What is User Centered Web Design?
User Centered Web Design is simply the process of making sure that a web site design actually meets the needs/requirements of the target audience in the most usable, effective manner. This is properly done ONLY by continuously involving the site's users throughout the web site design process.
Here are some examples of where users should be involved:
- Discovery - Request user input to better understand their needs and challenges they are facing that they are looking for someone to help them solve. Don't rely on the stakeholders to tell you what clients need or are looking for. The web site is not about the company you are building it for; it is to efficiently and effectively solve the users' quest for solutions and information.
- Project Definition - Have users validate the documented goals, objectives and, most importantly, how the site will identify with and provide clear solutions to the user challenges/needs. Then use have users test wireframes and prototypes using multiple methods such as trunk testing and 5 second usability testing to ensure properly answering these key user questions:
- What site is this? What do they do here?
- What page am I on?
- Why should I be here? And not somewhere else?
- What does the site offer? Is it obvious? What content and features exist?
- What can I do here?
- Where do I start? Is it obvious where to click? Can I click where I think I can?
- Creative Design - Now that colors, graphics, fonts, backgrounds, and etc have been added make sure to user test static site design mockups to ensure the creative design elements haven't adversely effected the site strategy/goals as identified and validated by users in the previous phases. This is where it is important to ensure that the site design is establishing the proper tone, reinforcing the brand, and is establishing proper credibility; and that creative sizzle (i.e. wow factor) isn't getting in the way. If Flash or other similar technologies are used they need to clearly, measurably reinforce the user experience.
- HTML Production - At this stage the design has been turned into functional web pages for the home page and inside page they should be tested again to ensure that the execution was done properly. This is the first opportunity to have a user test what is now something that they are more familiar with and therefore is a key place for user testing.
- Quality Assurance - During this stage it is important to flesh out any issues that may impact the site's effectiveness, functionality and credibility. So beyond the typical formal QA processes of reviewing the design, content, and functionality; it is important to go beyond this and put the overall web site strategy to the test by performing key task testing (aka usability testing).
For example, time spent on the site can be good if it is brief because users are potentially finding what they need quickly or it can be bad because they are getting frustrated and leaving quickly. The key is to monitor your metrics at least monthly and make ongoing, small changes to the site to continue refining and improving the overall user experience. Of course, don't forget to continue doing user testing as you make changes to the site to ensure qualitatively you are making changes for the better and combine it with quantitative metrics for reliability.
How does your current website stack up? Have you been continuously testing, analyzing, and improving your site with an overall focus on your Key Performance Indicators? If you need help, contact us for a Free Site Evaluation
Labels: Web Strategy
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