User Research and Requirements Analysis

Identify relevant use cases, user requirements and expectations to set the focus of your development process.

The premise of designing usable user interfaces is to understand the needs of the users, to identify the user requirements and relevant use cases. Based methods of user research such as surveys, interviews or workspace observations, I support your team to set the main focus for the further development process.

When to consult me: You are planning to design or redesign an interactive product.
Next steps: Information Architecture, User-Centered Design Coaching, UI Patterns and Guidelines.

Information Architecture

Identify relevant information and structure in accordance with the users’ expectations.

The conception and definition of a system’s information infrastructure and the available actions is complemented by empirical methods. By applying card sorting or use case driven search tasks, I assure that the system’s structure fits the users’ way of thinking.

When to consult me: Your product comprises a huge amount of information, actions or features.
Next steps: User-Centered Design Coaching.

Prototyping

Uncover potential usage problems in the early development stage and correct them efficiently.

The deployment of prototypes – from paper along flash prototypes to the running system – allows an evaluation of preliminary design solutions at each stage of the development process. By creating and evaluating prototypes, I help your team to identify potential usage problems when changes can still be applied at a low price.

When to consult me: Prototyping is most effective when applied in the design and early development phase.
Next steps: User-Centered Design Coaching.

UI Patterns and Guidelines

Establish guidelines that promote consistency and facilitate design decisions during everyday work.

Especially in huge software projects, guidelines on how to make use of UI elements and interaction objects help to avoid redundant implementation efforts and to gather a consistent use experience. I support your team by providing the proper mix between user interface guidelines and interaction patterns which will facilitate future design decisions.

When to consult me: Your product is developed by a medium-sized or huge development team.
Next steps: User-Centred Design Coaching, Reviews and Testing.

Reviews and Testing

Evaluate the usability of your design drafts, prototype or running system.

Expert reviews and user testing are both methods to examine the usability of your current design. An expert review is in-depth examination of your system. Along the user requirements, I evaluate to what extend your system accommodates the basic use cases and general usability heuristics. Expert evaluations can be performed based on concepts, mockups, prototypes or the running system and can therefore be applied at all stages of the development process.
In a usability test, end users complete a set of realistic tasks with your prototypes or the final software. The results give insights into the way users approach a task, and complement expert reviews in a optimal way.

When to consult me: You want to evaluate the usability of your product.
Next steps: User-Centred Design Coaching.

Training

Train your team to keep users in mind.

In Workshops, I introduce your team to the principles of user-centred design. Opportunities and benefits of integrating usability with the development process are discussed and probed.

When to consult me: You want your team members to be aware of usability pitfalls and apply user-centered design methods.