Seeking examples of design informed by user research…
by Todd Wilkens…but not just any user research. A while back I posted some thoughts on how user research might begin to take a more complex and therefore more real view of people. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about how to go beyond tasks and goals and incorporate meaning, culture, and context. I’ve also talked about this at a few conferences as well. Every time I bring it up, there’s a lot of discussion and general agreement. I think on some level this just feels right, especially to those of us who have made careers out of being advocates for users.
But how much evidence do we have that this really makes a difference in design outcomes? When have more nuanced or more complex understandings of users been instrumental in creating successful designs?
One good example of this might be Ziba’s work for Lenovo. They clearly moved beyond the task/goal framework and had a very successful design as a result.
I have a few other examples like this, many internal to AP, but would really like to find more. If you now of any, please post them in the comments. And please give as much detail as you can. What did you do? Why? How did it make a difference? We will all be able to benefit from these either for improving our craft or just making our case to clients or managers.
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on Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 at 8:29 pm and is filed under User Research.
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January 11th, 2007 at 7:44 am
In my realm of embedded interfaces, web apps on devices, I practice something that could be called ‘method acting persona’ or ‘become the user’. I take an existing device and understand how it is used, who uses it, what it is used for etc. I then try to become a user myself.
I think this can only work well when you have a physical device, also, there is a hit in the time it takes to get this method up and running. This works for me as an innie with the luxury of being able to plan according to a long term roadmap. I’m not sure a consultant could afford the extra lead time.
I find myself being the most creative and productive with this method. I enter a mode of being always on, in terms of solving issues and creating soltuions. I am dyslexic and this feels like a much more intuitive way to design than some of the more traditional UCD approaches. I would say it allows for a lot more creativity. Its easier to get a view of the larger picture, gives me more focus on the overall solution.
In one particular design I created a widget which was a functional representation of the device within the web management interface. Being both the designer and user I was able to work from both sides on the interface. I instantiated the widget across all aspects of the interface, from information display to configuration to navigation, each instance a tailored version of a core interaction. Resulting in, what I feel anyway, was a unified approach to the look and feel. Something I’m not sure would have happened as well if I focused on a set of users or activities.