HUCO

Key areas

1) Fieldwork

People & Organisations
We apply systematic qualitative techniques to understand the social and organisational settings where technology is used.
ACTIVITIES: Observation, Fieldwork, and Interviews.
METHODS: Video-based interaction analysis, Ethnography for design, Sensory ethnography.

2) Design

Participatory Design
We engage stakeholders in the design process using co-design methods that provide stakeholder communities with the opportunity to engage directly in the process of design, and to contribute to the identification and definition of requirements.
ACTIVITIES: Idea generation, Co-design activities
METHODS: Cooperative prototyping, Scenario development, and Workshops.

3) Evaluation

Assessment
We conduct user studies to understand how well a system supports interaction and activity in its intended setting. For a technology to be successful it should be assessed to determine its usefulness (does it do want is wanted or expected), and usability (is it easy to use) as well as its impact on day-to-day interaction. We also need to understand how it might support or constrain activity.
METHODS: Naturalistic evaluation, Interviews, Focus groups.

The goal of interaction design is to make it easy, satisfying and enjoyable for people to conduct their daily activities digitally. However, many digital products and services can be difficult to use which leads to disappointing customer experiences. In many cases, individuals and organisations will change from one product to another that is more usable. Customer dissatisfaction has implications for the success of any business that offers digital products or services. This two-day workshop will introduce you to the factors, techniques, tools and theories that will help you design more usable systems leading to a better user experience.

This workshop is lead by two User Experience Design researchers who have both industry and academic experience in the design of usable digital tools. Their combination of both practical and scholarly knowledge will be integrated to provide foundational principles and practical techniques that can be incorporated into projects immediately.

Benefits

After attending the workshop you will be able to:

• Explain why it is important to design interactive systems taking account of the user and context of use
• Describe and use different techniques for characterizing potential users and contexts in the design of interactive systems
• Define a suitable programme of user involvement that treats users ethically and fairly
• Design and develop a suitable prototype for an interactive system
• Plan and execute the evaluation of an interactive system, focusing on aspects of usability and user experience
• Explain how user experience concerns fit within the wider software development process

Contents

The workshop will be structured with a mix lectures and group breakout sessions with opportunities for the practical application of concepts and methods.  The topics covered in the workshop include:

• Fieldwork techniques for examining the user experience and exploring the context of use
• Usability and user experience goals definition
• Capturing and representing user characteristics and user journeys
• Process of interaction design
• Prototyping techniques
• Evaluation techniques
• Software development life cycles and how UX fit into the process
• Different interface types: mobile, multimodal, multiuser, collaborative systems
• Social interaction and UX

The workshop will be conducted in English.

Publications