Tutorial 12

Tools and Trade-Offs: Making Wise Choices for User-Centered Design

Stephanie Rosenbaum, Tec-Ed
Judith Ramey, University of Washington
Judee Humburg, Intuit
Anne Seeley, MetaBridge, Inc.

Sunday, May 7

Objective

Participants will learn (1) to make effective use of usability resources throughout the product development cycle, (2) strengths and weaknesses of customer data-collection tools -- including surveys, focus groups, interviews, field observations, and structured walkthroughs-- and how these tools fit the phases of the product development cycle, (3) to make appropriate trade-offs among methods during the design process when resources are limited, (4) creative use of tools, through hands-on practice of methods for each phase of the early product design process, and (5) to build an ongoing program using customer data collection to implement user-centered design.

Content

How can we choose among customer data collection methods when limited staff and financial resources must be spread across the whole development cycle? This tutorial helps participants understand the trade-offs, so they can make effective choices among methods at different points during product design and development. The tutorial focuses on early, user-centered intervention to gain cost-effective, reusable, end-user information.

Audience

This intermediate-level tutorial is intended for software developers, user-interface designers, writers, managers, and technical support professionals responsible for increasing customer satisfaction. Experience in a product development environment or documentation group is assumed.

Presentation

Lecture, video, exercises

Instructors

Stephanie Rosenbaum is president of Tec-Ed, a consultancy in documentation, user interface design, and usability programs for the computer industry. Judith Ramey is Associate Professor of Technical Communication and Director of the University of Washington's Laboratory for Usability Testing and Evaluation. Judee Humburg is Usability Engineering Manager at Intuit. Anne Seeley is the program manager for MetaBridge, Inc., a Seattle startup. Prior to MetaBridge she helped establish Microsoft's usability program.

Keith Instone / instone@acm.org / 95-01-05