What is User Centered Design

Matt Steel, Online Service Delivery Manager

February 2013

What is User Centered Design?

User centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy where the end-user’s needs, wants and limitations are a focus at all stages within the design process and development lifecycle.

Products developed using the UCD methodology are optimised for end-users and emphasis is placed on how the end-users need or want to use a product instead of forcing the end user to change his behaviour to use the product.

They do the same, but which would you rather spend time on?

Why does it matter?

The outcome of most programmes will be to achieve adoption of the system by users. If a system has been designed with the wants, needs and limitations of users in mind then they are more likely to use the system.

Focusing only on the function without understanding the experience will create an uncomfortable user experience.

The three elements

User

Who are your users?

How can you talk with them?

Centred

Are you willing to allow users to steer your deliverables?

Design

Can you adapt your solution?

Have you factored in resources, time and budget?

What do users do if you don’t design for them?

Beware of the users

Reporting highway faults• Built on a popular platform

• Easier than the old systems

• More functionality

• Mobile app

What users said, but was ignored• Didn’t like having to create an account before making a report

• Didn’t like the categorisation

Why they were ignored• The system couldn’t be reconfigured to operate with no account.

• The service didn’t want to re-categorise the way they work.

Beware of the users: The result

“There is a good online facility

called 'Love West Sussex where I

could look at what potholes were

reported already, but the reason

this was scored a 1 overall which

is a shame, is because I am forced

to register to report the fault before

I can complete the task and this

shouldn't be necessary.” SOCITM

Better Connected 2013

All I want to do is report a pothole. By making it so difficult you are reducing your workload I guess as no one will bother to try and report any!!!!!

Not at all easy to use

To make a simple highways report it has taken me 45mins. In future I will revert to the telephone.

Works well on my

galaxy S2. Only

problem is the

categories are not well

thought out/too many

and you can't edit a

report as one users

posted.

No category

suitable for

cycle path

problems.

UCD for your programme

• Plan: what is the scope, audience, objectives?

• UCD is part of the whole process and needs to be embedded from the outset, it’s not an add on at the end

• Ask users what they want and keep asking

• Test your assumptions, modify and test again

Quick wins

How can we help

And finally…..

• Any questions?

• Drop in sessions this afternoon