A2.1 User-centred research methods

Introduction

User-Centered Design (UCD) is a design process that prioritizes the needs, wants, and limitations of end-users throughout the design process. At its center is research based on empathy. By understanding and empathizing with users, designers can create products that better meet their requirements and provide a more satisfying user experience.

Guiding Question

How do designers understand the relationship between users, the product and the environment?

To effectively design products that meet user needs and fit seamlessly into their environments, designers must deeply understand the relationship between these three elements. This understanding is the foundaton of user-centered design (UCD).

At the center of this relationship lies the user. Designers must empathize with users, gaining insights into their needs, wants, and limitations. By observing users in their natural environments and conducting interviews and surveys, designers can uncover the true nature of user populations. This knowledge is essential for creating products that are intuitive, functional, and satisfying.

The product itself plays a crucial role in this relationship. It must be designed to meet users' specific needs and expectations while also considering the broader environment in which it will be used. Designers must analyze how the product will interact with users and the surrounding context, ensuring that it fits into their lives and enhances their experiences.

The environment in which the product will be used is equally important. Designers must consider the physical, social, and cultural factors that influence how users interact with products. By understanding the environmental context, designers can ensure that their creations are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing and culturally appropriate.

Korean

사용자의 요구를 충족하고 환경에 원활하게 적합한 제품을 효과적으로 설계하기 위해서는 디자이너는 이 세 요소 간의 복잡한 관계를 깊이 이해해야 합니다. 이러한 이해는 사용자 중심 디자인(UCD)의 초석입니다.

이러한 관계의 중심에는 사용자가 있습니다. 디자이너는 사용자와 공감하고, 사용자의 요구, 욕구 및 한계에 대한 통찰력을 얻어야 합니다. 사용자를 자연스러운 환경에서 관찰하고 인터뷰 및 설문 조사를 수행함으로써 디자이너는 사용자 집단의 본질을 발견할 수 있습니다. 이러한 지식은 직관적이고 기능적이며 만족스러운 제품을 만드는 데 필수적입니다.

제품 자체는 이러한 관계에서 중요한 역할을 합니다. 제품은 사용자의 특정 요구와 기대를 충족하도록 설계되어야 하며, 사용될 더 넓은 환경도 고려해야 합니다. 디자이너는 제품이 사용자와 주변 환경과 어떻게 상호 작용하는지 분석하여 사용자의 삶에 원활하게 통합되고 경험을 향상시킬 수 있도록 해야 합니다.

제품이 사용될 환경도 동일하게 중요합니다. 디자이너는 사용자가 제품과 상호 작용하는 방식에 영향을 미치는 물리적, 사회적, 문화적 요인을 고려해야 합니다. 환경적 맥락을 이해함으로써 디자이너는 창작물이 기능적일 뿐만 아니라 미적으로 즐겁고 문화적으로 적절하도록 보장할 수 있습니다.

Chinese

为了有效地设计出满足用户需求并无缝融入其环境的产品，设计师必须深刻理解这三个要素之间的复杂关系。这种理解是用户中心设计 (UCD) 的基石。

在这种关系的核心是用户。设计师必须与用户共情，深入了解他们的需求、欲望和局限性。通过观察用户在自然环境中的行为以及进行访谈和调查，设计师可以揭示用户群体的真实本质。这些知识对于创建直观、功能性和令人满意的产品至关重要。

产品本身在这一关系中发挥着关键作用。它必须设计为满足用户的特定需求和期望，同时还要考虑其将使用的更广泛的环境。设计师必须分析产品将如何与用户和周围环境互动，确保它无缝地融入他们的生活并增强他们的体验。

产品将使用的环境同样重要。设计师必须考虑影响用户与产品互动方式的物理、社会和文化因素。通过了解环境背景，设计师可以确保他们的创作不仅功能实用，而且美观且具有文化适应性。

2.1.1 Understanding the needs, wants and limitations of end-users is the key to user-centred design (UCD).

Guidance: You should be able to explain how developing empathy with users through an understanding of their needs and carrying out (behaviours) tasks in a specified environment leads to better design.

User-centered design (UCD) is a design approach that prioritizes the needs, wants, and limitations of end-users. By developing empathy with users and understanding their experiences, designers can create products that are more relevant, usable, and satisfying.

By focusing on the needs and experiences of users, designers can create solutions that are more relevant, usable, and satisfying. UCD leads to products that are more likely to be adopted and used, resulting in greater user satisfaction and success. By understanding user needs, designers my generate innovative and groundbreaking design ideas.

Source: Interaction Design Foundation

In order to successfully apply a UCD approach, designers will seek to understand their users by focusing on these four areas:

Empathy

Understanding users' perspectives, motivations, and challenges.

Needs and Wants

Identifying what users need and desire from a product.

Limitations

Recognizing users' physical, cognitive, and emotional constraints.

Task Analysis

Observing users performing tasks in their specific environments.

To empathize and understand the needs, limitations and task, designers will use a range of tools and strategies. These are outlined in greater detail below. It is important to understand that a range of strategies, carefully selected for the design context, will provide accurate, relevant, and meaningful insights.

user-centred research methods: field research, task analysis, user observation, interviews, surveys, and focus groups
Strategies and tools: primary persona, scenarios,

2.1.2 UCD is a design process that pays particular attention to the needs of potential users of a product through involvement of users at all stages of the design process.

Guidance: You should be able to explain the five stages of UCD and the advantages and disadvantages of UCD when designing products that meet the requirements of a diverse range of user needs and capabilities.

The process is iterative and driven by user-centered evaluation and feedback: The process prioritized prototyping and user feedback, especially in the early stages, to learn about and respond to the user's needs. The iteration of the design is driven by user feedback as the design team comes to better understand the user's needs. This is very similar to the MYP and DP design cycles.

UCD places much emphasis on research in order to understand the users, task and environment.

Iterative Process; 반복적 인 과정; 迭代过程

2.1.3 UCD teams are multidisciplinary and develop a deep understanding of the user, task and the environment.

Guidance: You should be able to explain how different disciplines contribute to a better understanding of target user, task and environment when designing to meet the needs of specific target users.

User-centered design (UCD) teams are typically multidisciplinary, bringing together professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise. This collaborative approach fosters a deeper understanding of users, tasks, and the environment in which products are used.

Source: Ideogram

A2.1.3 UCD Teams

Benefits of multidisiplinary UCD teams

Create more innovative and creative solutions:

By combining different perspectives and skills, multidisciplinary teams can generate a wider range of ideas and solutions.
This can lead to more innovative and creative product designs.

Gain a deeper understanding of users

Different disciplines can contribute unique perspectives to understanding user needs, behaviors, and motivations.
For example,
- psychologists can provide insights into user psychology and motivations,
- while anthropologists can offer cultural and social context.

Identify and address potential issues early on:

A multidisciplinary team can identify and address potential issues in the design process before they become major problems.
For example, engineers can assess the technical feasibility of design ideas, while marketers can provide insights into market trends and customer preferences.

Types of projects that benefit from multidisciplinary UCD teams

Certain types of projects and teams can benefit greatly from a multidisciplinary approach. For example:

Product design teams: These teams typically include designers, engineers, marketers, and user researchers.
Healthcare product development teams: These teams might include doctors, nurses, engineers, and human-factors experts.
Software development teams: These teams often include programmers, designers, user experience researchers, and project managers.
Architectural design teams: These teams might include architects, engineers, interior designers, and urban planners.

Complex products

Products that are complex or require a deep understanding of multiple domains often benefit from a multidisciplinary approach.
For example, designing a smart home system might require expertise in engineering, software development, user experience design, and marketing.

New or emerging technologies

When working with new or emerging technologies, a multidisciplinary team can help navigate challenges and identify opportunities.
For example, designing a virtual reality experience might require expertise in computer graphics, human-computer interaction, and psychology.

Diverse user base

If a product is designed for a diverse user base with varying needs and preferences, a multidisciplinary team can help ensure that the product is inclusive and accessible to all users.
For example, designing a public transportation system might require input from engineers, urban planners, and accessibility experts.

2.1.4 User-centred research methods can be used to understand a user population(s).

Guidance: You should be able to explain how user-centred research methods (field research, task analysis, user observation, interviews, surveys, and focus groups) can be used to discover the true nature of a user population.

2.1.5 Design development uses persona, scenarios and population stereotypes early in the design process.

Guidance: You should be able to discuss how a primary persona, scenarios, population stereotypes and demographics can be used to guide design development, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using them when engaging with UCD.

User-Centered Design (UCD) relies on a deep understanding of the target audience. This is achieved through various methods:

Primary personas, which represent the core user group, focuse design efforts on their key needs and providing a shared reference point for the team.
Scenarios, narrative descriptions of user interactions, help identify usability issues and foster empathy. However, relying solely on these can oversimplify user diversity and may not cover all use cases.
Population stereotypes can lead to intuitive designs and reduce the learning curve, but may not be universally applicable and can reinforce biases.
Demographics provide valuable data for market segmentation and marketing strategies, but can lead to overgeneralization and exclusionary design if not carefully considered.

While UCD offers a structured approach, it's important to avoid over-reliance on any single method, ensure diverse and representative research, and regularly update findings to prevent design fixation and mitigate the risk of reinforcing biases.

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Demographic Questions

Age-related considerations:
1. How can we adjust the ergonomics of our product to better suit an aging population?
2. Should we incorporate larger text or simpler interfaces for older users?
Gender-specific design:
1. Are there any gender-specific needs or preferences we should address in our product design?
2. How can we ensure our product is inclusive and appealing to all genders?
Income and purchasing power:
1. How can we design products that offer value at different price points to cater to various income brackets?
2. Should we create a premium version of our product for higher-income demographics?
Education level:
1. How can we adjust the complexity of our product's user interface based on the average education level of our target audience?
2. Should we provide more detailed instructions or simplify the design for users with lower education levels?
Geographic location:
1. How should we adapt our product design to suit different climates or cultural preferences in various regions?
2. Are there specific features we need to include or exclude based on the predominant living situations in our target market?
Family structure:
1. How can we design our product to be more family-friendly or child-safe if our demographic data shows a high percentage of households with children?
2. Should we incorporate features that cater to multi-generational households?

Linking Questions

How can population stereotypes, persona and scenarios be impacted by ergonomic design? (A1.1)
How do user-centred research methods impact the UCD of products? (B1.1)
How do user-centred research methods allow designers to consider beyond the usability of products? (A2.1)
How does the responsibility of the designer affect the planning and execution of user-centred research methods? (C1.1)
Which user-centred research methods can impact the effectiveness of product analysis and evaluation? (C3.1)

Linking questions are questions that help you connect different parts of your design technology studies. They can show how ideas and skills are related to each other.

Why are linking questions important?

Linking questions can help you:

Understand the big picture: See how different parts of design technology fit together.
Learn more: Connect new information to what you already know.
Show your knowledge: Demonstrate your understanding of design technology in a deeper way.

How can you use linking questions?

Connect subtopics: Find relationships between different parts of the course
Use your skills: Show how you can apply design technology skills in different areas.
Think about the nature of design technology: Consider the big ideas and principles that guide design technology.
Apply to the real world: See how design technology can be used in real-life situations.

References and resources

Annemiek Van Boeijen, et al. Delft Design Guide : Design Methods. Amsterdam, Bis Publishers, 2014.
Kelley, David, et al. The Little Book of Design Research Ethics. S. L., Ideo, 2015.
Lidwell, William, et al. The Pocket Universal Principles of Design : 150 Essential Tools for Architects, Artists, Designers, Developers, Engineers, Inventors, and Managers. Beverly, Ma, Rockport Publishers, 2015.
Martin, Bella, and Bruce M Hanington. Universal Methods of Design : 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions. Beverly, Ma, Rockport Publishers, 2012.
Norman, Donald. The Design of Everyday Things. 1988. Massachusetts, MIT Press, 2013.
“Outlook of the Outdoor Clothing and Backpacking Gear Market: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities.” LinkedIn, 19 Mar. 2024, www.linkedin.com/pulse/outlook-outdoor-clothing-backpacking-gear-market-frmcf/.
Rubin, Jeffrey, and Dana Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing : How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests. Indianapolis (Ind.), Wiley Pub, 2008.

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