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Free talk video (you just need to get the access code by email) is here: https://www.iscb.org/cms_addon/multimedia/flvmedia.php?i=1377 Presented at ISMB ECCB 2013 conference: http://www.iscb.org/ismbeccb2013 It is recognised that bioinformatics resources often suffer from usability problems: for example, they can be too complex for the infrequent user to navigate, and they can “lack sophistication” compared to other websites that people use in their daily lives. In this presentation, Dr. Jenny Cham, User-Experience Analyst at the European Bioinformatics Institute, UK, will describe specific case studies to show how user-centred design (UCD) principles can be applied to bioinformatics services. As well as improved usability, the benefits of UCD can include more effective decision-making for design ideas and technologies during development; enhanced team-working and communication; cost effectiveness; and ultimately a bioinformatics service that more closely meets the needs of its target research community.
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Designing with the user in mind: how UCD can work for bioinformatics
Jennifer A. Cham
User Experience Analyst
European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge
User-Centred Design = an approach that grounds the
design process in information about the people who will use
the product/service/tool
We need to !publish more! !
So we did…
2012
2013
My mission today…
Is it worth thinking about who you are designing for?
Fact: bioinformatics resources suffer from usability problems
Javahery et al. (2004) Beyond Power: making bioinformatics tools user-centered. Commun ACM 47:59-62 Bolchini et al. (2009) Better bioinformatics through usability analysis. Bioinformatics 25:406-412
Challenges: Constraints vs. pleasing the user
‘Dry’ and ‘wet’ scientists use the same software
Jakob Nielsen, Usability Engineering 1993
We don’t sell stuff…
Finding the people
Let’s have a go…
1. Characterise users & their requirements
2. Design suitable interactions
3. Test using prototypes using real life scenarios
Example: Enzyme Portal
Our UCD lifecycle – to design a ‘user-friendly’ portal
User profiles/ personae for empathy
≠
Fact: you are not the user
A persona can mitigate ‘self-as-user’ outlook
Empathising-Systemising Theory
Baron-Cohen, S. et al (2003) The systemizing quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism, and normal sex differences. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London 358: 361-74
Designed by Francis Rowland
Created using yWorks yEd Graph Editor
User stories mapped / modelled
Workshops to explore users’ needs & priorities
Where shall we go on
holiday this year…?
I wonder what I could make for
dinner tonight…
‘Gamestorming’ activities to capture ideas
Gray et al. (2010) Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers
‘Canvas sort’ activity
Output goes into the interface designs
Evaluating prototypes: see them in action
Usability testing on paper
(‘Paper
prototyping’)
Result: Visual Specifications
Created using Balsamiq Mockups (http://www.balsamiq.com/products/mockups)
So what did we learn?
• Specific things about representing enzyme data
e.g.
• Species-specific 3D model
• General things
e.g.
• Embedded not hyperlinked
Usability determines how bioinformatics is perceived !
!“there are scientists … who publish work but do not want to
go to the trouble of making the resources easy to use. Wouldn’t it seem that evidence of usability…should be
prerequisite to publishing a paper about such a resource?”
Our duty à return on public investment in research
Veretnik et al. (2008) Computational biology resources lack persistence and usability. PLoS CB 4:2-4
UCD wins…
Evidence from users
Communicate what users want
Decision-making easier
Developers get feedback
Team-work ethos
Culture Change: UX interest group – EBI interfaces community
http://ebiinterfaces.wordpress.com/
Acknowledgements
www.ebi.ac.uk/enzymeportal
Sketchnote of this talk
www.jennycham.co.uk
Sketched by Francis Rowland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97823772@N02/9367537145/
Questions?
