When employing user-centred design techniques you might be confronted by a number of challenges. Here, Alison Black provides some of the solutions
Whether it’s how to integrate user research with market research, or deciding which of your user groups to observe, there are several challenges associated with a user-centred approach to the design process.
User research may at first sight seem unnecessary where there is pre-existing market research showing people's expressed preferences and needs. Market research usually entails interviews with groups of representative people, so is often thought of as 'valid' because of the force of numbers behind it. In contrast, it is the detailed and often unexpected insights that come from contact with individual users that inspire design. It is likely to be more important for designers to observe a range of different users rather than large numbers of 'typical' users.
There will be overlap between the findings of market research and user observation. But once it is accepted that the goals of market research and user research are distinct it should be uncontroversial to make a case for targeted, observational research that is well integrated into the design process.
Many designers (particularly in software development) promote expert review of concept prototypes rather than testing them with end-users. While usability experts can pinpoint flaws in newly developed products and services their perspective is not that of end-users and important problems may be missed. Expert review is promoted as a cost-effective ('discount') evaluation technique.
However, failure to detect problems for users may result in more cost than the expense of user testing, albeit deferred beyond the development process. Expert review can be particularly inappropriate for web applications where the range of users and their interests and goals is diverse.
Nevertheless, if user testing is not possible for confidentiality reasons, expert review is a potential alternative. Where budget is constrained, a combination of expert review and testing a small, diverse set of users may reduce costs.
Since the object of design research is rarely to produce statistically valid data, the focus of recruitment for user research should be on gathering insights from a diverse group of potential users. It makes sense to map out the range of people likely to be using a new product or service and aim to get coverage across the range. 'Extreme users' can sometimes give valuable insights that can be helpful when designing for a wide range of users.
Recruitment is frequently a problem in user research but the quality of the research depends on targeting the right people. Despite setting detailed criteria for research recruiters you may find they deliver research participants who only partially meet your criteria.
Recruitment via personal connections may yield better results. Newspaper advertisements and notices to relevant organisations, clubs or special interest groups may help. Allow time for recruitment and be prepared for the expense of placing advertisements and paying recruitment fees.
The aim of observation is coverage of a wide range of users, rather than producing statistically valid data. You need to observe enough people in different contexts to feel confident that you have understood the scope of potential need. The point where you find you are getting repetition from observations is probably the point to stop.
In concept testing again, you need to ensure coverage of the significant potential users of products and services.
There has been debate about the number of people needed to test basic usability of products and services. Research in both traditional product development and in the development of software tools suggests that the majority of usability problems emerge after testing with five to seven people. However, complex products and services with diverse functionality will need more extensive evaluation programmes.
Maintaining the impact of research findings within the design programme
In large-scale or extended design projects the impact of user research may be lost because not all designers have had the opportunity to participate in the research or simply because time has intervened since the research was carried out.
Once research has been undertaken, effort is needed to analyse it and communicate it to the rest of the design team. Workshops involving the whole design team, to present the findings visually and to draw out the implications for the project, help keep focus on the research base.
Written research reports tend to be filed and ignored. Techniques to maintain the impact of research include:
- keeping research findings graphic and visual
- creating a project space in which the research and implications are displayed
- developing fictitious characters who have the characteristics of people who have been observed and using them as players in illustrated scenarios where future products and services are used.