Syllabus – Weekly schedule

Project Sharing – Exercise 3 Team level discussion Teams share results of contextual inquiry Note: Jennifer & Anita circulate, distribute exercises, and answer questions Class-level discussion Debriefing, Teams share one challenge, one surprise, and one lesson that they think they would not have gotten with another technique

Discussion of Readings Focus What would we want to record and share about users? About tasks? About the environment and circumstances under which users do tasks? How will information on users, tasks, and the task environment be used in design? What properties do user and task characterizations need to have in order for them to serve as useful tools for the design team? What challenges and issues can arise in user and task characterization? Process Divide into two rooms Position Paper discussants –Jeff Wilson, Main room –Rochelle Parry, Main room –Ralph Brand, Main room –Judy Pet, Secondary room –Michael Braly, Secondary room Everyone else: Last digit of students ID number is –0 through 4, Main room –5 through 9, Secondary room

Project Exercise 4 User Analysis / Task Analysis Using the contextual inquiry data generated collectively by the team, generate either a) a synthesis of what you know about the systems users, or b) a characterization of the tasks users complete in your system including information on the context/circumstances in which the tasks are completed. Prepare a one-page description of these results and potential implications for redesign. Bring to class one copy of this exercise for each member of the team and one copy for the instructors. Due Tuesday, Feb 10 (Week 5)

Analyzing Users and Task Goal of analyzing… Analyzing users and tasks is like –Excavating –Peeling an onion –Unpacking –Surveying, getting the lay of the land How are techniques for analyzing (e.g., user lists, task flows) like –Tools? –Art? –Graded tests? –Scalpel? –Magnifying glass? Challenges?

Background for activity Our user/task analysis Based on prior experience with students, we expect students to facing the following challenges: Not knowing how to choose among ways to represent users and tasks Handling concerns about representativeness and rigor Being overwhelmed Not knowing where to go next Concern about the conceptual issue of how much you can really know your users (from the reading) How much detail to expose, to go into, Understanding the value of seeing differently vs. communicating … Our design principles The event should Provide example representations Address anticipated student concerns Reinforces the notion of the techniques/representations as tools Promote deep not shallow engagement Have closure And also help students Get more from readings Get to know each other Find inspiration

Overview You work for a company that designs and manufactures boutique phones. The design team has learned of a recent study concerning phone use (Lacohee and Anderson, 2001), and wants to introduce that information in their design process. Knowing of your knowledge of user-centered design process, they invite you to help them introduce the relevant information into their process. You immediately recognize that the research contains valuable information about who the users are, what the users do, and the context in which they do what they do. Based on your insight and what you know about the design team, you proceed to develop some information to share…

Your Job… Group 1: Choose and implement one of the following techniques for capturing information about who the users are: a) user list or b) user profile. Group 2: Invent a way to communicate information about what users do. Group 3: Invent a way to communicate important information about the context in which users do what they do.

Analyzing Users and Task - Comments Techniques/Representations –Are tools –That have an audience –Should be complementary –Are varied –Have names that may not be commonly shared

Looking back / Looking ahead Where we’ve been Topics – Rdgs and discussion –What is UCD? –Guidance from professional lit? –What to know about users? –Collecting information about users? –Doing contextual inquiry… Project –Comparative evaluation –Ideas from professional literature –Resulting in… –Insights about users, tasks, and contextual issues –Enlargement of the problem Where we’re going Project exercise 3: –Contextual inquiry results Readings: –More on users and tasks, characterizing and communicating Summaries: Let’s coordinate –Jean Crane, Jill Stutzman, Jeanie Comstock, Jana Jones, Christina Bottomley, Mike Tassielli Position Papers: A reminder –Jeff Wilson, Ralph Brand, Michael Braly, Judy Pet, Rochelle Parry