Chapter 2
Takeaways
1. UCD incorporates techniques from multiple disciplines that have been historically employed to
2. UCD has roots in participatory design, which began as a labor movement for workforce
democratization. This method advanced from a technology-focused to user-focused design
where user needs were understood and integrated into the design process.
3. Changes in workforce safety measures and industrialization during the World Wars were strong
4. Consumer goods that represented new technologies for non-experts required designers to think
5. The arrival of the PC as a consumer product drastically altered the way developers approached
6. The availability of mobile devices led to complex systems where the web became intertwined
7. To make products easy to use, usability testing became a popular methodology to involve user
feedback into the design process. Representative users were asked to try out a product, and their
8. An iterative, UCD approach that focuses on the users mental model, environment, and complex
9. The thoughts, actions, and needs of the user must be at the very center of the design process.
Designers must consider the user experience and engage users as much as possible from the very
beginning of the design process.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some historically expert technologies (e.g., pumping gas, driving a car) that you now
use on a daily basis?
4. What contemporary tasks would be difficult to complete without mobile computing
technologies? How has the way you complete certain tasks or engaged with technology changed
since the onset of mobile computing technologies (if you were around before then)?
UCD Quests
1. Review an advertisement for a product that you might consider purchasing. What user-
friendly features does it highlight? Which features do you find most appealing? Compare your
answers with a classmates or coworkers. Discuss which features you found most important and
why.
3. Imagine that you are the CEO of a food company. How might you use shape coding to
distinguish ingredients with common food allergens (e.g., tree nuts) so that they do not
accidently get mixed into other foods? What other UCD user measures might you take so that
the ingredients remain separate?