User Centred Development

Last reviewed 23 JOct 2020 by Crispin Read

Description

User Centred Development (UCD or User-Centered Design) is not really a set of methodologies but a philosophy or paradigm that a development team can follow. We'll take a look at some UX principles that can positively influence and guide our decisions as developers.

Why is this important?

Everything we build has users, even if we are building an API or a small part of a big application. It is vital that the things we build have a use and one of teh best ways to measure that is through user needs.

Outcomes

At the end of this training you will be able to:

  1. Understand the methods and essential activities of UCD
  2. Run a card sorting exercise to influence information architecture, navigation and interface design
  3. Create a plan to ensure your project fulfils user needs

Learner Requirements

  1. An idea for a website or application
  2. Previously completed sessions:
    • Impact Mapping
    • Agile
    • OO UX / Object Mapping

Outline

  1. What is UCD and why is it important for developers?
  2. UX Discovery
  3. UCD Essential Activities
    • Requirements gathering
    • Requirements specification
    • Design
    • Evaluation
  4. Methods
    • Personas
    • Focus groups
    • Usability Testing
    • Card Sorting
    • Co-Design
    • Questionnaires
    • Empathy Mapping
  5. How does this fit in?
  6. Lean UX
  7. Creating a plan

Tasks

During Training

  1. Card sort make a copy of this Trello board
  2. Come up with some Lean UX hypothesis to prototype solutions for on your site

After Training

  1. Create a plan to add some UX methods and essential activities to your project
  2. Blog post about lean UX
  3. Blog post about UCD

Resources / Reference

  1. Slides on Google Drive
  2. UX Heuristic Evaluation
  3. Lean UX. Going small and growing quick.
  4. Prototypr: 30day UX Bootcamp
  5. Beginner’s Guide to Lean UX
  6. User-centred design (UCD) - 6 methods
  7. Usability.gov: User-Centered Design Process Map
  8. Usability.gov: User-Centered Design Basics

Skills, Knowledge, Behaviours and Values

Technical Skills

This workshop is designed to develop the following technical skills:

  • UX
  • Testing

Core Skills

This workshop is designed to develop the following from our core skills directive

  • Estimation
  • Prioritisation
  • Presentation
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Empathy

Apprenticeship Standard

This workshop will encourage the development of the following from the Software Developer Level 4 Standard

COMPETENCIES (Skills)

  • C4 - Test: can test code and analyse results to correct errors found using either V-model manual testing and/or using unit testing.
  • C7 - Analysis: can understand and create basic analysis artefacts, such as user cases and/or user stories.

BEHAVIOURS

  • B1 - Logical and creative thinking skills.
  • B2 - Analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • B3 - Ability to work independently and to take responsibility.
  • B4 - Can use own initiative.
  • B5 - A thorough and organised approach.
  • B7 - Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of situations.

Knowledge

  • K1 - Understands and operates at all stages of the software development lifecycle.
  • K3 - Understands how teams work effectively to produce software and contributes appropriately.
  • K5 - Understands and responds to the business environment and business issues related to software development.

Values

Themes in this session explore the following values:

  • Equality & Diversity
  • Democracy
  • The rule of law