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CHAPTER 1
Newton and Its Users
1-14 Involve Users in the Design Process
Then look at how the Newton can facilitate the tasks. To help plan a task
analysis, imagine a scenario in which someone uses your product. List each
task a person might perform in that scenario, then break each task apart into
its component steps. This allows you to identify each step that a person goes
through in order to complete the task. Order the steps according to how
people do them. When you feel you have all the steps listed and ordered,
read the list back to someone and see if that person can use the steps you’ve
listed to accomplish the task.
Build Prototypes 1
For the third step, apply the information you’ve collected about your users,
their skills, and the tasks you envision them performing to create a prototype
of your design. Prototyping is the process by which you develop preliminary
versions of your design to verify its workability. You can use a variety of
techniques to construct prototypes of your design. Creating storyboards is
one technique—you draw out the steps your users will go through to
accomplish a task. Another technique is to build a simulation of the product
in prototyping software that animates some features or demonstrates how
the product will work.
Observe Users 1
Once you have a prototype drawn or mocked up, you can begin to show it to
people to get reactions to it. The fourth step, called user observation, lets
you test the workability of your product design by watching and listening
carefully to users as they work with your prototype. Although it is possible
to collect far more elaborate data, observing users is a quick way to obtain an
objective view of your product. Before you do any testing, take time to figure
out what you’re testing and what you’re not. By limiting the scope of the
test, you’re more likely to get information that will help you solve a specific
problem. You can use the information you gather about your target audience
to help you pick participants for your user observation; find people who
have the same demographic background and experience level as the typical
user in your target audience. Your participants will work through one or