Knowledge cards

The four official HCD activities are: Understand and specify the context of use; Specify the user requirements; Produce design solutions; Evaluate the designs against user requirements.

If the user cannot complete the goal, the primary usability issue is effectiveness.

If an issue makes using the website harder, it concerns usability; issues such as high prices or post-interaction marketing can affect user experience without affecting website usability.

Primary users use the system for its main purpose; secondary users use it to support or maintain it; indirect users use outputs without directly interacting with it.

Tasks have inherent value to users and can form usability test tasks; isolated subtasks should normally be avoided as usability test tasks.

Context-of-use survey questions ask about real situations, reasons and expectations; questions judging a specific design are evaluation questions.

A focus group uses a group setting to gain understanding of selected subjects and key context-of-use questions from different perspectives.

Interaction principles include Conformity with user expectations and Suitability for the task; Accessibility, Sustainability and Avoidance of harm from use are not interaction principles.

A wireframe shows structure and layout; a low-fidelity prototype can simulate interaction.

Representative users observed while performing representative tasks characterises a usability test.

Usability test planning includes writing the usability test guide and recruiting participants; briefing and the pre-test interview are conducting activities; reporting is communicating.

A post-test interview takes place after the participant has carried out the usability test tasks.

A user survey collects facts and opinions through a questionnaire.

A usability inspection is an evaluation where experts identify potential usability problems.

Usability findings can be positive; commercial price complaints are not usability findings.

Typical ratings include Positive finding, Minor problem, Major problem, Critical problem and Catastrophic problem; Essential problem is not a typical rating.