User centred design has become a key tool in the quest for the creation of optimum web based user experiences.
There's plenty of healthy debate about what constitutes UCD best practice, however I think that what is important is that UCD practitioners find an approach that works well for them, their clients, and most importantly, for the users of the web site or application being designed or refined.
My approach to UCD is based on key learnings from seasoned practitioners combined with continued enhancement following my own personal experiences, and of course plenty of background reading.
The following is a summary of my UCD skills and experience:
- User research based on meetings with, and data provision from, relevant marketing departments
- User attitudes and opinions gained from the facilitation of focus groups
- User needs and problems ascertained following interviews carried out with customer facing call centre staff and management
- Persona workshops where the key characteristics of personas are discussed and agreed with stakeholders following all relevant client inputs
- International telephone interviews carried out to get user focused input from overseas operations
- Creation of personas to cover key user types identified during user research phase
- Identification of core persona goals and objectives
- Translation of persona goals and objectives into logical steps and then on to task based user journeys
- Creation of a site map (plus section site maps if required), designed to support the user's journey through the site structure in the most user centric manner possible
- Creation of wirefames to allow optimum ease of comprehension, interaction, navigation through the site to completion of user goals and objectives
- Sharing of user focused approach and rational with key members of the project team (e.g. visual designer) to help ensure that user focused aspects of the design are maintained
- Implementation of user testing to inform the design process and help move the project interatively towards the build stage
Please contact me if you'd like to know more about my user centred design skills and experience.
