USER CENTERED DESIGN

User Centered Design

User Centered Design

Introduction

User Centered Design is a term that refers to the methodology to make use of “usability”. It is the technique employed for the controlled development of a product, engaging the end users all through the various stages of the development. The users and their interests are taken care of while developing a website so as to originate a website that best suits the needs of the users. The fulfillment of this methodology is based on the taking into account of the business goals of an organization along with the requirements, confines, and penchants of the end users.

Usability is a cosmopolitan term which takes in two ideas that are quite closely related. The first idea being that usability is the characteristic of the eminence of a system; for example, the need to produce a usable web site. The other of the two ideas presents usability as a procedure or an arrangement of methods that are employed all through the design and implementation of a product; for example, the need to include usability practices in the product. The latter of the two ideas is often expressed as “usability engineering”, rather more precisely termed as the user centered design approach.

Why study users?

Importance of studying users in the software design process

In order to enhance the usability of a project to be premeditated, the most powerful move is to consider its targeted users in the initial phases of the development. This early inclusion of the needs and preferences of the users makes the entire procedure as a well versed one that results in lesser number of iterations, rather than letting it to be a design process. Since the product designers consent that the awareness about the targeted users is significant, hence they are of the opinion that best methods must be engaged for collecting information regarding the interests and priorities of the end users. They feel about a need to establish a link between the product designers and the users as it is something that would help the designers to base the constitution of the software design on the configuration of its use.

User-centered design process as a Means to Develop an Understanding of the Needs of Users

User centered Design is said to be a technique that is aimed to enhancing the usability of the designed products, thereby increasing their affectivity as per catering the requirements and interests of the end users. This technique necessitates the designer of the project to concentrate entirely on the users all through the development phases. The User Centered Design technique frequently entails a lot of participation of the users all through the design process; collection of the outlook of the end users prior to the commencement of the project as well as for the duration of the design stages. The key behind the user centered design technique is a fine interface between the end users and the project designers (Parsons, Tim., 2009).

The requirements of the targeted users under consideration should not only be the ones ...