School of Communication Arts 2.0

Note to Mentors

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Unit Purpose and Aims

The purpose of this unit is;

This unit is designed to help learners understand the art of putting users at the centre of design. Learners will explore all relevant models and test processes, and will create an outline for an interactive experience utilising these tools and practices

Learning Outcomes

Learners will;

1. Understand the techniques of user centred design

Learners can;

1.1 Demonstrate the key practices and tools within UCD

1.2 Demonstrate the key practices and tools within measurement of successful UCD

1.3 Use a range of models, such as personas, to identify needs relevant to advertising experiences

2. Be able to successfully create an interactive campaign  using UCD principles

2.1 Produce  necessary documentation to describe a UCD project

2.2 Respond to a given campaign brief by preparing a campaign idea using UCD techniques

2.3 Interpret a brief to Prepare a prototype interactive campaign, based on sound UCD principles and practices.

How to become User Centric

Measurement 101

Guerilla Usability Testing

Designing the User Experience Curve 2.0

Learning Tools, Resources & Links

Things that will help the learner develop understanding of this unit;

Mentors – please add your ideas, examples, case studies, links to articles, videos, etc. here.

How to become User Centric

Measurement 101

Guerilla Usability Testing

Designing the User Experience Curve 2.0

Inclusive Design Introduction

What is Inclusive Design and why does it matter?

Inclusive Design means designing products and services that are more usable, by more people, in more situations more of the time, without the need for special adaptation or design.  It is not universal design, assistive technology for all, or a new design genre.

“Inclusive Design is neither a new genre of design, nor a separate specialism. It is a general approach to designing in which designers ensure that their products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience, irrespective of age or ability.” [Helen Hamlyn Centre]

Inclusive Design enables companies to meet the needs of the older or disabled customer, without specialised product offerings or market communications, at the same time, as they increase the usability and real-market potential of their core product offering.  The two big drivers from customers are the ageing population and the increasing integration of people with disabilities into mainstream society.

Inclusive design is a state of mind.  Instead of considering a user’s disabilities (what they can’t do), you simply think about what their capabilities are (what they can do).  Capabilities are typically measured on 3 spectrums

• Physical
• Cognitive
• Sensory

Think of this, you are in a night-club.  Would you rather receive a ‘phone call or a text message from the taxi driver to tell you he’s outside waiting?  Because of the environment, you would probably prefer that text message. Your ability to hear and be heard is compromised by the noise around you.  So people who are in night-clubs have the same capabilities or communication preferences, as people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  If you make your product or service accessible to deaf people, you are automatically including other people who are in noisy (or conversely, very quiet) environments.

Social Aspects of Inclusion

Inclusive Design focuses on 3 main capability spectrums:  Sensory, Cognitive and Physical.

However, it is also worth considering the social capabilities that users have.  This may relate to language, social context or emotional intelligence.    Recent research into Voice User Interface (VUI) (www.inglisjane.co.uk/soundbarriers.html) found that social capabilities were one of the main determining factors in uptake and usage of VUI.

To learn about inclusive design, there two free, online resources which offer a comprehensive overview from experts in the field.  To start, learn using the cards that have been developed by Cambridge Engineering Design Centre (http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/inclusivedesign/) at betterdesign.org (http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/inclusivedesign/dtisurvey/cards.php).  This was a DTI Sponsored awareness and training project which was for business people.  There is also a very good links section (http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/inclusivedesign/dtisurvey/links.php).

Inclusive Design Toolkit http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/.  Here you will find everything you need to work with inclusive design.  There are also very useful tools such as an exclusion calculator (http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/betterdesign/downloads/exclusioncalc.html), and an impairment simulator (http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/betterdesign/downloads/impairmentsims/index.html), as well as links to other resources.

Using Inclusive Design with User Centred Design

There is always a danger when thinking about inclusive design, to focus on the disabled and elderly population as different to ‘the rest of us’.  It is often quite difficult to factor in a full exclusion audit into a stretched budget, when a simple compliance message will ensure you meet the legal requirements (e.g. Disability Discrimination Act).  However, Inclusive Design is really an attitude of mind, a way of thinking about disability as a strata running through all of us, as opposed to a well focused on a few, unfortunate individuals.  Once you view the world in this way,  you will approach design of media, marketing and message in quite a different way.

The best starting point is User Centred Design, which is a tried and trusted approach, inclusive tools and techniques will dove-tail nicely into UCD processes, for example creating an edge-case persona who has reduced capabilities on one or more of the capability spectrums.

Try The Fable of the User-Centred Designer by David Travis,  a short story that will introduce you gently to the domain.

Exercise idea:

You’re designing an advertising campaign to run over the summer festival season for a new cold drink

1. Create 3 different personae
   1. Consider the physical, cognitive and sensory capabilities that your personae will have
   2. Think about a typical day at the festival (s) for him or her and how their capabilities (especially cognitive and sensory) might change throughout the day
   3. Consider who else they are with, their social setting
2. Write your campaign into their day considering the message, media and call to action at each stage.
   1. Consider the physical, cognitive, and sensory demands on your users with regards to both getting the message and acting on it
   2. Consider what impact social capabilities will have and how this fits with your campaign
   3. Consider who will be excluded given your chosen campaign
3. Write a narrative of the day for each of your personae showing how and when they will be touched by your campaign