Process and Methods of User-Centered Concept Development 21.2.2007 @ T-121.2100 Johdatus käyttäjäkeskeiseen tuotekehitykseen Mika P. Nieminen Software Business and Engineering Laboratory Usability Group Helsinki University of Technology mika.nieminen@hut.fi
Contents Theoretical background Construction of the Process User-Centered Concept Development Process Conclusions Future Work Discussion
Background Product Development User-Centered Approach Concept Development
Product development process Ulrich & Eppinger (2004) Phase 0 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Planning Concept Development System-Level Design Detail Design Testing and Refinement Production Ramp-Up Identify Customer needs Establish target specification Concept generation Concept selection Concept testing Setting final specifications Project planning Economic analysis Benchmarking of competitive products Modeling and prototyping Development plan
Human-Centred Design Process 1. Plan the humancentred process Complete 2. Specify the context of use 5. Evaluate designs against user requirements 3. Specify user and organizational requirements 4. Produce design solutions
User-Centered Product Concept Design UCPCD DESIGN BRIEF USER RESEARCH Motivational level needs USER RESEARCH Main action level needs CREATING PRODUCT CONCEPT IDEAS BUILDING AND EVALUATING LOW- FIDELITY UE PROBES BUILDING AND EVALUATING HIGH- FIDELITY UE PROBES REFINEMENT REFINEMENT SELECTION SELECTION
User-Centered Concept Development Process v1 Empiric date from 16 cases during 2002-2004 3-5 persons/team, duration 6 weeks or more
Decision Tracking and Traceability Graph
v1 Suggested Modifications Improve participants innovation skills (context switch problem) Phase 3 iteration to include also the Idea generation Do not over-visualize the concepts room for improvement Augment team member between phases 2 and 3
User-Centered Concept Development Process
User-Centered Concept Development Process
User-Centered Concept Development Process
User-Centered Concept Development Process Combined Assessment and Commitment User and Technology Research Innovation Sprint Concept Creation and Visualization and Validation Combined Assessment and Commitment
User-Centered Concept Development Process Combined Assessment and Commitment User and Technology Research Innovation Sprint Concept Creation and Visualization and Validation Combined Assessment and Commitment
Phases and outcomes
Commitment {Technology framework} concepts for {User group} in {Context of use}. Proactive computing concepts for maintenance men in customer premises
Methods: User Research and analysis Interviews Focus groups Observations Cultural probes Artefact analyses Surveys and questionnaires Affinity diagrams User and task analysis Scenarios, user profiles or personas Design perspectives Contextual Inquiry Photograph probes
Methods: Idea Generation Brainstorming Bodystorming Brainwriting Six thinking hats Delphi Outcome: variant in maturity, generous in quantatity
Methods: Concept Visualization Scenarios Storyboards 2D/3D conceptual drawings Functional or simulated prototypes Beware to over-polish the concepts The goal of concept visualization is not to make the concepts as pretty as possible, but to make the concepts message as clear as possible.
Methods: Concept Validation Expert evaluation without users Product champion model (by the team) Customer model (external 3rd party) Scoring methods Testing with the potential users Most usability evaluation methods are applicable Difference in perspective and goal Usability evaluation: Find errors in finished product Concept evaluation: Find ways to combine and recreate even contradicting concepts
Assessment Compare to original requirements Inject customer feedback Prepare for migration to product development
Conclusions 1/2 Main contribution is the formulation and evaluation of the User-Centered Concept Development Process Product Development and Project Management User-Centered Design and usability Creative Process Project Commitment User and Technology Research Innovation Sprint Concept Creation and Validation Project Assessment
Conclusions 2/2 All user-centered processes and inherently laborious and require a wide skill set Transitions between phases, especially innovation sprint, are difficult, but explicating the problem alleviates it In iterative process several of the phases can overlap or repeat Traditional usability engineering practices are applicable in concept development, with minute chances in perspective
Discussion