Design and usability methods and techniques

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Introduction

This article will attempt to summarize major design and usability methods and techniques

Taxonomies of design and usability methods

Usability Net provides a nice interactive methods table leading to articles of which we reproduce a cropped screen copy below:

Methods table, Copyright usability.net 2006, retrieved 18:31, 3 March 2011 (CET). Reproduction permitted provided the original source is acknowledged.

Usability.gov presents a similar table leading to articles. It organizes usability methods according to where they take place in the user-centered design process.

[[image:*|frame|none|Usability Methods table| Source: Usability.gov, retrieved 18:31, 3 March 2011 (CET)]

The Nasa usability toolkit includes a (by default copyright-free) table that also is organized by stages.

</tbody>
Tool / Method
 Requirements 
                       & Planning Stage
Conceptual 
                       Design Stage
Test 
                       & Evaluation Stage
Resources 
                       Required
Purpose 
                       of Method
<a name="1b"></a><a href="#1">Brainstorming</a>
X
LOW
 Generates design ideas
<a name="2b"></a><a href="#2">Card sorting</a>
 X
 X
LOW
 Helps structure interface content
<a name="3b"></a><a href="#3">Cognitive walk through</a>
X
 X
 MEDIUM
 Checks structure and flow against user goals
<a name="4b"></a><a href="#4">Context of use analysis</a>
 X

LOW
 Specifies vital user and product characteristics
<a name="5b"></a><a href="#5">Contextual inquiry</a>
 X

MEDIUM
 Provides information about users' work context
<a name="6b"></a><a href="#6">Focus group</a>
 X

LOW
 Elicits user requirements/views through discussion
<a name="7b"></a><a href="#7">Functionality matrix</a>
 X
 X
LOW
 Specifies functions required to support tasks
<a name="8b"></a><a href="#8">Heuristic evaluation</a>
X
 X
 LOW
 Provides expert feedback on user interfaces
<a name="9b"></a><a href="#9">Interactive prototyping</a>
X
MEDIUM/ HIGH
 Used for testing with users
<a name="10b"></a><a href="#10">Interview techniques</a>
 X
 X
LOW
 Provides detailed user experience about product usage
<a name="12b"></a><a href="#12">Observation</a>
 X

MEDIUM
 Describes user activity in detail
<a name="13b"></a><a href="#13">Paper prototyping</a>
X
MEDIUM
 Tests design ideas with users
<a name="14b"></a><a href="#14">Parallel design</a>
X
HIGH
 Provides one conceptual design idea from several
<a name="15b"></a><a href="#15">Participatory evaluation</a>
X
 X
 MEDIUM
 Detects task-related usability problems early in design
<a name="16b"></a><a href="#16">Rapid prototyping</a>
X
MEDIUM
 Allows users to visualize future systems and evaluate
<a name="17b"></a><a href="#17">Scenarios</a>
 X
 X
MEDIUM
 Illustrates requirements and supports conceptual design
<a name="18b"></a><a href="#18">Storyboarding</a>
X
MEDIUM
 Visualizes relationship between events and actions
<a name="19b"></a><a href="#19">Surveys</a>
 X
X
 HIGH
 Provides mass data from users
<a name="20b"></a><a href="#20">Task analysis</a>
 X

MEDIUM
 Analyses current user work in depth
<a name="21b"></a><a href="#21">User-based testing of design</a>

X
 MEDIUM
 Provides recommendations for how a design can be improved.
<a name="22b"></a><a href="#22">User-based testing of interaction</a>

X
 HIGH
 Measures usability and identifies interaction problems
<a name="23b"></a><a href="#23">WAMMI</a> - Web site Analysis and Measurement Inventory

X
 LOW
 Provides an objective way of assessing user satisfaction with a web site
<a name="24b"></a><a href="#24">Wireframes</a>
X
LOW
 Fast and easy concept prototyping that focuses on layout, navigation and high level content


[Usability Body of Knowledge] includes a the following list of articles: Affinity Diagramming, Brainstorming, Card Sorting, Checklist, Claims Analysis, Context of Use Analysis, Contextual Inquiry, Critical Incident Technique (CIT), Cultural Probe, Diary Study, Ethnography, Field Study, Focus Group, Formative Evaluation, Free Listing, Function Allocation, Heuristic Evaluation, Metaphor Brainstorming, Parallel Design, Phone Interview, Photo Study, Pluralistic Usability Walkthrough, Rapid Prototyping, Rating Scales, Storyboard, Wireframe, Wizard of Oz.

Links

Standalone introductions

Overview tables and articles

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