Human Computer Interaction G52HCI Dave Kirk [email protected] Participatory Design User Evaluation

Human Computer InteractionG52HCI

Dave [email protected]

Participatory DesignUser Evaluation


Question:

What is the purpose of user evaluation in systems design?


Learning Outcomes

• A basic understanding of what Participatory Design or ‘PD’ is

• Particularly of PD approaches to active user involvement- From cardboard computers to software prototypes

• The relevance of PD to CW2 - CW2.1 1500 word report on design of a lo-fi prototype- 30% of overall course mark


Participatory Design

• Aims to actively involve users as members of the design team from the start of the design process

• Contrasts with experimental approaches where potential users are treated as passive subjects

• Why include users in the design team?- Because they are the experts in the ‘work’ activities the system is

being designed to support- They can teach us a great deal about what the system should do

then- PD is a mutual learning process


The Origins of PD

• Workplace Democracy in Scandinavia- Reaction to ‘deskilling’ brought about through widespread introduction of

computers in the workplace

• Fostered ‘Collective Resources Approach’ (CRA)- Laws passed to involve unions and workers in design process- In practice little more than passing consultation

• More active forms of user participation explored and resulted in ‘learning by doing’ approach- Cooperative prototyping and analysis- Users actively involved in the design of computing systems- Users (i.e., clients, managers, and frontline workers)


Cooperative Prototyping

• Two key requirements- Understanding the current organization of work (which is where

ethnography helps out)- Envisioning the future (which is where users help out)

• Methodology for envisioning the future - Iterative cooperative development of prototypes- Start with ‘quick and dirty’ prototypes and work up

• Developing quick and dirty prototypes- ‘Low tech’ or ‘low fidelity’ prototypes- ‘Rough sketches’ of a new system (rather than polished finished products),

users fill in the gaps- This is your design task


Quick and Dirty Prototypes

• Rough sketches” = “mock ups” (?)- Mocking IT up

• Fast food


Mocking IT Up

• Solar System


Mocking IT Up

• Shopping Lists


Developing Mock Ups

• Translate study/requirements into a particular design (not yours)- Scenarios (descriptions of the various episodes that constitute ‘use’)- Storyboards (cartoon strips describing sequences of interaction making up ‘use’

episodes)- Use Cases (descriptions of the system’s responses to specific use scenarios and

sequences of interaction)

• Build your mock ups - Make cardboard computers! (booths, shells, signs, displays, etc.)- Implement basic functionality (use laptops, powerpoint slides, webpages, etc.)

• Evaluate your mock ups- Set the scene (role playing)- Get users to get their hands on the mock up (don’t just demonstrate, let

them use it) - Document their experience and views


Supporting Methods (1)

• Scenarios- Descriptions of the various episodes that constitute ‘use’ from the users’ point of

view- May be ‘current’ (and draw on ethnography) or ‘future’ (and be developed with users)

• Scenarios specify the use context, user goals, activities involved in achieving them, and the role of artifacts, tools, and other resources

hiifiivetube ‘Electric eels’, YouTube PirateAnna’s ‘HCI Prototype’, YouTube

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.





• Storyboards (also current and future, and can be developed with users)- Descriptions of the sequences of interaction making up episodes of ‘use’- Derived from the movies, where scripts are first visualized using drawings

- Resources - see the rest of the video for practical tips on making storyboards in PowerPoint- Also, Martin Hardee’s online resources: http://www.designcomics.org/



luderec, ‘PLAY - concept storyboard’, YouTube mhardee, ‘Building a Design Comic Storyboard’, YouTube





• Use cases (created by designers, for designers)- Descriptions of the system’s responses to specific use scenarios and sequences

of interaction

rmb1905, ‘3.03 A Use Case Diagram for an ATM’, YouTube



- Resources (Writing Effective Use Case Examples), http://www.gatherspace.com/static/use_case_example.html



• Cardboard computers- Paper prototyping

Resources (Paper Prototyping Graphics), http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/paperprototypinggraphics

channy, ‘Hanmail Paper Prototype’, YouTube

QuickTime™ and aH.264/AVC decompressor




• Lo-Fi mockups- PowerPoint

Resources (PowerPoint Pallet), http://www.krisjordan.com/category/ux-design/



KrisJordanDotCom, ‘10 Minute Mock Prototyping’, YouTube


Doing It Yourself

• 3.2 Document their experience and views (out of scope)- Record interaction (audio, video, interview, questionnaire)- Analyse interaction (sense, relevance, appropriation)- Identify changes and improvements (new iteration of prototype)

• 3. Make your own mock up and evaluate it- You are going to do it through ‘evaluation panels’ (Steve will tell you more later)

• 3.1 If you were doing this for real though you would:- Present your mock ups to a group of potential users- Set the use scene (role playing)- Get users to get their hands on the mock ups (don’t just demonstrate, let them

use it)- You should consider these points when doing your evaluation


Who Else Uses PD?

• A wide range of industrial labs, including- IBM, Microsoft, HP, Xerox

• Why do they use PD?- Because it helps them understand user needs, certainly- But also because it is economical and helps avoid making expensive

mistakes in the process• Making paper prototypes and lo-fi mockups is quick and they can be changed

quickly as well

• Participatory techniques are broadly accepted and practiced- It is important to remember, however, that they are participatory- They aren’t just cheap and effective ways of developing ideas, but of involving

users - the real experts in human activity - in design


Reading

• Greenbaum, J. & Kyng, M. (eds.) (1991) Design at Work: Cooperative Design of Computer Systems. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Mogensen, P. (1994) Challenging Practice: An Approach to Cooperative Analysis, Ph.D. Thesis, DAIMI PB - 465, Aarhus University, Denmark: Department of Computer Science: http://www.daimi.au.dk/publications/PB/465/PB-465.pdf

• Some practical tips for user evaluation sessions: http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/participatorydesign

Documents

Human Computer Interaction G52HCI Dave Kirk [email protected] Participatory Design User Evaluation