Bridging User Research and Interface Design Through Information-Driven Conceptual Modeling

Abstract

The significance of user research in usability analysis, and the role it plays in a properly-executed design process, is a well-studied aspect of human-computer interaction. Yet user research does not directly translate to the organization and architectural knowledge necessary for design. A conceptual model of information alignment and access, oriented toward modeling information flows and knowledge architecture, connects the needs identified in user research to the structure and visualization of the design. I conducted information architecture and website redesign efforts for both a small-scale university research group and a distributed STEM outreach organization. By comparing these efforts, I identify how conceptual models change in response to organization size, user needs, hierarchy, and knowledge scope. I reassert the significance of conceptual models for bridging user research to design, and identify how changes in the model signify changes in the design.

Identifying Improvements in Healthcare Systems Engineering Models for Chronic Care and Precision Medicine Applications

“…Information flow characterization (Boustany & Caldwell, 2007) and information modeling (e.g. information architectures and entity-relationship diagrams (Williams, 2017)) can also help determine the specifications for healthcare information systems in chronic-type diseases (Heiden, 2018). These tools are useful for understanding how chronic care information is coordinated among chronic care team members.…”