User-centered design (UCD) is an iterative design process that prioritizes the needs and

preferences of end-users throughout the development of a product or system. T

The goal of UCD is to create products that are not only functional and efficient but also
enjoyable and user-friendly.

This approach involves understanding the users, their behaviors, and their goals to inform the
design decisions.

User-centered design (UCD) is a collection of processes that focus on putting users at the center
of product design and development.

When a product team develops digital products, it takes into account the user’s requirements,
objectives, and feedback.

Satisfying user’s needs and wants becomes a priority, and every design decision is evaluated
in the context of whether it delivers value to the users.

User-centered design gives you a way of adding an emotional impact into your products.

Here are some key principles and phases associated with user-centered design:

1. User Research:
o Conducting research to understand the target audience, their needs, goals, and
pain points.
o Gathering information through methods such as surveys, interviews,
observations, and usability testing.
2. Requirements Gathering:
o Defining the requirements based on the insights gained from user research.
o Developing user personas, scenarios, and user stories to guide the design
process.
3. Prototyping:
o Creating low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes of the product or system.
o Testing prototypes with users to gather feedback and make improvements.
4. Usability Testing:
o Evaluating the usability of the product by observing users interacting with it.
o Identifying areas of improvement and refining the design based on user
feedback.
5. Iteration:
o Repeating the design process iteratively, incorporating feedback from users
and stakeholders.
o Making continuous improvements to enhance the user experience.
6. User Feedback and Involvement:
o Involving users throughout the design process to ensure their needs are
considered at every stage.
o Gathering feedback at various points to validate design decisions.
 7. Accessibility:
o Ensuring that the design is accessible to users with diverse abilities and
disabilities.
o Adhering to accessibility standards to make the product inclusive.
8. Consistency and Simplicity:
o Striving for consistency in design elements and interactions to create a
cohesive user experience.
o Keeping the interface simple and intuitive to reduce cognitive load for users.
9. Collaboration:
o Fostering collaboration between designers, developers, and other stakeholders
to align goals and priorities.
o Encouraging open communication and sharing insights from user research.

By following a user-centered design approach, designers can create products that better meet
the needs and expectations of their target audience, resulting in improved user satisfaction
and overall success of the product or system.

User-Centered Design and Design Process

Many product teams rely on the five-stage design process proposed by the Hasso-Plattner
Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school). That process includes the following stages:

• Empathize: research your users' needs.

• Define: state your users' needs and problems.
• Ideate: challenge assumptions and create ideas.
• Prototype: start to create solutions.
• Test: try your solutions out.

Models and approaches

User-Centered Design takes inspiration from the following models:

• Cooperative design: involving designers and users on an equal footing. This is the
Scandinavian tradition of design of IT artifacts and it has been evolving since 1970.
This is also called Co-design.
• Participatory design (PD), a North American term for the same concept, inspired by
Cooperative Design, focusing on the participation of users.
• Contextual design, "customer-centered design" in the actual context, including some
ideas from Participatory design. It involves observing and interviewing users in their
natural environment to gain insights into their behaviors, needs, and
challenges(personas)

Here are the principles that help in ensuring a design is user-centered:

1. Design is based upon an explicit understanding of users, tasks and environments.

2. Users are involved throughout design and development.
3. Design is driven and refined by user-centered evaluation.
4. Process is iterative.
 5. Design addresses the whole user experience.
6. Design team includes multidisciplinary skills and perspectives.

User-Centered Design Process

The goal of the User-Centered design is to make products which have very high usability. This
includes how convenient the product is, in terms of its usage, manageability, effectiveness, and
how well the product is mapped to the user requirements. Below are the general phases of User-
Centered Design process:[13][14]

1. Specify context of use: Identify who the primary users of the product are, why they
will use the product, what are their requirements and under what environment they will
use it.
2. Specify requirements: Once the context is specified, it is time to identify the granular
requirements of the product. This is an important phase which can further facilitate the
designers to create storyboards, and set important goals to make the product successful.
3. Create design solutions and development: Based on product goals and requirements,
start an iterative process of product design and development.
4. Evaluate product: Product designers do usability testing to get users' feedback for the
product at every stage of User-Centered Design.

Purpose

UCD asks questions about users and their tasks and goals, then uses the findings to make
decisions about development and design. UCD of a web site, for instance, seeks to answer the
following questions:

• Who are the users of the website?

• What are the users' tasks and goals?
• What are the users' experience levels with the website, and the similar websites?
• What functions do the users need from the website?
• What information might the users need, and in what form do they need it?
• How do users think the website should work?
• What are the extreme environments in which website can be accessed in?
• Is the user multitasking?
• Does the interface utilize different input modes, such as touch, speech, gestures or
orientation?

Elements of UCD

As an example of UCD viewpoints, the essential elements of UCD of a website usually are the
considerations of visibility, accessibility, legibility and language.

Visibility

Visibility helps the user construct a mental model of the document. Models help the user
predict the effect(s) of their actions while using the document. Important elements (such as
those that aid navigation) should be emphatic. Users should be able to tell from a glance
what they can and cannot do with the document.
Accessibility

Users should be able to find information quickly and easily throughout the document,
regardless of its length. Users should be offered various ways to find information (such as
navigational elements, search functions, table of contents, clearly labeled sections, page
numbers, color-coding, etc.). Navigational elements should be consistent with the genre of
the document. ‘Chunking' is a useful strategy that involves breaking information into small
pieces that can be organized into some type of meaningful order or hierarchy. The ability to
skim the document allows users to find their piece of information by scanning rather than
reading. Bold and italic words are often used to this end.

Legibility

Text should be easy to read: Through analysis of the rhetorical situation, the designer should
be able to determine a useful font-family and font style. Ornamental fonts, text in all capital
letters, large or small body text can be hard to read and should be avoided. Text-colouring
and bolding can be helpful when used in text-heavy scenarios. High figure-ground contrast
between text and background increases legibility. Dark text against a light background is
most legible.

Language

Depending on the rhetorical situation, certain types of languages are needed. Short sentences
are helpful, as are well-written texts used in explanations and similar bulk-text situations.
Unless the situation calls for it, jargon or heavily technical terms should not be used. Many
writers will choose to use the active voice, verbs (instead of noun strings or nominals), and a
simple sentence structure.

Analysis tools of UCD

Product teams use the following tools to learn about customers:

1. Surveys

A questionnaire or quantitative survey is a type of user research that asks users a pre-defined
set of questions and analyses their responses. Surveys are a good way of generating statistical
data.

Questionnaires are usually needed when a design team:

• Cannot physically interact with the targeted users of a product

• Requires a larger sample size than can be realistically achieved through direct
communication

Hence, surveys are usually conducted through post or electronic means. Since surveys allow
statistical analysis of results, they can increase a study’s credibility. Therefore, it is crucial to
ensure the questionnaire is well thought out and asks non-biased questions.

2. Focus Groups
A focus group involves a dedicated group of intended/actual users of a product who come
together to share their thoughts and ideas on a particular subject. Focus groups are suitable for
getting information about a domain (e.g. what people’s tasks involve).

Focus groups necessitate assigning an experienced moderator from the product domain. Since
the group has enthusiasts about the product, focus groups are invaluable in UCD.

EG. Objective: Improve the user experience of a mobile banking app.

Focus group : A diverse group of 8-10 individuals, including both experienced and novice
users of mobile banking apps, ranging in age and technological proficiency.

Participants share their experiences with on boarding onto mobile banking apps, like
Navigation, iconography, typography, colour theory, security issue , features they find
lacking or confusing, potential feature updates.

3. Usability Testing

Usability testing sessions evaluate a product by collecting data from people using it. For the
test, a user is asked to perform various tasks while a moderator observes them and notes their
experience.

Users can be asked to think out loud as they complete the tasks while describing what they’re
doing and why they’re doing it.

Users can also be timed to see how long they take to complete tasks, which helps measure
efficiency (however, the ‘think aloud’ protocol may slow users down significantly).

Usability tests require some type of design to be available to test, even if it’s only on paper.

Usability tests can be used as an input to design or at the end of a project. It helps identify the
most probable usability problems with a product.

4. Heuristic Evaluations

A group of usability experts evaluates the product against a list of established guidelines. For
instance, a common heuristic used in calculating the level of ‘user control’ in a product- users
appreciate having the chance to quit an application or flow at any stage. Another heuristic
would have relevant help and documentation for the product to enable users to use the product
without any errors.

5. Eye-tracking

Eye-tracking is a technology tool that measures eye movements and captures where a person
is looking on the screen and for how long their gaze is in a particular spot. Eye-tracking allows
teams to track usability patterns without disturbing natural user behavior. For example, teams
can identify how users scan pages, what patterns they follow, and which elements get the most
user attention.

Heatmaps can be designed to display where the most users focus. A heat map is created based
on fixations— spots where participants look for 100 to 500 ms. Teams can also devise ‘Gaze
point plots’. These allow the product teams to see what elements interest the users and the order
in which the user looks at them.

6. Usage analytics

Usage analytics include testing methods focused on navigation, which can be performed on a
functioning website, a prototype, or a wireframe. Teams can track Unique screen views, time
spent on each screen and event, understand which features are the most important to users, and
which features need to be optimized.

Fig:wireframe
There are a number of tools that are used in the analysis of User-Centered Design, mainly:
personas, scenarios, and essential use cases.

7. Persona

Creating personas
Personas are archetypes of real users. It is a representation of a particular group of
people with similar behavior, needs, goals, skills, attitudes, etc. Personas make it
possible to bring your users to life and help understand their problems better. This
understanding allows designers to make the right decisions about product features,
navigation, interactions, visual design, and much more.
To create a proper persona, you need to have a clear understanding of your target
audience—people who will use your product. It is critical because if you fail to
understand your target audience, chances are you will end up creating a wrong solution
for them.

Also read PPT

8. Scenario PPT & notes below

2 Participatory Design
Participatory design Participatory design is a philosophy that encompasses the whole design
cycle. It is design in the workplace, where the user is involved not only as an experimental
subject or as someone to be consulted when necessary but as a member of the design team.

Users are therefore active collaborators in the design process, rather than passive participants
whose involvement is entirely governed by the designer. T

he argument is that users are experts in the work context and a design can only be effective
within that context if these experts are allowed to contribute actively to the design process. In
addition, introduction of a new system is liable to change the work context and organizational
processes, and will only be accepted if these changes are acceptable to the user.

Participatory design therefore aims to refine system requirements iteratively through a design
process in which the user is actively involved. Participatory design has three specific
characteristics.

It aims to improve the work environment and task by the introduction of the design. This makes
design and evaluation context or work oriented rather than system oriented.

Secondly, it is characterized by collaboration: the user is included in the design team and can
contribute to every stage of the design. Finally, the approach is iterative: the design is subject
to evaluation and revision at each stage.

The participatory design process utilizes a range of methods to help convey information
between the user and designer. They include

Brainstorming This involves all targeted participants in the design pooling ideas. This is
informal and relatively unstructured although the process tends to involve ‘onthe-fly’
structuring of the ideas as they materialize. All information is recorded

without judgment. The session provides a range of ideas from which to work. These can be
filtered using other techniques.

Storyboarding Storyboards can be used as a means of describing the user’s day-to-day

activities as well as the potential designs and the impact they will have.
Workshops These can be used to fill in the missing knowledge of both user and designer and
provide a more focussed view of the design. They may involve mutual enquiry in which both
parties attempt to understand the context of the design from each other’s point of view.

The designer questions the user about the work environment in which the design is to be
used, and the user can query the designer on the technology and capabilities that may be
available.

This establishes common ground between the user and designer and sets the foundation for the
design that is to be produced. The use of role play can also allow both user and designer to step
briefly into one another’s shoes.

Pencil and paper exercises These allow designs to be talked through and evaluated with very
little commitment in terms of resources.

Users can ‘walk through’ typical tasks using paper mock-ups of the system design. This is
intended to show up discrepancies between the user’s requirements and the actual design as
proposed. Such exercises provide a simple and cheap technique for early assessment of models.
PICTIVE is one such approach to paper prototyping, which includes representative
stakeholders in a video recorded design session. Each participant prepares ‘homework’
focussing on the requirements of the system from their particular perspective, which is then
used to introduce and orientate the PICTIVE session. Materials such as sticky notes,
highlighters, plastic labels, paper and scissors are used on a shared design surface to produce a
low-tech prototype of the proposed system, which is finally tested by the group against the
tasks identified.

Fig: paper prototype

Doing Participatory Design

Having talked a great bit about participatory design, what does that workflow look like? An
extreme commitment to participatory design can be seen below where I’ve sketched out what
an example might look like where you commit from the front to back of a design process to
working with users rather than for users. Again, this is not practical or even advantageous in
every situation, but in the right circumstances it can be invaluable! (And, this is just one
suggested workflow—it by no means represents the entirety of participatory design).

Participatory Design Workflow

1. Build relationship with users—find out what they like and dislike about documents

2. Come up with parameters for the design process—what will be the scope and timeline?

3. Arrange to work with users to brainstorm ideas on the document’s purpose

4. Come to agreement internally and externally on purpose

5. Draft a skeletal outline of the document/system

6. Consult with users for feedback and comments

7. Revise the draft/skeleton

8. Consult with users for feedback and comments

9. Complete the document as envisioned

10. Test the document with users, soliciting feedback and suggestions

11. Revise the document as heavily as possible, potentially reverting to step 4

12. Test the document again

13. Revise the document as needed

14. Publish the document

15. Consult users regularly on the document’s impact and unforeseen issues

16. Revise periodically with user’s input and consultation

As I have mentioned, the above is a heavy investment into working with users. It isn’t always
the best choice, but it can literally give you information that can be found nowhere else and
can help you find solutions to problems that you aren’t even aware of that impact the way your
organization and those that use its documents operate.

When to use participatory design?

In an ideal world, I suppose you would use participatory design for every single major writing
project. After all, folks should have a say when things are going to impact how they work and
live. But, we don’t live in that ideal world and we often have to work in environments that
aren’t open to participatory design. So, when should you take the time to aim or participation?
The checklist below can help you think through this question:

Participatory Design Assessment

• Do my users operate with my document in ways that I don’t understand?

• Do I often see users using documents in ways different than intended?

• Are there problems between the way forms are filled out and how my organization uses them?

• Do I have a relationship with the users that I can leverage?

• Can I have users participate in an ethical and legal way?

Project: Inclusive Learning Management System (LMS)

Objective: Improve the accessibility and usability of an LMS for both teachers and students.

Process:

Engaging Stakeholders:

Gathered a diverse group of stakeholders, including teachers, students, accessibility experts,

and administrators, to participate in the design process.

Co-Creation Workshops:

Conducted co-creation workshops where participants collaborated on defining the key

challenges and opportunities related to the LMS.

User Personas:

Developed detailed user personas based on input from teachers and students, capturing their
needs, preferences, and pain points.

Wireframing Sessions:

Facilitated wireframing sessions where participants, including teachers and students, sketched
out their ideal interfaces and features for the LMS.

Prototyping Together:

Used prototyping tools to create interactive prototypes based on the collective input from the
workshops, allowing participants to experience and provide feedback on the proposed design.

Iterative Feedback Loop:

Continued an iterative feedback loop, where the design team regularly met with participants to
gather insights, refine prototypes, and address concerns.

Accessibility Testing:

Involved participants with diverse abilities in accessibility testing to ensure the platform's
inclusivity and compliance with accessibility standards.

Finalization of Features:

Collaboratively finalized the features and functionalities based on the consensus reached during
the participatory design process.

Pilot Testing:
Conducted pilot testing with a smaller group of teachers and students to validate the usability
of the platform in a real-world context.

Revision and Refinement:

Incorporated feedback from the pilot testing phase into the final design, making necessary
adjustments to enhance user satisfaction.

Full Implementation:

Launched the updated LMS with the participatively designed features and interfaces for all
users.

Example:
Design /write scenario for following
You are a project manager tasked with overseeing the development of a new e-learning platform for
a university. The goal is to enhance online learning experiences for both students and instructors. The
university has a diverse student population, including international students with varying
technological backgrounds. The platform should support various course formats, interactive content,
and assessments. The project has a tight timeline, and the budget is limited.
Answer

As the project manager spearheading the development of a new e-learning platform for a
university, the pivotal challenge is to create a technologically sophisticated yet user-friendly
system that accommodates the diverse student population. This includes international students
with varying levels of technological proficiency and language backgrounds. The overarching
goal is to enrich online learning experiences for both students and instructors, necessitating
support for multiple course formats, interactive content, and versatile assessment methods. The
project's success hinges on efficiently navigating a tight timeline and limited budget while
ensuring that the platform aligns seamlessly with the university's educational objectives.

Against this backdrop, the scenario unfolds with an instructor, Emma Walker, seeking to foster
a dynamic online learning environment. Emma's courses thrive on engagement, multilingual
discussions, multimedia presentations, and collaborative projects. The envisioned platform
must not only meet these specific pedagogical requirements but also overcome potential
challenges such as language barriers and diverse technological proficiencies. Balancing
technical robustness with a user-centric design becomes paramount as the project manager
endeavors to deliver an e-learning platform that not only caters to the university's diverse
academic community but also elevates the overall quality of online education.

Persona :

Persona: Jamal Patel

Background:

• Age: 28
• Nationality: Indian
• Technological Background: Limited experience with advanced e-learning platforms;
comfortable with basic software applications and online communication tools.
• Educational Background: Bachelor's degree in Economics; pursuing a Master's
degree in International Business.
• Work Experience: Part-time job in a local business; limited exposure to online
learning environments.

Goals and Motivations:

• Goal: Excel academically in the Master's program and gain practical insights for a
career in international business.
• Motivation: Recognizes the importance of technology in education but feels
apprehensive about navigating complex e-learning platforms.
Challenges:

• Challenge 1: Limited exposure to advanced e-learning platforms; seeks a user-

friendly platform with intuitive features.
• Challenge 2: Balancing academic commitments with part-time work; values a time-
efficient and accessible online learning experience.
• Challenge 3: English is not the first language; may require additional language
support and clear communication.

Usage Patterns:

• Device Preference: Primarily uses a smartphone for coursework; occasionally

accesses content via a shared family laptop.
• Study Environment: Often studies at home in a shared living space with family
members.
• Preferred Communication: Appreciates clear and concise communication; may
prefer asynchronous communication for flexibility.

Needs and Expectations from the E-learning Platform:

1. User-Friendly Interface: Requires an intuitive platform that is easy to navigate, with

clear instructions and minimal learning curve.
2. Multilingual Support: Values multilingual options to enhance understanding of
complex concepts and instructions.
3. Interactive Learning Features: Seeks interactive tools like quizzes and discussion
forums to make the learning experience engaging.
4. Accessible Resources: Requires access to a variety of learning resources, including
recorded lectures and e-books, in a format compatible with smartphones.
5. Time Management Support: Appreciates tools that aid in efficient time
management, such as personalized schedules and reminders for assignment deadlines.
6. Technical Support Resources: Expects readily available technical support resources
to address any platform-related issues.

persona for instagram user

Persona: Maya Rodriguez

Maya Rodriguez is a 26-year-old social media enthusiast and a dedicated Instagram user. As
a marketing professional working for a tech startup in San Francisco, Maya understands the
importance of online presence and personal branding. Her Instagram usage is a blend of
personal expression, professional networking, and staying connected with friends and
industry trends.

Background:

• Occupation: Marketing Specialist

• Interests: Photography, travel, technology, and fitness
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Tech Proficiency: Highly proficient; uses the latest gadgets and apps
Instagram Usage: Maya uses Instagram both for personal enjoyment and professional
networking. Her profile is a curated mix of aesthetically pleasing photos, showcasing her
travels, work achievements, and fitness journey. She actively engages with industry peers,
follows thought leaders, and participates in relevant hashtags to stay updated on the latest
marketing trends.

Goals and Motivations:

1. Professional Networking: Maya uses Instagram as a platform to connect with fellow

marketing professionals, industry influencers, and potential collaborators.
2. Personal Branding: She aims to establish a strong personal brand by showcasing her
expertise, experiences, and a well-rounded lifestyle.
3. Inspiration and Trends: Maya looks to Instagram for inspiration, staying informed
about the latest trends in marketing, technology, and fitness.

Challenges:

• Time Constraints: Balancing a busy work schedule sometimes limits the time Maya
can dedicate to Instagram.
• Content Quality: Maintaining a consistent level of high-quality content can be
challenging due to her varied interests.

Usage Patterns:

• Device Preference: Primarily uses a smartphone for Instagram, occasionally switches

to a tablet or laptop for more detailed interactions.
• Activity Times: Most active during evenings and weekends, with occasional updates
during work breaks.

Needs and Preferences:

1. User-Friendly Interface: Maya values a simple and intuitive interface for easy
navigation and efficient posting.
2. Algorithm Understanding: She seeks to understand and leverage the Instagram
algorithm to maximize the visibility of her content.
3. Privacy Controls: Maya prioritizes privacy and appreciates robust privacy settings to
control who sees her content.
4. Engagement Features: Enjoys features like Stories, IGTV, and Reels to keep her
content diverse and engaging.

Scenario: Maya finds herself at a marketing conference and wants to document the
experience on her Instagram. She uses the platform to share real-time updates, engage with
fellow attendees through relevant hashtags, and connect with speakers for potential
networking opportunities. Maya's goal is not just to share her experience but to leverage
Instagram as a professional tool for expanding her network within the marketing industry.

Understanding personas like Maya helps in tailoring Instagram features, updates, and user
experiences to meet the diverse needs of users who leverage the platform for both personal
and professional purposes.