Before designing an interface, it is imperative to determine the needs of the
To establish user needs, the interface designer must determine the actual and potential users. For this purpose, a designer must create user profiles. User profiles describe the users and their characteristics in terms of interface design. This information is then used to establish user requirements around which the interface design will be shaped.
The following sequence of steps is followed to create user profiles and determine user needs:
User categories divide the identified users into groups according to their types. For example, a learning management system will have faculty members and students as the user categories.
In this step, the designer decides the characteristics relevant to the interface design. These are categorized as the following:
Psychological characteristics, for example, attitude and motivation.
Knowledge and experience, for example, typing skills.
Job and task characteristics include frequency of use and task structure.
Physical characteristics, for example, color blindness.
Questionnaires and interviews are the most common methods used for eliciting user needs. Questions in any chosen methods are tailored according to the user characteristics previously identified. Questions related to identifying user categories are also included, such as asking users of a learning management system if they are students or faculty members.
The user sample is recruited and approached. Appropriate sample size is necessary to achieve unbiased results.
The questionnaire or interview is conducted accordingly. It is essential to provide a brief introduction or cover letter to let the users know what they have signed up for and how long it will take.
The data gathered through the research is documented as a percentage of responses for each question. This step is vital to analyze the data quantitatively with a glance. An example of data entry may look like the following:
Q1. Are you color-blind? | ||
Respondents | Yes | No |
1 | 1 | |
2 | 1 | |
3 | 1 | |
Sum | 1 | 2 |
Percentage | 33 | 67 |
The data summary groups the information according to the responses of each category. This step will help the designer determine requirements category-wise and prioritize them. A sample data summary might look like the following:
User category: Student | ||
Q1. Color-blind | No. of respondents | Percentage |
Yes | 5 | 62.5 |
No | 3 | 37.5 |
The data summary is used to elicit the requirements according to user categories. A table like the one below can help prioritize which needs are more important for each category. Here, a cross indicates the importance of the requirement, with more crosses meaning a more critical requirement.
Ease of use | Ease of learning | Use of icons | Color vision deficit | |
Student | X | XX | XX | |
Faculty member | X | XX | X |
Clients are usually more readily available to let the designer know their needs. However, most of the time, clients are themselves not so sure about what they need. Sometimes the requirements they communicate are too broad or narrow. Such situations are avoided by using an elicitation method to draw out the client's needs. The following are examples of elicitation techniques:
Interviews are the most straightforward way to obtain information from clients. Questions regarding the interface design can be asked directly and discussed. The interviewer can draw relevant conclusions regarding the requirements according to the responses.
Focus groups refer to guided discussions regarding the interface design with the stakeholders. This method is proper when there are several stakeholders whose opinions matter. Sometimes, the clients may have differing views about particular needs in focus groups. In such cases, repertory grids like the one below can be used to prioritize the client and their requirements. Here, a scale between 1 to 5 is used to prioritize the needs, with one being the lowest and five the highest.
Stakeholder 1 | Stakeholder 2 | Stakeholder 3 | |
Ease of use | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Security | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Reliability | 5 | 2 | 3 |
In brainstorming, the designers and clients sit together and discuss multiple ideas for the interface. The best idea can then be approved and chosen. This technique is used when the clients are unaware of what they want and want to come up with new solutions.
A prototype is a working model which represents the final proposed solution. When needs are unclear, the designer can model a clickable prototype and show it to the client. The client can then approve or disapprove the prototype according to whether it matches their needs and preferences.
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