Why is it important to have a user-centered vision within your product?

Designers always approach creativity as a challenge to find the most immediate and simple way to solve various problems. When we are deeply focused on the project process during research and development, we often concentrate on certain aspects that may lead to a subjective view of the problems we are analysing, and risk ignoring the only vision that matters, the vision of users.

Studying users’ behaviour, understanding their needs, communicating with them and asking questions are fundamental steps in an approach that sees the user’s needs at the center of its actions, in order to obtain a product that is simple and intuitive to use.

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What

What is user-centered design?

User-centered design is an approach to design that keeps the users and their needs at the center of every decision, starting with their involvement in the research phase through the final prototyping stages. The origin of today’s user as the central point of the design process is attributed to Donald Norman, an American researcher and author of numerous design books.

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Why

Why should we implement it? What benefits can user-centered design bring?

While creating, such areas as usability and accessibility may be overlooked. At the same time user-centered design helps significantly improve the product and achieve business goals more quickly.

• Products meet users’ expectations and requirements, which results in increased sales;
• Designing in specific contexts with a consistent and appropriate target group of users reduces the risk of error and thus produces safer products;
• Empathy! Empathy has now become a fundamental part of the design as it helps to connect designers with users, and closer and deeper aspects such as respect for privacy and quality of life emerge;
• Focus on all users of a product, as this will lead to a more inclusive and sustainable product.

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How

How can UCD be used in the most efficient way?

This system can be used to monitor the progress of a project. Actively involving users is like having an alarm bell! When the activity is no longer clear and intuitive the path to follow can be refined.

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This illustration shows the general process of user-centered design that starts by deepening our understanding of the context, people’s behaviour, needs and attitude. We can collect data through surveys, interviews, discussions, etc. Working with multidisciplinary groups helps to get a deeper understanding about the context of product usage, but it is also important to consider the available technology and budget.

After collecting all the data, it’s time to analyse and synthesize the research results and specify the requirements to start the project.

Usually, a developed prototype goes through user testing to evaluate the design solutions in practice. Each iteration incorporates insights and research from previous attempts to improve and refine the product or service.

At Shortcut we choose the UCD by default to assure high product performance and achievement of business goals. All the mobile apps designed by Shortcut’s team are created with a strong focus on users, their needs and preferences. That’s why apps like HerCare or Stepler gain people’s love and get millions of downloads.

Are you curious about how user-centered app design can help your business growth? Contact us at consulting.sweden@shortcut.io to find the best app solution for your business.

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