UCDUCDuser-centred design in Govt

- useful or a corset?

To be, or not to be

that is the question:

www.mentalfloss.com

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of denunciation,

Or to take arms against a sea of uncertainty,

And while engaging users, UX it.And while engaging users, UX it.

*Doff virtual hat to W Shakespeare*

Here we go ... SDLC in Govt

• Often uses the

waterfall method &

is typically broken

into stages

• Budget, time &

resources are resources are

limited ...

Deadlines often

dominate at the

expense of

effectively engaging

users!

Come in to the UCD parlour

Stephanie Lord

www.threnodyinvelvet.com

UCD is new for some

A relatively new concept for most Managers & many Business

Analysts.

An approach that puts the users at the centre of design &

development. Do this by talking directly to users and stakeholders

throughout an iterative development lifecyclethroughout an iterative development lifecycle

Managers often react negatively initially –

a significant amount of education

& communication is then needed

Denunciation ...publicly declare to be wrong or evil

www.flickr.com/photos/wowzzaa/369096850/

Denunciation: UCD never worked!?

Dogma-Methodology-Process

Vs Tricks-Techniques-Process

• It’s time [to] replace the UCD dogma

• Struggling teams: often tried following a methodology,• Struggling teams: often tried following a methodology,

without success

& had limited tricks and techniques

• The goal of user research: to inform design

http://www.slideshare.net/jmspool/journey-to-the-center-of-design/Jared Spool

Denunciation: Human-Centred

Design Considered Harmful

HCD asserts ... that technology adapts to the person

• People do adapt to technology.

It changes social and family structure. It changes our lives. It changes social and family structure. It changes our lives.

• Activity-Centred Design not only understands this,

but might very well exploit it

• To the HCD / UCD community, the tool should be invisible, it should not

get in the way. With Activity-Centred Design, the tool is the way

• Why is HCD / UCD harmful? Focus upon individual people (or groups)

might improve things for them at the cost of making it worse for others

Don Norman http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/human-centered.html

UCD - useful or a corset?

Process-driven &

document-heavy UCD

using only limited

techniques such as

formal usability formal usability

evaluations is a corset

but ...

... letting deadlines dominate at the

expense of effectively engaging

users & looking at the overall UX is

also a corset of another kind

UCD can be improved

... bear in mind that UCD is starting to

make a difference in many Australian

Government departments.

www.ourfixerupper.com/designer-ladder.htm

Usability & Accessibility is being

recognised as vital to successful

projects & is being included in project

methodologies :-D

Discussion ...

What are your thoughts?

• Is ACD primarily another name for good UCD (or

HCD) that addresses context of use & incorporates

UX principles & activities (not just individuals & UX principles & activities (not just individuals &

tasks)?

• HOWEVER, while UCD is making headway in Govt,

albeit slowly, Management demand deliverables /

artefacts & processes in order to fit them into the

SDLC / project methodology. How do we work

toward changing this?

Who am I?

I have a passion for User

Experience & am an

Interaction Designer /

Usability Analyst who lives

in Canberra

Wait! There’s more ...

Thank youhttp://dykesworld.de/Visions/Jaeda_DeWalt/Jaeda6.html

Wait! There’s more ...

Join us at the next IA Cocktail Hour

http://iacanberra.org/ if you’re

interested in UCD, UX or IA ☺☺☺☺