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User-centered design is the current term for a very
old concept—that of developing tools that better
meet the needs of the user. The results of user-centered
design are everywhere in our lives—from drive-up
ATMs that are at the proper height, to well-placed
cupholders in your car, to Web sites that make complex
features intuitive. A well- designed product enhances
the customer experience and, as in the case of software
development, can lead to lower costs for the organization.
User-centered design leverages a number of tools and
techniques at various points during the development life
cycle. Accurately defining requirements remains an essential
first step in the process. Because of the high costs and
number of individuals involved in software development,
a solid requirements document provides a blueprint in
much the same way an architect would detail the plans
for a large building. |
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This article was published in the Fall
2004 issue
of Perspectives.
Please refer to our Terms
of Use policy regarding acceptable use of
content on the ICF International Web site.
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Just
as the architect would consider a range of aspects, such
as the intended use and materials, the analysts who draft
software requirements need to consider a range of items from
functionality to security. Though requirements definition
takes time and resources initially, it is proven to reduce
costs later in the life cycle. Study after study has demonstrated
that better requirements mean lower costs and reduced risk.
Requirements errors cost from 28 to 42.5 percent of the total
software development costs of a project.1
User-centered design begins with requirements and continues
throughout the development life cycle. During prototyping
and development, applying a series of tools and techniques
iteratively will help test concepts and identify additional
opportunities for improvement.
Following principles of user-centered
design and integrating the tools and techniques into your
project can result in the important goal of achieving a Return
on Investment (ROI). ICF International’s experience demonstrates
several findings that have resulted in savings:
- Identifying unneeded functionality in a proposed project
can reduce development costs
- Creating sites in which the
functionality most users need is present and apparent
(or on-line help for uncommon tasks is present and apparent)
can decrease call center volumes
- Removing unused features
or content can reduce storage, server, information services,
or maintenance costs
Often there is a tendency to assume you
know the user. Though this preliminary knowledge will help
you design effective ways to test usability, user consultation
is still essential.
As you plan your next project, consider
what you know about your customer and how you can test that
knowledge throughout the development life cycle. Whether
in the public or private sector, user-centered design provides
a means to achieve two universal organizational goals: improving
the customer experience, and lowering the
service cost.
Learn more about ICF International’s capabilities in
user-centered
design.
1Wiegers (2003) and I. Hooks & K. Farry (2001).
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