What is User-Centered Design?

Throughout the entire development process and beyond, users play a critical role in the design of easy-to-use products. After all, who knows more about which products are easy to use than the people who use them?
--IBM User-Centered Design Web Site

User-Centered Design (UCD) is a process that involves the users of a product throughout its lifecycle, from planning through post-release assessment. A project team applies user data to help define the product, design its user interface, and plan for the next version. The goal of UCD is to create products that users find useful and usable.

UCD methods, including structured observations (field studies) and interviews, help define who the actual users are and how they work. UCD methods provide information about:

• What is important to users
• The tasks users do, how frequently, and in what order
• The users' work environment
• The users' problems and constraints

When a project team understands its users, it can design with them in mind. However, this is not enough to insure usability. The project team needs to involve users again to evaluate the design (usability testing). An iterative design process, including one or more rounds of usability testing, helps to eliminate a good deal of usability problems before the product is released to customers.

Benefits of User-Centered Design

UCD benefits include:

• More efficient product development. Usability is easier and less costly to incorporate earlier in the product lifecycle.
• Lower documentation and support costs. Usable products are easier to document and support.
• Happier, more productive project teams. UCD techniques can resolve design dilemmas.
• Happier, more productive users. Usable products enable users to do their work effectively and efficiently.