User-centered design is a process that considers users' needs at each stage of design. It involves analyzing how users will use a product, testing assumptions with users, and iterating on designs based on feedback. For mobile design specifically, considerations include screen size, connectivity, minimizing inputs, and prioritizing important content given space constraints. Gathering feedback through methods like focus groups, usability testing, surveys, and interviews is important. The key aspects of UCD are understanding users, building customized solutions, and constantly testing and refining designs.

1. What is User
Centered Design?

2. UCD Defined
User Centered Mobile Design
User-centered design (UCD) is the process where the needs,
wants, and limitations of end-users of a (mobile) product are given
attention at each stage of the design process.
UCD is a problem solving process that analyzes and foresees how
users are likely to use an app. It also tests their assumptions with
regard to user behavior in real world scenarios.
Source:
Wikipedia - User Centered Design
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design

3. UCD Simplified
What it means?
Success hinges on knowing your users and building a solution
customized to effectively connect with them.
Consider and examine...
- User needs, wants, constraints

4. Analysis
User Requirements Analysis
- What are your mobile product goals?
- Determine what users “really” need
- Conduct a usability evaluation
- Make a list of the most important features and functions

5. Evaluation
Usability Evaluation
- Heuristic/expert evaluation: get constructive criticism and
honest feedback from mobile design and/or industry experts
- Competitive analysis: assess the strengths and weaknesses
of your closest competitors
- User interviews: ask questions to discover facts and
opinions held by potential app users

6. Concept
Conceptual Design
- Sketch out the design of the app pages and layout
- Rapidly create app visual representations (mockups)
or interactive representations (prototypes)
- Evaluate the usability - get feedback
Quickly iterate - take what learned from the “evaluation” and make
changes to your designs

7. Implement
Design + Implementation
- Revise user interface based on concept evaluation
- Apply style, look, and feel to design
- Create user interface according to mobile best practices
and platform guidelines
- Design for accessibility

8. Evaluate
Usability Evaluation
- Conduct a usability evaluation on the final design
- Refine the product based on results
- Iterate and then iterate again - repeat this process until
goals/ needs are met

9. Launch
Launch + Maintenance
- Document the process
- Collect feedback from users through feedback forms,
surveys, or interviews
- Iterate to improve the user experience

10. Mobile Design
Considerations

11. Differences
Desktop vs Mobile
Some principles of desktop design apply to mobile design, but
mobile experiences are unique because of...
- Smaller screen size
- Connectivity issues
- Mobile app use cases

12. Mobile
Mobile Means Mobile
Mobile users are not captive like computer users are. Desktop
users access technology sitting comfortably, while mobile users
are on the move.
- Micro-tasking: Using the phone for short bursts of activity.
- Local : Finding out what’s around the user.
- Bored : Using the phone for distraction/entertainment.

13. Screen Size
When SIZE Matters
Mobile screens vary widely in size (Android especially). Know your
audience and choose your target devices accordingly.

14. Device Questions
User Devices
Research what type of devices your users are purchasing..
- Tablets - Android vs iPad vs Surface
- Phones - Android vs iPhone
Decide whether to go native or go with a cross platform solution

15. Usability
Navigation Best Practices
- Reduce the levels of navigation, and rearrange based on
priority, presenting the most important items first.
- Use clear, concise and consistent labels for navigation
- Make sure the tap size (width or height) for icon items are at
least 33 pixels width/height
- Make everything obvious
- Provide clear and immediate visual feedback for actions

16. Prioritize
Prioritize Content
Be succinct. Smaller screen sizes require careful attention to
content displayed. Prioritize the content and display the most
important content first.
Cut unnecessary content, then cut some more.

17. Minimize Tasks
Minimize Input Actions
-Use device capabilities for input - motion, camera, gyroscope,
voice, GPS
-Limit manual input. If registration is required, limit it to the
minimum required fields. Alternatives -- entering zip code instead
of city and state

18. Minimize Tasks
Minimize Input Actions
-Select the best mobile input option allowing users to select from
a list of options is often faster than typing
- Remember the last selection and plug it in as default data
- When users need to log in, offer the option to stay signed in

19. Connectivity
Connectivity Considerations
Users may be disconnected from data access or be tethered to a
limited data plan.
- Keep memory demands in check so the app loads quickly and
doesn’t cause crashes
- Remove unnecessary code or graphics when possible
- Optimize image sizes and resolutions
- Save info locally when data access disconnected

20. Error Handling
Tell Users When Things Go Wrong
- Lost connectivity
- Data entry mistakes
- Upload or download failure

21. Feedback
Mechanisms

22. Feedback
Feedback Mechanisms
- Focus Groups
- Usability Testing
- Surveys
- Interviews

23. Focus Groups
When to use them
Focus groups are most often used as an input to design.
They generally produce non-statistical data and are a good means
of getting more in-depth information on a particular subject.

24. Focus Groups
Issues
It's necessary to have an experienced moderator and analyst for a
focus group to be effective.
Focus groups can be difficult to organize and expensive.

25. Usability Testing
What is it?
Usability testing sessions evaluate an by collecting data from
people as they use it. A user is asked to perform a series of tasks
while a moderator takes note of any difficulties they encounter.
Users can be asked to follow the think-aloud protocol which asks
them to verbalize what they're doing and why they're doing it.
You can also time users to see how long it takes them to complete
tasks, which is a good measure of efficiency.

26. Usability Testing
When to use
Usability testing can be used as an input during app design or at
the end of a project.
It represents an excellent way finding out what the most likely
usability problems with an app are likely to be. Usability testing
can generate non-statistical or statistical data.

27. Usability Testing
Issues
Usability testing requires some form of design to be available to
test - even if it's only on paper.
Testing works best if it focuses either on gathering non-statistical
feedback on a design through 'talking aloud'.

28. Surveys
What are they?
Questionnaires are a means of asking users for their responses to
a pre-defined set of questions.
It is a good way of generating statistical data.

29. Surveys
When to use
Questionnaires are usually employed when a design team:
- Can only gain remote access to an app
- Is seeking a larger sample size than can be realistically achieved
through direct contact
It is for this reason that questionnaires are usually administered
electronically

30. Surveys
Issues
Questionnaires allow statistical analysis of results, which can
increase a study's credibility through its scientific appearance.
This makes it all the more important that the questionnaire is well-
designed and asks non-biased questions.

31. Interviews
What are they?
An interview usually involves one interviewer speaking to one
participant at a time.
The advantages of an interview are that a participant's unique
point of view can be explored in detail.
It is also the case that any misunderstandings between the
interviewer and the participant are likely to be quickly identified
and addressed.

32. Interviews
When to use
Interviews are usually employed early in the design process.
This allows an app designer to gain a more detailed understanding
of a specific area of activity or requirement.

33. Interviews
Issues
Interviewing places a high premium on the experience and skill of
the interviewer and analyst. Human error and internal biases can
play a factor in receiving the flawed feedback.

34. Recap
• UCD analyzes user’s needs, wants and constraints
• Constantly test and iterate
• Mobile design is highly specialized
• Be sensitive to user device choices and data issues
• Get feedback, then get more feedback
• Plan, research, design, adapt, measure —> repeat