Identifying requirements Flashcards
what is context
it is the place or setting where it is used, and when and who the product is used by
what is important to understand about the context
the knowledge, experience and any mental/physical consideration
key environment and surroundings
outdoors = suitable for extreme weathers
public = easy to use and durable
children’s play = safe and non-toxic
basic human needs
- food, shelter, clothing, safety
- education and healthcare
what is a demand
when a user desires a product they can afford
what is a want
they are largely dependent on needs, makes things easier and more comfy
different users
- primary user
- stakeholder (a company will have an interest in the equipment they provide to ensure everything works efficiently)
- wider stakeholders -> HSE (health and safety executive), CEO, Doctors
task analysis
where, who, why, what, when, how?
secondary research
other peoples observations (findings, surveys, standards and data (online or authorities with an interest in the subject area e.g. libraries))
qualitative research
no numerical value - colour, feel, large
quantitative research
measurable results - weight, temperature
user-centred design (UCD)
when the designer talk directly to the user, the cycle repeats until the projects usability objectives have been achieved:
- requirements gathering
- requirements specification
- design - prototypes
- evaluation - assess
> underlying principle: should match users behaviour, attitudes and preference
SWOT analysis
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
- used to maximise your resources and be aware of possible pitfalls and problems
focus groups
invited groups of intended/actual users who share their thoughts on a subject
New product development market research can include:
- feasibility analysis
- investigation leading to idea/concept generation
- user trialling
- launch
what is market research and what is it used to identify
it is the process of systematically gathering data on people/goods to determine whether a new or updated product will satisfy consumers/stakeholders needs
- particular markets/trends/prices
- needs of consumers and stakeholders
- what competitors are doing
- customer satisfaction relating to products and services
- naming and branding
entrepreneur meaning
designing, launching and running a business, commercial partners are important
what is a venture capitalist
someone who invests money into small companies that are trying to expand e.g. dragons den
- become a large stakeholder
- high risk but high return investment
- there is both long and short term venture funding
what is crowd funding
a way of raising finance by asking a large number of people for a small amount of money, using the internet to
talk to thousands – if not millions – of potential funders.
usability meaning
the extent to which a product can be used by specific users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use
inclusive design meaning
designing for all no matter height, weight or disability
ergonomics definition
the “fit” between people and the things they do and is the study of how we interact with products/env.
- removes the stresses on people
- allowing them to do things quicker and easier
- leads to good usability
anthropometrics definition
are peoples measurements
- design for the extreme/adjustability/average
- use percentiles -> include 5th/50th/95th percentile
aesthetic meaning
are involved with our senses/emotional responses to objects and things
intuitive meaning
the design works the way the user would expect it to
affordance meaning
refers to the aesthetics, features or characteristics of an object that ‘suggest’ how it functions or how the user should interact with it or operate it
a good design is…
- innovative
- aesthetic
- unobtrusive
- honest
- long lasting
- thorough down to the last detail
- environmentally friendly
dynamic dimensions
finding the limit to the reach of body movement
anthropometry data
associated with the human body e.g. shoe size
ergonomics can…
- find fonts easy to read for displays
- find what colours are better for clarity
- find the best posture for lifting things
principles for display
- visible
- easy to understand
- compatible
user interface
- no more than 4 different font sizes
- use colour appropriately e.g. green for go
- high-contrast colour combinations
software user interface
- touch screen instead of buttons
- voice recognition/speech terminology
- reading distance for displays is usually 300-750mm
- preferred angle of view for displays should be 90 degrees
designing a user interface
- aesthetic and minimalistic design
- error messages should be in simple language
- help buttons
what is a market pull
where consumers demand for a particular type of product
what is a technology push
where new materials and/or technologies lead to innovative products being released onto the market
soft launch pros and cons
pros
- not all elements need to be in place e.g. customer reference
- ability to scale step by step
- less resources needed
cons
- lower quantity results
- less reach and “noise-making” in the market
hard launch pros and cons
pros
- landing with a bang makes statement to market
- ability to reach broad set of stakeholders at the same time
cons
- more resources needed
- less flexibility to adjust messaging
- more elements need to be in place e.g. customer reference
primary research
- collected first hand e.g. interviews
- conducted by specialist market research firm
- precise data
- expensive
secondary research
- uses widely available data from reference books/census
- provides info such as popular trends and regional shifts
- can become quickly out of date or incorrect
fashion and trend forecasting basic steps
1) understanding the vision of the business and profile of target customers
2) collecting info about available merchandise
3) preparing info
4) determining trends
5) choosing merchandise appropriate for the company and target customer
comercial partnerships
are important to share ideas and expertise to
grow and gain access to new technologies and markets.
3 different types of crowd funding
- Donations are made by people who invest simply because they believe in the cause. They do not
expect payback but might be acknowledged on an album cover, receive tickets to an event or get
free gifts and updates. - Debt funding means investors receive their money back with interest, but also know they
contributed to the cause or product’s success. - Equity funding means investors invest in an opportunity in exchange for equity, shares or a small
stake in the business, project or venue.
explain how the development of the touchscreen has improved the inclusivity of mobile phone design
- button size is less restricted as they are virtual and displayed only when needed
- positive audio feedback is given to indicate when buttons are pressed
- standardised colours are used to depict call and answer buttons
- standardised symbols are used on icons to break language barriers
- text sizes are adjustable
- a backlit screen lights up when in use
Describe methods which could be used to investigate stakeholder requirements for the design of a new microwave oven.
- SWOT analysis identifying the strengths and
weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated
with a microwave oven. - Focus groups assemble a group of people to
discuss the possible improvements to existing
microwave ovens. - Market research gathering information about
consumer needs or preferences using a survey. - Analysis of existing products, using/testing
existing microwaves to identify areas of improvement. - Mock-ups/control layouts creating low quality
mock up models (prototypes) to engage users in user centred discussion about microwave use.
Discuss possible reasons for the growing demand of automatic sensor sink taps in public
toilets.
- Public toilet users wanting a more hygienic tap experience than mechanical taps which require touching them to operate.
- Public toilet owners wanting to reduce water and energy consumption from taps being left on by users.
- Public toilet owners wanting to improve the perception of their public toilets.
- Public toilet owners wanting to create more inclusive service for a wide range of public users including those with disability, old or young age, etc.
- Public toilet owners wanting to control the temperature of water from the taps to ensure the safety of the public.
- Public toilet owners wanting to reduce the maintenance/cleaning of taps and sink areas due to reduced interaction.
- Public toilet owners wanting to reduce wear and tear of their taps which could result in corrosion, damage or replacement.
Describe strategies that a designer could take to ensure a games controller is balanced in its appeal to both men and women.
- Aesthetic neutrality, in which the shapes, sizes, colours used do not bias towards either gender, e.g. could refer to shape of hand-holds not being ‘male’ or colour of casing not being ‘female’
- Ergonomic neutrality, in which the dimensions, layout of controls, etc. do not favour either gender, e.g. large forces needed to operate controls, inability to press buttons with long fingernails
