Qualitative Techniques for User-Centered Design
This three-day course is aimed at providing user interface designers and managers with a working knowledge of the latest techniques for gathering and using qualitative information during design. After a brief overview of the process of design, and an exploration of different process models, students are introduced to a series of specific applied techniques. These techniques support design by augmenting and extending intuitive understanding of users, their tasks and their working contexts, and by yielding easily-understood information representations that ground and focus discussion and decision-making. The course provides extensive examples and hands-on exercises to ensure that students develop sufficient understanding of the techniques to be able to apply them outside the classroom.
Course Outline
Italic denotes specific applied techniques discussed.
Understanding the Design Process
Design constraints
Waterfall model of design
Cognitive design cycle
Spiral model of design
Project-based model of design
User Input to the Design Process
Incorporating user input
Participatory design
Requirements Analysis
Qualitative Data Collection
Designing a field study
Selecting appropriate users, tasks, and contexts for study
Observing and interviewing users
Contextual inquiry
Understanding Collected Data
User Analysis
User profile
Character matrix
Context Analysis
Context profile
Context matrix
Task Analysis
Task inventory
Task hierarchy
Goal hierarchy
Task flow
Navigational structure
Preparing Information for Use in the Design Process
Personas
Task cases
Scenarios
Design Generation and Realization
Storyboards
Use cases
Persona analysis metrics
Prototypes
Design Evaluation
Cognitive walkthrough using personas
Expert inspection
Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE)
Design Specification
