Chapter 4 Understanding Users Understanding Users Qualitative versus

Chapter 4: Understanding Users

Understanding Users Qualitative versus Quantitative Research • quantitative research effectively measures how much, how many, etc. • qualitative research is required where analysis of human behavior is desired • helps researchers to understand domain, context and constraints of a product in more useful ways

Understanding Users Qualitative Research • behaviors attitudes, and aptitudes of potential users • the domain of the product to be designed • vocabulary and other social aspects of the domain • how existing products are used • provides credibility and authority to the design team • empowers management to make more informed decisions about product design issues

Understanding Users Qualitative research can provide valuable insights Example: user study for an entry-level consumer videoediting product for Windows users: A product for people who owned a digital video camera and a computer • Interviewed dozens of users in the target market • Visited homes of twelve potential users

Understanding Users Types of Qualitative Research Ø Ø Ø Stakeholder interviews Subject matter expert interviews User and customer interviews User observation/ethnographic field studies Literature review Product/prototype and competitive audits

Understanding Users Types of Qualitative Research Ø Stakeholder interviews Stakeholders: anyone with authority or responsibility for product being designed • • Preliminary product vision – harmonizing the views Budget and schedule Technical constraints Goals from the business point of view

Understanding Users Types of Qualitative Research Ø Subject matter expert (SME) interviews SMEs: users of the product or its predecessors, may be trainers, managers, consultants • • Often expert users (not geared towards intermediates) Knowledgeable but not designers (suggestions, problems) Necessary in complex or specialized domains Continued access throughout the design process

Understanding Users Types of Qualitative Research Ø User and customer interviews Customers: people who decide to purchase the product (not always the user) • • • goals in product purchase frustrations with current solutions decision process for purchase role in installation, maintenance and management domain related issues and vocabulary

Understanding Users Types of Qualitative Research Ø User observation/ethnographic field studies Interviews and observation • Contextual interviews • Short interview process • Same designer/interviewer Identifying candidates Developing questions • Goal / system / workflow / attitude oriented • Avoid leading questions

Understanding Users Types of Qualitative Research ØLiterature Review Marketing plans, market research, white papers, etc. ØProduct/prototype and competitive audits Heuristic or expert review

Chapter 5: Modeling Users

Modeling Users Personas – descriptive models of users based upon research Designing software which is broad in its functionality to accommodate the most people is a mistake. Better to design for specific types of individuals with specific needs Personas help: • • • determine what a product should do aid in communication with stakeholders, developers and designers build consensus and commitment to design helps measure the effectiveness of design choices contribute to marketing and sales plans

Modeling Users Personas can resolve design issues such as: The elastic user – development team may change their ideas about the “typical user” at various stages during product development Self-referential design – designers or developers projection of their own goals Edge cases – uncommon tasks