Essential activities in a UCD project
November 20th, 2009 by ecanto
“Supposing is good, but finding out is better” (Mark Twain)
User-centred design (UCD) is a project-approach that puts the intended users of a site at the centre of its design and development.
It does this by talking directly to users at key points in the project to make sure the site will deliver upon their requirements.
There are four essential activities in a UCD project, as outlined in ISO 13407:
| Project stage | Description |
| Requirements gathering | Understanding and specifying the context of use |
| Requirements specification | Specifying the user and organisation requirements |
| Design | Producing designs and prototypes |
| Evaluation | Carrying out user-based assessment of the site |
The following is a typical top-level characterisation of the most popular UCD methods:
| Method | Sample size | When to use (i.e. project stage) |
| Focus groups | Low | Req. gathering |
| Usability testing | Low | Design & evaluation |
| Card sorting | High | Design |
| Participatory design | Low | Design |
| Questionnaires | High | Req. gathering & evaluation |
| Interviews | Low | Req. gathering & evaluation |
Source: Web Usability Guide, from www.webcredible.co.uk
Posted in usability, user experience
