Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
CENTRED
Find out what’s below the
surface of a cool design
PEOPLE WHO WILL USE THEM.— Design Council
Good design is more than meets the eye. practices that have the aim to provide a
The visual part of a design – the look good user experience. This includes web
and feel – is only the tip of the iceberg. design, interface design, product design,
Beneath the surface lies the foundation of editorial design, urban design, wayfinding,
DESIGN
a successful design: a user centred design service design and architecture.
process. It is a development cycle which
takes into consideration what users really There are a variety of tools, techniques
need and makes adjustments by exploring, and methods at each stage of the process
testing and tuning the design until these which are used to progress the design.
needs are satisfied. The result of this is a Some of them are explained here. The
high level of usability: the design is effective, product’s probability of success is greatly
efficient, engaging and easy to learn. increased by understanding and using
The process can be applied to all design these techniques.
COMPLETION
concrete
VISUAL DESIGN The visual treatment of graphic elements,
the look and feel of the product
typography, colour palette, alignment,
texture, tactile quality of materials
CH
PL
UN
AN
LA
N
IN
G
NT
quality, desirability etc). This technique can also be used with users contextual or individual interviews, observation, surveys, etc.
to get them to put their considerations in order of importance.
NC
E
PROJECT SPACE
EP
LE
ALUATION
A persona is an archetype comprised of habits and characteristics
V
T
organised spatially on walls provides a creative work environment typical user tasks are carried out. They help to anticipate and identify
where meetings can be held surrounded by stimuli. Constructing a the decisions a user will have to make at each step in their experience
The user centred design process
story about the project in the space providing roughs and unpolished and through each environment or system state they will encounter.
is an iterative cycle where every
design invites others to comment and contribute.
step is evaluated against the
initially identified requirements
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES of the users and iterated until PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE
these requirements are met. Managing the information complexity or cognitive load by displaying
It is important to consider good practice guidelines relevant to Evaluation methods include: only relevant information at any given time prevents information
the project in order to address broad user requirements and meet
overload. For example through effective signposting of destinations
accessibility standards. For example RNIB legibility guidelines, W3C PERSONAS & SCENARIOS
in a wayfinding system or using “read more” links on a website.
validation, ISO standards, British Standards or ergonomic principles. ROLE PLAY
USER TESTING
AESTHETICS
ACCESSIBILITY TESTING
FOCUS GROUP
USABILITY TESTING
Visual design impacts greatly on the usability of a product. Users OBSERVATION Evaluating a product by testing it with representative users helps
prefer a beautiful look & feel over an ugly or dull one. Aesthetic designs to identify usability problems by collecting quantitative data on
are perceived as easier to use, whether they are or not. Good designers the users’ performance (e.g. error rate) and establishing their
find a perfect combination of accessibility and aesthetics. satisfaction with the product.
low confidence
unfamiliar with language barrier
system, first English not first
time user language, low
literacy, dyslexia
INSTRUCT AND DIRECT INFORM AND GUIDE REVEAL
low perception of safety
fear of discrimination,
compromised data feedback
security, injury
time poor time rich
Sources: The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett (2000, www.jjg.net/elements), Design Council (www.designcouncil.org.uk), W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (www.w3.org/WAI), Designed by Pascal Raabe (www.paznow.com) This work is licensed under
the Creative Commons
Universal Principles of Design by Lidwell et al (2003), Common User Access: Guide to User Peter Morville (www.semanticstudios.com), Magnus Revang (userexperienceproject.blogspot.com), in accordance with the RNIB Clear Print
Attribution-Noncommercial-
Interface Design by IBM (1991), ISO 13407 Human-centred design processes for interactive Leisa Reichelt (www.disambiguity.com), Michael Cummings (uxdesign.com), See it Right 2006 legibility guidelines and with the help and © Pascal Raabe 2010, Share Alike 2.0 UK: England
systems (1999, www.iso.org), UsabilityNet (www.usabilitynet.org), www.usability.gov, legibility guidelines by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB, www.rnib.org.uk) friendly support of City ID (www.cityid.co.uk). some rights reserved. & Wales License.