User-Centered Design

User-Centered Design is creating useful software or web applications for end-users based on their jobs, tasks and the conditions they use the application. User-centered design also helps identify obstacles end-users look to overcome thereby creating overall value in the software or web application upon final release.

How Is User-Centered Design Conducted?

A number of tools and methodologies from the field of workplace performance improvement help to gather information in creating an end-user profile centered on the jobs, expected outcomes and obstacles end-users wish to overcome with a proposed technology solution. The goal is to collect as much information as possible to make objective, informed decisions that play a role in the development of software or web application for business.

Data gathering tools include:

• Survey design / distribution / analysis
• Focus groups
• Job / task analysis
• On-site observation
• One-on-one interviews
• Process mapping

These techniques gather both qualitative and quantitative data from a potential end-user to enable a designer or developer to make objective, informed business decisions that play a role in the application's user interface design and model for human-computer interaction.

Features of User-Centered Design

• Uses research methodology from the field of workplace performance improvement to gather data, both qualitative and quantitative, around end-user traits and characteristics
• Enables transfer of discovered data to design specifications for development of a software or web application’s user interface and human-computer interaction model

Benefits of User-Centered Design

• Application based on end-user’s job / tasks / needs
• Identifies and quantifies expected end-user outcomes
• Identifies barriers / obstacles to application success
• Reveals opportunities for innovation
• Lowers application support costs
• Increases end-user acceptance and buy-in
• Increases profitability for the application developer

Contact us today to find out how PinPoint Performance Solutions can help you design and deliver a successful application based on user-centered design.