Chapter 13 - First, User Research. Just Do It

Abstract

User and usage research conducted before, during, and after the design can provide information and insights regarding those factors. Familiarity with user and usage research is a prerequisite for this book. Since user research is critical to conceptual design, we will go over it here within a limited scope because the book focuses on the procedural steps in building the conceptual model. The following is a brief overview of some of the key techniques and outcomes in user research that are relevant to conceptual design. User and usage research, for whatever purpose it is, typically consist of: data collection and analysis. The most common analyses are generating user scenarios and personas, performing task analysis and object-action analysis, and mapping user journey and experience.