[IxDA Discuss] Define the "User Centered Design" process

[Peter Boersma]

Robert wrote:
> These are the basic tenets of what UCDers talk about all the time. Sounds
> like a process to me.

No, sounds like people who adhere a "philosophy" (Peterme) talking about their favorite design process, which includes methods that support a way of working that matches their philosophy.

It's a Venn diagram (of course!):
- all design processes should include some of the steps you mention ("define problem")
- many design processes will include steps that can also be found in a UCD-influenced design process ("determine the audience")
- all UCD-influenced design processes will include some of the UCD-steps (maybe "develop persona descriptions" but maybe not).

When I teach my "Interaction Design" training (which really is a "User Centered Design for interactive systems" training, but that is because I adhere to the UCD philosophy; another trainer adapted the material slightly to make it an "Activity Centered Design for interactive systems" training) I show the students the following description of User Centered Design:

"User experience and interface design in the context of creating software represents an approach that puts the user, rather than the system, at the center of the process. This philosophy, called user-centered design, incorporates user concerns and advocacy from the beginning of the design process and dictates the needs of the user should be foremost in any design decisions."
(From Microsoft’s MSDN Library, User Interface Design and Development section at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/anch_uidesigndev.asp )

Peter
-- 
Peter Boersma | Senior Interaction Designer | Info.nl
http://www.peterboersma.com/blog | http://www.info.nl