Unit 7.4 - Strategies for user-centred design (UCD)

Question 1

7.4 Observations

Answer 1

Watching and gathering information. Ads: It offers contextual data on settings, interactions, and unrecognized problems. Dis: Behaviours observed during direct observation may be unusual or atypical thus data is hard to interpret, noise interference, Performed on finished products.

Question 2

7.4 Interviews (Informal)

Answer 2

Spontaneous questions as they unfold. Ads: Allows the researcher to be responsive to individual differences. Dis: May generate less systematic data, which is difficult to quantify.

Question 3

7.4 Interviews (Semi-structured)

Answer 3

Preliminary questions sent to the interviewee, therefore, allowing for detailed thoughts to be collected. Ads: Systematically captures data across interviewees. Dis: Doesn’t offer as much flexibility.

Question 4

7.4 Interviews (Standardised)

Answer 4

Open-ended questions are carefully scripted. Ads: Enables comparability of qualitative interviews. Dis: Doesn’t offer as much flexibility to respond to topics that unfold during the interview.

Question 5

7.4 Focus Group

Answer 5

Commonly used in Market research as an evaluation tool that gathers information on the product.

Question 6

7.4 Questionnaires

Answer 6

A series of questions (Questions vary). Data gathered from the questions are used to inform design decisions.

Question 7

7.4 Affinity Diagram

Answer 7

A team exercise that helps organise ideas or concepts individually then as a team to generate relationships.

Question 8

7.4 Participatory Design

Answer 8

Designers gather information on how usable an application or product is by exposing the design to the user. Prototypes or finished products can be tested.

Question 9

7.4 Prototype

Answer 9

Scaled mock-up of the design with limited/no functionality.

Question 10

7.4 Usability Testing

Answer 10

Designers observe small groups on a task to look for actions. Concurrent Think Aloud CTA can be employed. This is coupled with a questionnaire or interview to gather further research after the event.

Question 11

7.4 Quantitative

Answer 11

Research that gives you a high amount of information that is general and easily analysed, however subject to validity bias.

Question 12

7.4 Qualitative

Answer 12

Research that gives highly personal responses but not easily data processed.