We build websites that are focused on what you users want to do!
User-centered design is a project approach that we have adopted, this approach puts the intended users of your site at the center of the design and development cycles. We do this by talking directly to your typical users at key points in the project, to make sure the site will deliver upon their requirements.
We have taken this approach because, although, you as the client know what you want to offer, and we have an opinion on what the site should do and how. Its the user who will contribute to your business, and due to this fact we need to make is simpler for the user to go through and conduct their activities.
We build websites that are focused on what you users want to do!
User-centered design is a project approach that we have adopted, this approach puts the intended users of your site at the center of the design and development cycles. We do this by talking directly to your typical users at key points in the project, to make sure the site will deliver upon their requirements.
We have taken this approach because, although, you as the client know what you want to offer, and we have an opinion on what the site should do and how. Its the user who will contribute to your business, and due to this fact we need to make is simpler for the user to go through and conduct their activities.
UCD foundations
User centered design is a development method that guarantees your product, software or web site will be easy to use. The International Usability Standard, ISO 13407, specifies the principles and activities that underlie user centered design:
- Active involvement of customers (or those who speak for them).
- Appropriate allocation of function (making sure human skill is used properly).
- Iteration of design solutions (therefore allow time in project planning).
- Multi-disciplinary design (but beware overly large design teams).
Why do user centered design?
User centered design is the only design methodology that puts users at the heart of the design process. It is therefore ideally suited to developing products or web sites that must be simple and straightforward to use, otherwise, you will have lots of users being "lookers" and not many of them would be converted into "buyers".
When should I do user centered design?
In our opinion, because user centered design is a development process, it needs to be considered and applied throughout the development cycle: from requirements gathering through to user acceptance testing.
How UCD approach
We follow three core principles in all our user centred design projects:
- Early and continual focus on users and their tasks
- You must understand your users and what they want to do with the system. This understanding is arrived at by directly studying their behavior and attitudes, and by studying the nature of the goals you expect them to accomplish.
- Empirical measurement of user behavior
- Early in the development process, intended users should actually use simulations and prototypes to carry out real tasks, and their performance and reactions should be observed, recorded and analysed.
- Iterative design
- When problems are found in user testing (as they will be) they must be fixed. This means design must be iterative: there must be a cycle of design, test and measure, and redesign, repeated until the usability objectives are met.
There are a variety of specific activities you can choose from to deliver user centred design. On a typical project, we will:
- Develop persona’s to characterise the users and their tasks.
- Derive the information architecture with a card sort.
- Paper prototype early design concepts.
- Usability test the system with representative customers.
Why Userfocus?
Our Customer-Centered Design Methodology is a user-centered design process based on the International Usability Standard, ISO 13407. It combines systematic, controlled field research with measurable usability goals. This means our recommendations are based on replicable, objective data gathering techniques and focused on improving your key business metrics. Ethnographic research, persona creation, scenario design, and card sorting are just a few of the tried and tested processes we use to answer tough questions like, “What do customers really want and how can we help them find it?”
Do you need some advice on your project?
Take a look around our site and see how we have managed to help our clients over the years. Our advice is free and without obligation, at the same time we are happy to lend a hand when it comes to suplimenting your team or building your website.