan
• the results should be treated as an integral part
  of the development process for the new system
  they can be used to
• obtain design feedback
• compare the results with set criteria to decide
  whether the objectives have been met

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Iterate This Activity Until Design (And
Usability) Objectives Are Met

• it is possible to carry out several iterations of
  the process in order to achieve the particular
  design or usability objectives (cost is relative
  low)
• the process may shift from a relatively informal
  assessment of the prototype to more formal
  evaluations in a realistic context where the user
  is not helped or interrupted by the evaluator