week 3 Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is User-Centered Design (UCD)?
UCD is a design framework that prioritizes the demands, preferences, and constraints of end users throughout the design and development process. Its goal is to create interfaces that are efficient, user-friendly, and enjoyable.
Why is UCD important in product design?
UCD ensures products are easier to use, more accessible, and commercially successful. It enhances user happiness, reduces errors, and minimizes frustration.
What are the core principles of UCD?
Empathy: Understanding users’ identities, goals, and challenges.
Iteration: An ongoing process of prototyping, testing, and improving.
Feedback-Driven: Relying on continuous user feedback to refine the design.
Why is iteration crucial in UCD?
Iteration allows designers to test and improve prototypes based on user feedback, ensuring the product aligns closely with user needs and expectations.
What is a user persona, and why is it significant?
A user persona is a fictional character representing a segment of users. It helps designers focus on user needs and guides design decisions by keeping the target audience in mind.
What does a user scenario describe?
A user scenario is a narrative about how a user persona interacts with a product in a real-world setting, highlighting their journey and any challenges faced.
How do personas and scenarios complement each other?
Personas provide the “who,” giving a clear picture of the user, while scenarios provide the “how” and “why,” demonstrating the context and manner in which the user engages with the product.
Can you give an example of a user persona and scenario?
Persona: “Busy Betty,” a 35-year-old marketing manager who needs an app that simplifies tasks quickly but gets frustrated by unnecessary clicks.
Scenario: Betty tries to add a reminder in an app but struggles to find the right button, leading to distraction and inefficiency.
Why do some apps feel intuitive while others are frustrating?
Answer: Apps that feel intuitive often apply UCD principles effectively, ensuring they meet user needs and minimize obstacles, while frustrating apps likely neglect user needs and fail to provide seamless experiences.
What steps would you take to design a product using UCD principles?
Research user needs and challenges.
Develop personas to represent target users.
Create scenarios to visualize user interactions.
Prototype, test, and iterate based on feedback.
Continuously refine the design to enhance usability and user satisfaction.
How would you evaluate whether a product follows UCD principles?
Check for user involvement in the design process, assess whether the product aligns with user needs and expectations, and ensure feedback has been incorporated throughout the development.
How would you create a persona for a student using an e-learning platform?
Answer:
Name: “Studious Sam”
Age: 20
Occupation: University Student
Needs: A platform that offers quick access to course materials and tracks progress.
Frustrations: Hates platforms that are slow or require too many steps to access assignments.
Develop a scenario for “Studious Sam.”
Sam logs into the e-learning platform to check his assignment deadline. He struggles to locate the assignment section due to poor navigation design, resulting in wasted time and stress before submission.
