Thursday: 01/12/2011

Today in class we began with looking at the same website we closed last week's class with, http://www.baddesigns.com. Again, I make the same points about the website. The website is out dated and old fashioned. The "bad designs" that feature on this website are just ridiculous. People are uploading their experiences with bad designs and  ideas on bad designs when most of the designs are self explanatory. This website is a disappointment aspect to a critic of design. The designs included are everyday items that marketing shows how to use and advertisements.

After we finished looking at these products we looked at "User Centred Design". Another element of the Multimedia module. We took notes on this that and definitions.

User Centred Design
This is the process of designing a product where the intended users are involved throughout the design life-cycle.
There are many models for a systems life-cycle:

1. Requirements & function analysis
2. Preliminary Design
3. Specification
4. Design
5. Testing & Evaluation
6. Production
7. Maintenance

UCD focuses on:
- usability goals
- user characteristics
- environment
- tasks
- workflow

Usability Goals:
- effective to use
- efficient to use
- safe to use
- have good utility
- easy to learn
- easy to remember how to use

User Characteristics:
- gender
- age
- disabilities
- left / right handed
- height

Environment:

• Where will the product be used?

- indoors / outdoors
- personal use
- office


Tasks:
- Tasks they perform and tasks they would like to perform

Workflow:
The stages involved in order to complete a task / process.

Example: User encounters problem with software on their computer.


Customer buying their shopping on http://www.tesco.ie/.
1. Go to http://www.tesco.ie/
2. Sign in
3. Choose slot
4. Choose items
5. Confirm & pay
6. Log off
7. Tesco process order
8. Sent to house
9. Sign & check
10. Happy customer

Should provide answers:
- What is important to users.
- The tasks users do, the order they do them & the frequency.
- Users work environment
- Problems and constraints that affect the user
- Users expectations
- Output required
- How can the design facilitate users to achieve goals

Benefits of using UCD:
- Easy to use products
- Satisfied customers
- Decrease expenses
- Increase market share

Who are the users?


STAKEHOLDERS
- Stake holder scan be considered as, any persons or organisation who are directly or indirectly involved with products.
We took an example for the stake holders for Dunboyne College:

Dunboyne College of Further Education
- Tutors, help-desk, Co. Meath VEC, Co. Council, printers, parents, career guidance, FETAC, dean of studies, office supplies, director, councillors, students.

User centred design is a methodology.
The ultimate goal of a UCD process is to optimise a users experience of a system or a product.

We were then given a task to identify the stakeholders in 3 different companies; Cadbury's, Evening Herald Newspaper & Dunboyne Community Gym. This is what I have come up with:

Cadbury's Dairy Milk:
- Cocoa farmers, delivery drivers, chocolatiers, bakers, reps, factory workers, customers, shops / supermarkets, packaging people, cows, dairy farmers, advertisement company.

Evening Herald Newspaper:
- Paper boys, advertisement section, journalists, readers / customers, sale assistants, research team, accountants, printers, editors, delivery drivers, reps.

Dunboyne Community Gymnasium:
- Instructors, help-desk, customers / gym goers, dietitians, maintenance workers, equipment suppliers, mechanics, electricians, cleaners, swimming pool carers, advertisement team.

The concept of User Centred Design is in order from 1-4;
1. Research - 2. Concept - 3. Design - 4. Evaluate.

1. Research: