Easy User-Centered Design: From Idea to Implementation
Session 033
Michelle Bejian Lotia
Wednesday
4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Room: Rm404
Session Abstract
How can you start to involve users in the design of new tools in your CLE? The Grad Tools team did it by talking to our users. It sounds simple, and it is. Come hear how we did it and take away ideas for doing UCD on your next project.
Presentation Materials
- Session leaders are encouraged to post their presentation materials as Attachments to this Page. (See Attachments tab above.)
Additional Information
- Session leaders are also encouraged to appoint a note-taker and post the minutes of their session on a Page (see Add Page link near top-right.)
- Participants and Session Leaders are encouraged to post Comments (see Comment form below) or create additional Pages as needed to facilitate collaboration (see Add Page link near top-right.)
- Child Pages for this session (Added Pages will automatically appear in this list):
Session Notes (DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE IMPERFECT NOTES – ADD YOUR OWN OR EDIT!)
- Why does User Centered Design Matter?
- Groupware design is different
- UCD Grad Tools project as example
User's needs front and center – motivating the designer and making it easy to use.
Difference between needs for ATM versus flying a plane
Design with users not by users. It is a partnership.
UCD Matters:
Prevent Usability Problems – it's cheaper than fixing later
Cost less to support and train
Sell themselves
Improve teachin and learning 
Groupware – software people going to use in groups.
who does work. who benefits?
Social norms? Threatening? Change power structure?
Does it need critical mass to be useful?
How introduced? How to make sure it is accepted.
What do when outside forces impact user's perspectives?
Brainstorming
Talk to the user.
Good for gathering when don't have much time.
It is important for users to "feel" listened to?
Faculty enjoy process of participating, but time
Talk with others beyond faculty. Talked to participant in all parts of the workflow.
Knowing what questions to ask, what not to ask. Ask about activities, what works for you now, what are the challenges?
Findings – students drive their academic career
Process was only clear to staff
Use basic communication tools
What were the functions that ranked the highest
Adminstrative tools – Seeing student progress (Disertation Checklist)
Process –
Paper prototype. Focus on flow not design
Observation –
Hyperlinks in checklist act as aggegator of already available information was perceived as really successful.
What doing now with gradtools?
refactoring and iterating
Feedback from Sakai community –
- Make generalizable to any workflow
- Make it work with any institutional data
Student & Faculty feedback:
- Do for Master's as well?
- Reporting features
- Allow attachments to steps, not just links
- Call "Doctoral Checklist" instead
http://www.usability.gov
Session Questions & Answers:
Q: ANYTHING DISCOVER IN PROCESS THAT SURPRISED YOU?
A: YES, TECHNOLOGY READINESS ISSUE VERSUS LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. FOR EXAMPLE: SUBMISSION TOOL. STAKEHOLDERS LIKED THE IDEA AND WANTED TO DO. THE UCD PROCESS ALLOWED TO FOCUS ON MORE ADMINISTRATIVE NEED OF USERS.
Q: HOW LONG DID THE ENTIRE PROCESS TAKE?
A: Process from beginning to end (research - final screen design) took 4 months
Q: WAS THE FRAMING AS HELPFUL RESOURCE DONE BY GRAD. DIVISION, WHO SUPPORTS AND MARKETS?
Q: SELLING SAKAI FEATURES/MY WORKSPACE AS BENEFIT OF GRAD TOOLS – SEPARATE INSTANCE OF SAKAI?
A: One instance. Moving to Sakai meant being able to bring together project sites (worktools) and course sites (ctools). Having it in one was a positive.
Q: How get started at my school?
A: Write stories about what the process or what people want to do.
Q: How to implement UCD when users working a new way
A: Still need to understand their goals
Q: DOES UCD WORK FOR SAKAI COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES?
A: AS UM GRADTOOLS MOVING FORWARD THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT OTHER INSTITUTIONS NEED.
"UCD Success Stories" from participants?
