OUGD601: Context of Practice 3 - Interactive Design (Pratt and Nunes)

Interactive Design An Introduction to the Theory and Application of User-Centered Design

Key quotes:

‘User centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy that puts the user of a product, application, or experience, at the center of the design process.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.12)

‘In UCD a designer strives for a detailed understanding of the needs, wants and limitations of the people who will use the end product and then makes the design choices that incorporate this understanding.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.12)

‘UCD requires that designers not only analyze and forsee how users engage with a product, but they also test their designs in the real world with actual users’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.12)

‘Testing is an essential component of UCD, because it is often very difficult for designers to intuitively understand how users will perceive, understand, and use their designs.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.12)

‘Many other factors must be taken into account when designing an experience. These factors can include the business goals of the client, the limitations of the technology used to realize the design, the timeline for delivery of the finished product, and the budget.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.15)

‘UCD is also used to design many other things – from architecture and silverware to cell phones and street signs.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.14)

‘We use data and information to help us navigate the world, to be entertained, and to help us make decisions. Electronic devices feed us that data.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.16)

‘Poor design can be frustrating, preventative, and in extreme cases, deadly.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.16)

‘Your users are continuously redesigning your user interface in real time. Users become your co-designers because you cant imagine all the ways someone will actually use what you create.’ (Dana Chisnell in Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.18/9)

‘People create a mental model about an object or experience in an attempt to predict how the object will behave.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.23)

‘Design has never been a solitary pursuit. Architects work with teams of engineers, drafters, and other specialists, as well as builders and contractors to realize their designs. Print designers collaborate with content specialists, illustrators, photographers, and printers to bring their designs to life. Interactive design is no different.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.24)

‘A UX Designer will work closely with the following: Technical architects who are charged with designing the systems and code that will realize the design, Visual designers who are tasked with incorporating the brand personality into the design, Content strategists who are responsible for the content that the application will convey to the customers, Project managers who are responsible for making sure the design project is completed on time and budget.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.24)

‘Each member of an interactive team brings a unique perspective to a project – perspectives informed by their expertise and experience.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.28)

‘In order to juggle the various complicated aspects of interactive design, it is essential to collaborate.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.28)

‘You can’t design something for everyone.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.40)

‘Metrics can tell you what users like and dislike, but they cant tell you what they dream about.’ (Scott Gurksy in Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.44/5)

‘The most successful products and projects meet the needs and wants of real people. Those who come from different backgrounds, have different experiences and levels of expertise, and like and want different things.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.52)

‘Personas often include a photo, a name, a quote from the persona, a list of descriptors, such as where the person works, their marital status, and their interests, a list of their goals and needs, and a paragraph or two that explains in detail who the persona is, what they want, and what their frustrations are.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.59)

‘By understanding your users, including their needs and stories, you can design something that will be useful and valuable.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.62)

‘Users can be motivated in multiple ways – through rewards, through a clear understanding of what an application offers them, and through delivering what they want in the fastest, best way possible.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.123)

‘We will expect more, want more, and need more from the experiences with which we interact.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.217)

‘Future interactive experiences will be successful only if they continue to meet our needs and wants, in simple, easy-to-learn, easy-to-use ways.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.217)

‘In other words, if we designers continue to put real people at the center of our design process, if we work to understand who they are and what they want, then design applications will meet those needs in useful and exciting ways.’ (Pratt, A and Nunes, J. 2012, P.217)