User Centered Design Consulting

Tasks set
User-Centred Design techniques (UCD) can be employed in developing a product whose structure is from the beginning orientated towards how its users work. UCD techniques present a path to examine user requirements, to depict them in a structured way, to analyse them, to reproduce them on storyboards of the product and to test them in the first paper prototypes. Advantages of UCD techniques:

Project teams feel confident of constructing a stabile system.
The project can be controlled based on empirical user data.
Discussions of the project team focus on the essential.

SirValUse assists the product team in acquiring UCD techniques and in applying them effectively. For this purpose we offer UCD workshops and our collaboration on the spot.

Method
UCD processes consist of several main stages. Depending on the complexity of the product and the time budget intermediate steps can be reinforced, shortened or skipped. One possible, simple process:
1. Collecting requirements

analysis of problems
user interviews
interpretation and integration of interview data

2. Redesign of work or rather activity

first product designs (product vision)
realising design on storyboards

3. User Experience Design

production and iterate testing of paper prototypes

Sample
The number of participants in collecting requirements and evaluating first design sketches comprises approximately 5 to 10 persons.

Timing
If UCD techniques are applied for the first time, the time frame should not be too tight to leave space for training modules and trial interviews. Initially about 6 to 10 weeks should be taken into account. This estimate decreases, however, if individual sections of the UCD process are left out.

Download fact sheet UCD Consulting

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