User-centric design and culture Maija Pekkola, Comnet / Aalto University

1. User-Centered Design and
Cultural Considerations
Maija Pekkola, UBI-SERV
maija.pekkola@tkk.fi
MOTIVE Workshop on Ubiquitous Health and Public Safety Services
February 3rd, 2010

2. User-Centered Design (UCD)
”... design processes in which end users
influence how a design takes shape.”
(Berkshire encyclopedia of human-computer interaction, 2004)
”... an approach to interactive system
development that focuses specifically on
making systems usable.”
(Human-centred design processes for interactive systems ISO 13407,
1999)

3. UCD approach
Process Product
The development of The product will be
the product is grounded suitable for its intended
on information about purpose in the
the people who will use environment in which it
the product. will be used.

4. Successful products
Cooper, A. (2004). The inmates are running the asylum – why high-tech products drive us crazy and how to
restore the sanity. Indiana: Sams.

5. Benefits
usability, usefulness, effectiveness,
efficiency, motivation, learnability,
satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyability,
fun, safety, better working conditions,
quality, increased productivity, better
performance, less training, less
need for support
...

6. Information about the user
environment
task
limitations
capabilities
needs skills
motivation

7. User involvement
Methods
● Surveys
● Interviews
● Contextual inquiry
● User observation
● Focus groups
● Evaluations ...

8. International markets

9. Cultural differences
norms
values
conventions
symbols actions
goals
language
meanings
perception
cognition

10. From
a local
interface...

11. … to localizing the concept.

12. Cultural differences
norms
values
conventions
symbols actions
goals
language
meanings
perception
cognition

13. Cultural considerations in UCD
”Effective strategies that address cultural
issues in both the product and the process of
information systems development now often
are critical to systems success.”
A. Smith, F. Yetim / Interacting with Computers 16 (2004) 1–5

14. Cultural considerations in UCD
Process Methods Product
The development of ● Surveys The product will be
the product is grounded ● Interviews suitable for its intended
on information about ● Contextual inquiry purpose in the
the people who will use ● User observation environment in which it
the product. ● Focus groups will be used.
● Evaluations ...
How are users able How to ensure the How the product
to participate in the validity of the accommodates to
process and act as research and the cultural differences
subjects in applicapility of the in norms, values,
evaluation studies? methods? conventions, signs,
meanings and
actions?