Table Of ContentUser-Centered
Design Stories
The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies
Series Editors:
(cid:129) Stuart Card, PARC
(cid:129) Jonathan Grudin, Microsoft
(cid:129) Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group
User-Centered Design Stories: Real-World UCD Case Studies
Carol Righi and Janice James
Sketching User Experience: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design
Bill Buxton
Text Entry Systems: Mobility, Accessibility, Universality
Scott MacKenzie and Kumiko Tanaka-ishi
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works
Janice “Ginny” Redish
Personas and User Archetypes: A Field Guide for Interaction Designers
Jonathan Pruitt and Tamara Adlin
Cost-Justifying Usability
Edited by Randolph Bias and Deborah Mayhew
User Interface Design and Evaluation
Debbie Stone, Caroline Jarrett, Mark Woodroffe, Shailey Minocha
Rapid Contextual Design
Karen Holtzblatt, Jessamyn Burns Wendell, and Shelley Wood
Voice Interaction Design: Crafting the New Conversational Speech Systems
Randy Allen Harris
Understanding Users: A Practical Guide to User Requirements: Methods, Tools, and Techniques
Catherine Courage and Kathy Baxter
The Web Application Design Handbook: Best Practices for Web-Based Software
Susan Fowler and Victor Stanwick
The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone’s Impact on Society
Richard Ling
Information Visualization: Perception for Design, 2nd Edition
Colin Ware
Interaction Design for Complex Problem Solving: D eveloping Useful and Usable Software
Barbara Mirel
The Craft of Information Visualization: Readings and Refl ections
Written and edited by Ben Bederson and Ben Shneiderman
HCI Models, Theories, and Frameworks: Towards a Multidisciplinary Science
Edited by John M. Carroll
Web Bloopers: 60 Common Web Design Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them
Jeff Johnson
Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research
Mike Kuniavsky
Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refi ne User Interfaces
Carolyn Snyder
User-Centered
Design Stories
Real-World UCD Case Files
Edited by
Carol Righi
and
Janice James
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
User-centered design stories: real-world UCD case fi les / edited by Carol Righi and Janice James.
p. cm. — (The Morgan Kaufmann series in interactive technologies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-12-370608-9 ((hardcover))
ISBN-10: 0-12-370608-4 ((hardcover))
1. New products—Management–Case studies. 2. Customer relations—Case studies. 3. User interfaces
(Computer systems)–Case studies. 4. Reengineering (Management)–Case studies. 5. Management
information systems—Case studies. I. Righi, Carol. II. James, Janice ( Janice Sue)
HF5415.15.U74 2007
658.5′038—dc22
2007007430
ISBN-13: 978-0-12-370608-9
ISBN-10: 0-12-370608-4
For information on all Morgan Kaufmann publications,
visit our Web site at www.mkp.com or www.books.elsevier.com
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Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
PART I
Promoting, Establishing, and Administering
a User-Centered Design Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Changing Products Means Changing Behaviors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
CASE 1
by John Innes, Intuit
The Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Analyzing the Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
The Compro mise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Creating Feedback Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
The Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Thank You Mr. Gantt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Doing It Right—Iterative Design Based on User Feedback. . . . . . . . .19
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Managing Politics in the Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
CASE 2
by Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Bubble Mountain Consulting
The Cleveland Company: Evolving From Old to
New Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Sibling Rivalry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
v
vi
Contents
The Team Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
A New Leader Comes to New York City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
No, You Come to Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Bait and Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Trench Buddies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Finally, Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Raising Awareness at the Company Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
CASE 3
by Janice Anne Rohn, World Savings Bank
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Understanding and Integrating Into the Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Understanding the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Creating a Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Building and Launching a Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Customer Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Customer Testimonials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Facilitating the Integration of UE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Creating a Resource Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Information on UE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Value System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Bonuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
UE Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Release Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Consistent Messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Usability Step by Step: Small Steps to a More
CASE 4
Successful Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
by Maggie Reilly, Smart Solutions, Inc.
Stealth Usability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
vii
Contents
Site Structure, Search Engine, and Search Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Value Versus Viewing Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Revising Sites and Redeeming Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
The Plan and How to Work It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Planning and Preparing the Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Project Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Team Structure and Deliverables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Session Length and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Recruiting Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Success with Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Initial Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Presenting Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Recommendations for the ADP Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
“Selling” the Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Long-Term Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
The Usual Suspects: How to Do It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
T he Philosophy of Usability: Usability Concepts
and Principles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Useful Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Growing a Business by Meeting (Real)
CASE 5
Customer N eeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
by Marie Tahir, Intuit and Gia Rozells, Intuit
Evaluating the Current State of RevPhoto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Developing an Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Evaluating the Research Data With the Cross-Functional
Leadership Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
But the Usability People Said It Was Okay . . . Or,
CASE 6
How Not to “Do Usability” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
by Mary Beth Rettger, The MathWorks
Ellen Has a Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
viii
Contents
The Usability Group at Fourier Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Ellen Remembers How She Got into This Mess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Nancy’s Side of the Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
And, Tom’s Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Fixing the Problem for Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Taking on a Project the Right Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
How to Say No Gracefully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
PART II
Research, Evaluation, and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Estimating a User-Centered Design Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
CASE 7
by Stephanie Rosenbaum, Tec Ed, Inc. and Laurie Katner, Tec Ed, Inc.
Tell Us What You Think It Will Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
The Detailed Estimate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
What About Project Management and External Duties? . . . . . . . . . .129
What About the Development Timeline? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Let’s Redefi ne and Get Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Now Is the Time for Course Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Good Plans Shape Good Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
A Case Study in Card Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
CASE 8
by Carol Righi, Perfi cient, Inc. and Larry Wood, Parallax Ineraction
Determining the Need for a Card Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Planning the Card Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Implementing the Card Sort Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
The HURIE Method: A Case Study Combining
CASE 9
Requirements Gathering and User Interface Evaluation . . . . . . . .163
by Randolph Bias, The University of Texas at Austin; Shannon Lucas,
Motive, Inc.; Tammy L. Latham, Benifi tfocus.com, Inc.
ix
Contents
The Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
The Client: IC2 Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Software Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Usability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
The Product: Digital Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
The Problem Revealed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
The Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
A New Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
The Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
The Sites and Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
The Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Two Contrasting Case Studies in Integrating Business
CASE 10
Analysis With Usability Requirements Analysis and User
Interface Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
by Deborah J. Mayhew, Deborah J. Mayhew & Associates
Case 1: The Thompson Institute: No Business Analysis . . . . . . . . . .185
Project Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Project Execution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
Case 2: The City Police Department: Business Analysis
Already Com pleted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Project Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Project Execution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206
A Case Study in Personas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209
CASE 11
by Robert Barlow-Busch, Quarry Integrated Communications
Introducing the Idea of Personas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209
Planning the Field Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
Conducting the Field Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Developing the Personas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
