WEEK 6 | USER CENTRED DESIGN

Simplicity  

• designing simplicity is the process of elimination. Means that to remove unnecessary complexity, make it simple and can easily understand by the audience and simplicity is not simple. 

Chunking

• According to about.com, chunking is a term to the process of taking individual units of information (chunks) and grouping them into larger units. Probably the most common example of chunking occurs in phone numbers. For example, a phone number sequence of 4-7-1-1-3-2-4 would be chunk into 471-1324. Chunking is often a useful tool when memorizing large amounts of information. By separating disparate individual elements into larger blocks, information becomes easier to retain and recall. 

Contrast

• Contrast can be defined by the difference in color and brightness of some object. It depends on how people see the object whether it is contrast to them or not. Contrast in object can makes the object more stands out than the plain ones. Usually people are tends to look forward to objects that  is interesting and attractive. The pictures below show the contrast in color. 

Visual Variables

• Visual variables can be classified as cartographic symbolization. It has images, icon, symbols that used for translating an information. It don't use word to send the message but only used symbolization to give the message to people when they look at it. For example, symbol on the public toilet. Some of the public toilet does not have a text written as 'male' or 'female' but only have an icon but still people know the meaning of the symbol. Same as the signage on the road. It doesn't have words but it gives a strength message and people understand it well. 

 

User Centred Design

• Usability.gov said that user centred design (USD) is an approach for employing usability. It is a structured product development methodology that involves users throughout all stages of web site development, in order to create a web site that meets users needs. This approach considers an organization's business objectives and the user's needs, limitations, and preferences. 

The goal of UCD is to produce products that have a high degree of usability. A good design is based on the customer because only customer knows what they want the design looks like. A design is a work among the designer and the customer. A designer should listen to customer's idea and tries to understand what they want. Communication is the important part because if the designer misunderstood the information gave by the customer, the outcome might be worse. To avoid that, the designer should do some research regarding to the information that be given from the customer so that the final outcome will be much better and might be a good design. 

AISYAH ALWANI
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