User need to push
UCD – User Centered design is one of the most popular topic discussed at these days. Why recently all designer start to call them self media and interactive designer even UX designer?
In early 2000 we saw a huge migration print designers from print to the web design. Almost every print designer has his own website present his work and visual capability. Even clients itself most of the time misunderstood the role or importance of all interaction. Most of the website was seen as a bunch of the static “posters” which represent the company product and … what else – business plan. Most of these designers including myself experienced that there is no business plan. There is no even content strategy and more worst there is nothing to put on the web accept except contact details.
Many time we explain to to our clients what they need and what they should be doing to achieve better ranking visiting or mostly interacting between real user and their presentation.
There was no real talk about psychology, colour management or even special / unique behaviour.
People cost a lot more
money than machines
which is definitely true. While this might appear that increasing machine productivity must result in increasing human productivity, where we create work for computers not for ourselves. If you clearly understand you needs and how they are actually beneficial to your product / service presentation you have an information to improve the way you communicate.
UCD understand
The UCD – User Centered design is a process of understanding live circle and coherency of all information included in project regarded Human computer interaction.
Understand target audience
The team based on UCD process management understand target audience and particular needs in certain interactions and is able to provide solution for expected behaviour on certain part of the website. What the Users are looking for and how to make an connection with the product.
Keep users informed
Standard practice of UCD have an explanatory mechanisms to keep users informed in all process / journey. Many new CMS’s has evolving learning features control user interaction / behaiour and analyze this in form of suggestion for future shopping, exploring, engaging.
Keep users occupied
Any time the users must wait for the system to respond they loosing the confidence to the actual service. This happened mostly in payment procedure where people lost their money where they interact with online payment. UCD – also has a pattern to solve these issues.
Optimize efficiency
To maximize the efficiency of any your business we have to maximize our efficiency. By do so UCD has a one part of the live circle is so-called Mind Mapping where clients and interaction designer organized and utilized human and technological factors of all process. Responsibility is not on one person to decided “how does it work” but its upon to whole UX team – include marketing, management, development, UX and finally PM.
Dive in to
The system provides all possible signs to user at first. Clean definition of OOD unifying object and their function on the scene / page. Directions and interaction which follow their action to get final result. However, these details are available for those who are responsible for the main interaction – Management and UX.
Weaknesses
In any UCD process is place for weaknesses mainly from budget or time perspective. It’s up to UX and development part of the live circle optimize user needs and bring valuable solution to final customer. More over advice client with better practice and engagement between User and site / application.
Constantly improving
and challenging
Design process is iterative. In every projects the client, the designer even the developer has to find their own challenge to improve themselves. Based on the user / client feedback we evaluate and determinate better decision we can.
- Make user interfaces self explorable.
- Offer suitable journey with logical hierarchy.
- Make interaction reversible.
- “Undo” should be included in every interaction you made.
- Always allow a way out.
- However, make it easier to stay in.
Resources
And what’s your practice
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