What is User-Centered Design?

Description: User-centered design (UCD) is an approach to design that grounds the process in information about the people who will use the product. UCD processes focus on users through the planning, design, and development of a product.

A Typical UCD Methodology

Analysis Phase

• Meet with key stakeholders to set vision
• Include usability tasks in the project plan
• Assemble a multidisciplinary team to ensure complete expertise
• Develop usability goals and objectives
• Conduct field studies
• Look at competitive products
• Create user profiles
• Develop a task analysis
• Document user scenarios
• Document user performance requirements

Design Phase

• Begin to brainstorm design concepts and metaphors
• Develop screen flow and navigation model
• Do walkthroughs of design concepts
• Begin design with paper and pencil
• Create low-fidelity prototypes
• Conduct usability testing on low-fidelity prototypes
• Create high-fidelity detailed design
• Do usability testing again
• Document standards and guidelines
• Create a design specification

Implementation Phase

• Do ongoing heuristic evaluations
• Work closely with delivery team as design is implemented
• Conduct usability testing as soon as possible

Deployment Phase

• Use surveys to get user feedback
• Conduct field studies to get info about actual use
• Check objectives using usability testing

You may notice that “usability testing” appears several times throughout the process, from the first phase to the last.