User-Centered Design Services for MSU Web Teams Sarah J. Swierenga, Director Usability & Accessibility Center MSU Webmasters 402 Computer Center February 15, 2005
User-Centered Design Process User requirements analysis Conceptual design, prototypes, and evaluation Design and implementation Usability evaluation Launch and maintenance
User Requirements Analysis Work with product team to decide on goals for the website from the perspective of the user and the business. Determine the user needs and target usability requirements. Conduct expert evaluation (heuristic evaluation) of existing product user interface. Perform a competitive analysis. Perform user interviews and surveys.
Conceptual Design, Prototypes, and Evaluation Sketch out a high-level site design and information architecture Rapidly create visual representations (mockups) or interactive representations (prototypes) of the site. Evaluate usability through focus groups, user tests, and walkthroughs. Use the evaluation results to create more mockups or improve the prototypes. Repeat this process (design iteration) until the design and usability goals are met
Design and Implementation Revise user interface information architecture based on concept evaluation. Create the user interface using standards-compliant code. Remember to code for accessibility.
Usability & Accessibility Evaluation Conduct the usability evaluation on the final design. Conduct an accessibility compliance evaluation based on Section 508 standards and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Use the evaluation results to improve the product. Repeat this process (production iteration) until the business goals are met.
Launch and Maintenance Document everything! Continue to collect feedback from users/customers to improve the product in future releases.
UAC Services - Summary User Interface Expert Evaluation (Heuristic Review) Front-end Concept Evaluation –User requirements analysis –Information architecture –Concept prototypes –Concept user evaluation Design and Implementation Consulting –Best practices in design and accessibility principles Accessibility Evaluation Usability Testing