Before starting this post, I would like to mention that the concept of user-centered design has always been very clear in my head. But every time I thought about it, user experience (UX) design also came to mind, and I treated them as completely different things. This made it a bit confusing.
Is UX part of UCD? What sets them apart? Are they the same thing with two different names? Well, let’s talk about this, so that if you, like me, have the same doubt, we can clarify it. 👌🏻
The easy answer is: UX design is a part of the UCD process. Both works together to provide a higher product quality for the user. While UCD covers the entire user-centered design process from initial research to final iteration, UX is a specific part of this process. This is why UCD is a multidisciplinary process that involves a whole team including designers, engineers, marketing professionals, researchers, developers, stakeholders, and of course, the users. 🧩
User-Centered Design and how it played a role in the development of the Dutchify app. 📱💡
User-centered design is an iterative process divided into five parts, according to Norman and Draper. It’s a non-systematic process that moves back and forth, so, it is not linear. It works in sprints and focuses on creating products centered around users’ needs and preferences. “But this seems time-consuming” – and it is. However, the process pays off in the end due to the number of errors resolved during the process. Imagine launching an application full of errors? The cost of fixing that later is higher than getting it right from the beginning. Not to mention the headache and stress it causes.
Not to mention that when users are involved in the process, the chances of them liking the final product are much higher because it’s, above all, an empathetic process. 🌈
Let’s check the stages of this process:
- Research and Analysis 📊: Understand who will use the product and their needs. Conduct research to discover what people want and need. UX design begins here.
- Concept and Strategy 🎯: Generate ideas for the product and plan how it will function. Define goals and how to achieve them. UX design also plays a part in this process.
- Design 👩🏻🎨 : Create the visual appearance of the product and how people will use it. Develop drawings and prototypes. UI design is involved in this phase.
- Development 📱: Build the actual product based on the design. Program and make it work. MVPs are normally created here, as well as Beta versions.
- Implementation and Testing 🕹️: This is where you test your product and go back to other phases to fix issues. Eventually, you publish it.
When I failed UCD miserably: Dutchify App. 😂✨
UCD was one of the approaches used to build the Dutchify app, created to assist Brazilians in passing the Inburgering exam. The main discovery from this process was realising that people wouldn’t download the app if the goal was to teach Dutch, as initially planned. 🤦🏻♀️🫠 They wanted something quick, practical, and helpful for passing the test.
That was my first mistake: deciding everything before conducting preliminary research. And being the anxious designer that I am, I thought, “I took the test, I know what people want.” I designed the entire app interface without any user analysis, relying only on my experience. But it wasn’t that simple. My needs didn’t reflect others’ needs.
Initially, I wanted to turn Dutchify into a new Duolingo, but only for Dutch. The feedback I got was that if they wanted a Duolingo for Dutch, they would download Duolingo. Fair enough. I felt dumb, and it was dumb. I’m sure if my professor Sav could see me at this point he would have asked his favourite question “Amanda, why do you look so miserable?” because I was. 🙃 I had to change my approach. Focus on what they want now, not what I think they need.
In the end, I managed to find a compromise. By implementing gamification, I created an app that not only trained users for the test but also built the necessary vocabulary. However, this was only possible due to the feedback I received from both the audience, through surveys, and professionals in the field.
I realised I needed to redesign the entire interface I had previously created because it was too complex and needed to be simplified to the maximum – I wasn’t very happy about it. But I made the changes, and they worked. The people who tested it seemed satisfied with the alterations. 🔙
The lesson was clear. I had to change everything, which consumed a lot of time. Note for the future: it’s always important to remember that the user comes first. This is how things should be done if you don’t want to waste time and money. After all, how can I know what you need without talking to you? This “mind reader complex” is gone now. Perhaps my arrogance in thinking I’m always right and that everyone has the same experience as I contributed to this initial failure. 😬
#UCD #UserCenteredDesign #AppDevelopment #DutchifyApp #UserExperience
