Key+Principles+of+UCSD



=KEY PRINCIPLES FOR USER CENTRED SYSTEMS DESIGN:=

The process of user centred systems design is mainly focused on usability, both during the development process and through the systems life cycle. It is based on the following key principles:


 * 1) User focus**-It is essential for the designer to understand the goal intended of being achieved through the design, the context of its use and the needs and wants of the end users. Such a focus on users would help the designer creating and maintaining a design that would be best suitable to their needs.


 * 2) Active User Involvement:** Designers should ensure that users are directly involved in the development process and throughout the system life cycle. Such active involvement on behalf of the users would help designers incorporate all their needs wants and suggestions within the design.


 * 3) Holistic Design**- Taking in consideration that a system would not work in isolation from other parts of a work situation, the design of all other aspects that may influence the future use of the design should also be developed simultaneously. Such factors may include work practices, task organisation, user interface and interaction, online help, manuals, health and safety issues as well as the social and the physical environments within which the system is intended to work in.

nts, needs and wants of all, thus, the contents of a UCSD process, the order of activities must be customised and then implemented in each organisation.
 * 4) Processes Customization:** It is important to realise that there is no such design that would meet the requireme


 * 5) A User centred attitude** should always be established: A user centred attitude should be adopted by everyone involved in the design process as usability cannot be achieved otherwise.


 * 6) Evolutionary systems development:** It is very unlikely and almost impossible for a designed to come up with a perfect design in just one attempt. Thus,User Centred Systems Design requires for continuos iterations with users and incremental deliveries from the designers to take place. Iteration requires that a system be designed, measured, evaluated and redesigned to better meet the needs of its users. Whereas, incremental development process requires that the overall design of the system be analysed, priorities be set, and the system be divided in to parts each of which be iterated individually.


 * 7) Simple Design Representations:** It is essential for all parties involved in the User Centred Systems Design process to share an understanding of what is being built, for what purpose and for whom. Thus, the design must be represented in ways that can easily be understood by everyone and not just the designers themselves.For instance, sketches may be used to explain the functionality and purpose of a feature.


 * 8) Prototyping:**Prototypes should b used initially and continuously to visualise, evaluate design ideas and also to propose design solutions in co-operation with end users. It is important to start off with low fidelity materials such as sketches, illustrations and prototypes to demonstrate requirements, and propose ideas and solutions. The prototypes should be designed and evaluated in the context of real users ( contextual prototyping).


 * 9) Evaluate use in Context:** Usability goals should be specified and, documented and incorporated in the design process. The design when under construction and or completed should then be evaluated based on the usability goals criteria in co-operation with users in context. Designers should pay special attention to the reaction of end users to their proposed sketches, prototypes, their opinions, ideas and suggestions in order to evaluate and make any further modifications to the original design.


 * 10) Dedicated Activities in the development process:** User interface design is of great importance to the interaction design. The designed should focus on working on those features of the systems design that would facilitate its use by its intended users and increase their productivity.


 * 11) A Professional Attitude:** Various aspects and parts of the systems design and development process require miscellaneous set of skills and expertise A professional attitude is required from all the experts of different fields that may be performed in order to facilitate the co-operation within and therefore the efficiency of the team.


 * 12) Usability Champion**: A usability expert should be continuously involved with the designers throughout the development process of the User Centred Systems Design.

WORKSCITED:

 * Benyon, David. Turner, Phil. Turner, Susan. __Designing Interactive Systems.__Edinburgh: Pearson,2005.

>
 * Gulliksen, Jan. Blomkvist, Stefan. "__Key Principles of User Centred Systems Design__"Dept. for HCI/IT, Uppsala University.2003. 1 Dec, 2006. < http://www.design4all.ch/data/KeyPrinciplesForUCSD.pdf >