Introducing User-Centered Systems Design

Abstract

If designers and developers want to design better technologies that are intended for human use they need to have a good understanding of the people who are or who will be using their systems. Understanding people, their characteristics, capabilities, commonalities, and differences allows designers to create more effective, safer, efficient, and enjoyable systems. This book provides readers with resources for thinking about people-commonly called ''users''-their tasks and the context in which they perform those tasks. Our intention is to enable you to make more informed decisions when designing complex interactive systems. This chapter thus introduces this argument through example design problems. We then present the benefits and costs associated with understanding the user. Two approaches for understanding users are introduced. The first is a framework called the ABCS for understanding, in broad strokes, different aspects of users. The second is user knowledge and action simulation for developing and testing how users approach tasks in more detail. After reading this chapter you should be able to appreciate why it is important to understand users, and the associated benefits and costs of doing so. IntroductionMost of us use interactive technologies every day-cell phones, TVs, alarm clocks, cars, vending machines, computers, cameras, microwaves, ovens, ticket machines-the list is endless.Technology can help us achieve what we desire to do or need to do, but it can also hinder us. When we cannot get something done, when our expectations are not met, or when technology is too hard to use, we get frustrated. When technologies and systems are unpredictable, delays and unforeseen problems can occur.This book is about designing technology and systems for use by people. We offer an introduction to what we know about why humans do what they do when they do it as users of technology. The book has one central premise: Understanding people will help you build better interactive technologies and systems.When we say ''understanding people'' we mean:• We propose that systems should be designed in a user-centered way. Being usercentered means considering human characteristics and capabilities during system design. It means explicitly asking: who is going to use the system/technology and why; what are they hoping to achieve in using the system/technology; how much effort are they willing to put into learning how to use the system/technology; whether they will be operating the system alone or with others…. Being user-centered means knowing why, as well as how, users do what they do when they do it. We propose that consideration of users' basic human characteristics should be in place before system development begins. Reflection and experimentation with potential users of the system should take place throughout the design and development process using methods like brainstorming, storyboarding, low to high fidelity prototyping, and, as the system gets closer to full functionality, with more formal use testing.This book assu...

A user model to directly compare two unmodified interfaces: a study of including errors and error corrections in a cognitive user model

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“…Errors are mainly grouped into three categories: skilled-based, rule-based, and knowledge-based (Brown, 2004; Ritter et al, 2014; May et al, 2019). The most common errors that are observed in participants’ behavior for the KST in the Excel study are slips that are part of skilled-based errors.…”

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“…I had to think for a long time about how unusable systems could be unusable and yet be successful. Unusable systems that are successful violate what is existing good practice in what we teach in my college, what is in our textbooks (Oury & Ritter, 2021; Ritter et al, 2014), my colleagues’ textbooks (Carroll, 2000; Rossen & Carroll, 2001), the National Research Council report on system design that I helped write (Pew & Mavor, 2007), and is in nearly all human–computer interaction (HCI) and human factors textbooks (e.g., Dix et al, 1998; Lee et al, 2017; Lewis & Reiman, 1998; Norman, 2013).…”