UCD design PROCESS: AN effective and flexible design process

Article Description: do not pursue the so-called complete UCD design process.

It used to be asked a similar question: "Is there any SOP for UX design?" We want to import a complete design process like ideo. Every time I hear such a big question, I am not too embarrassed to splash the other side of cold water, after all, will raise such a problem, must be for the use of experience has a certain pursuit and vision. However, the real situation is that most companies do not need a "complete" design process; instead, what you really need is an "effective and resilient" design process.

In other words, the world is not without a complete set of detailed planning UCD (USER-CENTERED DESIGN) process, in fact, many are, and write a complete. The typical UCD process in the figure UPA below is a good example of a reference. I remember the first time I saw this design flowchart, I was surprised to send a sighs, and then thought: How can I go from beginning to end, all ran once ah? Yes, every case can run like this to have a ghost. When each company's UX team is pursuing more time, more resources and convincing the company bosses to import the complete design process, basically my experience is that it's hard to run through the so-called complete design process, and even if you run out of it, the design project usually ends in failure.

Failed? Are you sure? UCD design process seems to be very reasonable and rigorous ah, how could it not succeed?

UPA typical UCD Process, you can really run out of ghosts

The earth is round, and it keeps turning fast.

UCD process is not wrong, every design project, basically must start from understanding users, through user profile and scenario analysis, to find potential problems and opportunities, and then gradually develop concepts, validation, and to the detailed design. This basic plateau is as natural as people need to eat and drink, and no more explanations are needed.

It's just that there's not much time in the industry can wait for the complicated and accurate research report, the world also does not have so clever competitor with the consumer, will move also to wait where, lets you the market study thoroughly, then spends another 6-12 months time to the product design verification in place.

For example, I've had several innovative product development, the research team spent 2-3 months to do meticulous user interviews, contextual analysis, and finally produced a number of resounding user research reports, not only a few specific user needs, but also provides several possible design context. In that moment, the value of the research report is very high. But over time, a few weeks later, competitors ' new products have met several of the design needs; two months later, the emergence of new technologies has eliminated a few problems; six months later, consumers ' enthusiasm for the subject began to cool. At this point, although these innovative products have invested a lot of resources to design research and development, towards mass production, but the value has been greatly reduced.

So the UX team gets bogged down in an infinite loop, repeatedly struggling to find demand, watching competitors keep up, and then leaving the "we knew it six months ago" regret.

Take out pencils and white paper to simplify communication and speed up

Be too slow, spend too much time, almost every organized, have process, heavy quality design team, will be surrounded by other departments 勦 complaints of common problems. It's not to be denied that every team I've ever had, under different corporate cultures, was all over it, haha. Think back, UCD design speed can be a little faster? My own test results, very simple, as long as the computer turned off, the pencil and white paper out, you will see the effect.

Pencil and white paper, is the most provincial brain, but also the most effective design tool

First of all, UCD to understand the user, clarify the problem and demand. Since the user is not in the computer, the computer turned off, go directly to the target group of the field, began to do stealth for a long time to observe, if necessary, do a sample interview immediately. and Daily Review, revise the direction and structure of the interview, until the skeleton can be found. This flexible approach, there is no way to achieve impeccable credibility, but in a relatively short period of time, to find a few large design context, that is enough.

Again, the pencil and white Paper will help the designer focus on solving the "consumer problem" rather than solving the "operational problems" of the drawing tools. Do not underestimate pencil and paper, good conceptual design, with a pencil can outline the main structure and outline, so as to do rapid divergence and inspection. If an interface design with a pencil painting, with the mouth to communicate, in 1 minutes there is no way to feel the value, then probably can be placed next to, quickly think of new. As for the graphics software, in the conceptual phase can not use it. It takes a lot of time and brainpower to draw a line and fill a color with this complex and demanding tool. The resource of the mind is very precious, it is good to use simple and labor-saving tools. Again, we're dealing with the "subject of the user," rather than the "operational issues" of the drawing tools.

Then there is the simplification of communication. The cost of communication is very high, especially in the company has MIS department, will regularly update the Exchange Server version of the large companies, communication costs is unimaginable high (shame). For example, I used to take an average of 120-150 letters a day, open 4-5 hours of meetings, and then make 5-10 calls. Do these communications promote our relationship with various departments and speed up the design and quality of the team? No, honestly not at all.

To simplify communication and speed up, the quickest way is to take Rd, PM together to observe the user, and then in a very short period of time, repeatedly "find the problem, solve the problem" process, until the product in place. This saves calls, letters, and fine PowerPoint, as well as a bunch of files that no one looks at. Eliminating forms, simplifying communication, and spending every effort to produce effectively, is the spirit of agile development, and marine the lean UX that has recently begun to rise.

However, can only be designed to speed up? Of course not. If your home PM, take this article to buckle your hat, ask them to look back and figure out how much of their work is purely a message, a collection of opinions, and a schedule of such administrative work. Please save them a little bit of effort on the meaningless things, spend more time with the research and development team to plan products and solve the user's problems. UCD is EVERYONE's AFFAIR, only everybody cares, all agree, only then may see the result.

Is it all right to do what it says?

Product development is so simple, huh.

The ideal UCD design process will be like the one mentioned by Bill Buxton in sketching User interfaces. From left to right is a gradually convergent forming process, over time, from the concept sketch, gradually shaped into the design of the plateau. There will be constant iteration, but the design direction will be gradually clear, the design department will devote less resources.

The ideal product Development Process

(Bill Buxton, sketching User interfaces)

But the actual situation is more like the figure below. Information Architecture (information architecture) with interface design In addition to investing a lot of effort in the first half, there are usually at least two highly hectic periods of time before the program develops the initial version and the product goes public. The resource inputs for this period are theoretically unnecessary, as the design architecture has been identified and the product development variables have been minimized. However, there are accidents, people have unforeseen. Product development will encounter a variety of conditions, such as the development of the Platform Update SDK, the boss asked to add new features, 0 component suppliers fell, anything is possible, unexpected situation is always more than you expected.

The Product Development Process that is actually encountered

So be sure to make your design process more "effective and resilient" and always keep an optimistic and humorous heart. Now turn off the computer, take out a pencil and white paper, and do the design in a different way. Maybe you'll be happier and more fulfilling.