Qualitative Techniques for User-Centered Design

This three-day course is aimed at providing user interface designers and managers with a working knowledge of the latest techniques for gathering and using qualitative information during design. After a brief overview of the process of design, and an exploration of different process models, students are introduced to a series of specific applied techniques. These techniques support design by augmenting and extending intuitive understanding of users, their tasks and their working contexts, and by yielding easily-understood information representations that ground and focus discussion and decision-making. The course provides extensive examples and hands-on exercises to ensure that students develop sufficient understanding of the techniques to be able to apply them outside the classroom.

Course Outline

Italic denotes specific applied techniques discussed.

Understanding the Design Process

Design constraints
Waterfall model of design
Cognitive design cycle
Spiral model of design
Project-based model of design

User Input to the Design Process

Incorporating user input
Participatory design

Requirements Analysis

Qualitative Data Collection
Designing a field study
Selecting appropriate users, tasks, and contexts for study
Observing and interviewing users
Contextual inquiry
Understanding Collected Data
User Analysis
User profile
Character matrix
Context Analysis
Context profile
Context matrix
Task Analysis
Task inventory
Task hierarchy
Goal hierarchy
Task flow
Navigational structure
Preparing Information for Use in the Design Process
Personas
Task cases
Scenarios

Design Generation and Realization

Storyboards
Use cases
Persona analysis metrics
Prototypes

Design Evaluation

Cognitive walkthrough using personas
Expert inspection
Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE)

Design Specification