Chapter 5
Takeaways
1. Functional, environmental, organizational, competitor, materials, and content analyses will
2. Functional requirements should allow users to successfully accomplish real tasks. Features
that dont accomplish anything for users should be downgraded in priority or removed.
4. The level of environmental analysis that you need will depend on the product and how it will
5. Create working models (flow, cultural, sequence, physical, and artifact) of the user
6. An effective UCD product should make users better at what they do. It should improve
communication, eliminate or offer solutions for cultural barriers, speed up work, and make
work better. The product should fit and improve the use environment.
7. Your job as a UCD designer is to operationalize your organizations goals. You need to work
8. A competitor analysis helps determine where your existing product is compared to
9. You must match features to materials and user to environment. Compare user needs and the
Discussion Questions
1. Compare the cultural model (fig. 5.1), artifacts model (fig. 5.2), sequence model (fig. 5.3),
physical model (fig. 5.4), and user flow model (fig. 5.5) for the Focus Concussion Detection
System. What do each of these models tell you about users and their needs? What type of
information is most helpful from each model? What did you learn from one model that
wasnt indicated in another model?
4. If we cannot mitigate every issue regarding a product or its use, how can we make
accommodations for this?
UCD Quests
1. Conduct an environmental analysis of a friend or coworker using a product. Where, when,
and how is he or she using it? Based on your findings, what recommendations would you
make for the design team to consider?
4. Conduct a materials analysis using the same product that you assessed for the competitor
analysis. Which features do you like? Which features would you change? Which features
directly contribute to your ability to use and enjoy the product?