User-Centered Approach

1.2.10 Possible consequences of failing to involve the end-user in the design process.

IB Subtopic

While obtaining requirements from the user is important, you also have to keep in mind that you must include stakeholders during the design process. In Criterion B you will be creating the design of your program. This will include mockups (hand-drawn or digital), UML diagrams, data-flow diagrams and a set of tests.

If you don’t include stakeholders in your design, you will end up creating something different from what the user had in mind.

There are six steps to a user/human-centered approach:

Phase 1: Observation

You’ve done this in Criterion A. You identified a problem and have understood why that problem is happening.

Phase 2: Ideation

You came up with an idea in Crit A and in Crit B, you formalize those ideas on paper. You create designs and tests that will help in future phases.

Phase 3: Rapid Prototyping

In Crit C you want to prototype quickly and get feedback often.

Phase 4: User Feedback

This feedback will be key to redesigning your product for Crit B. Your Crit B will change! Make sure to keep a record of the iterations and the conversations with your client/stakeholder that led to those changes.

Phase 5: Iteration

You will come back to Crit B over and over again.

Phase 6: Implementation

Finally, once you do phases 2-5 over and over, you will then put your product out for the world to use!