Design sessions with users
A lower level page design from Macquarie bank's intranet project
Design sessions with users explore the effectiveness of detailed designs, for example showing a web site's lower-level pages.
Uncover problems early
- Any problems with the designs are uncovered before any code is written
- Making changes to the design is easy and relatively quick (because they are paper mock-ups)
- We can iron out any small design issues still remaining at this stage
- Individual sessions give users the chance to expand and follow up on all their thoughts and issues
- You will build a realistic picture of what your users really do with your site or application
- Observing sessions helps stakeholders buy in to the process and fully understand where the final design is coming from. The more stakeholders who observe sessions, the easier the final decisions tend to be.
What we do
We choose a selection of representative users in consultation with you.
We would normally run several rounds of design sessions, and refine the designs in between in line with their feedback. Sessions at this stage of the project typically involve 1-2 users each.
In a session, users work with paper mock-ups to perform tasks according to the activity scenarios we developed in the analysis phase. We explore any issues or questions the users have, so we can ensure there are no impediments to completing tasks, and that navigation is easy to use.
We explore the layout, labelling and navigation and the workflow between screens.
Your stakeholders are invited to watch these sessions (by video from another room), and the sessions are recorded on videotape or DVD.
