Jisc Academic Networking

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JISC ACADEMIC NETWORKING JISC ACADEMIC NETWORKING A User-Centered Design Methodology A User-Centered Design Methodology For a Social Networking Tool For a Social Networking Tool

description

A user-centered design methodology for a social networking tool.

Transcript of Jisc Academic Networking

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JISC ACADEMIC NETWORKINGJISC ACADEMIC NETWORKING

A User-Centered Design Methodology A User-Centered Design Methodology For a Social Networking ToolFor a Social Networking Tool

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OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATIONOVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION

1.1. IntroductionIntroduction

• Who we are• About the project in brief

2.2. Overview of the project Overview of the project

3.3. The project close-upThe project close-up

• Preparation before starting with the project• Research phase• Design phase• Coding and implementation phase• Wrap-up

4.4. FeedbackFeedback

• Questions?• Feedback and comments

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

WHO WE AREWHO WE ARE

About JISC and CARETAbout JISC and CARET

People involved in the projectPeople involved in the project

John Norman (Director)

Harriet Truscott (Lead Researcher)Anne-Sophie De Baets (Researcher)

Nicolaas Matthijs (UI Developer)

Tjhien Liao (UI Designer)Laura James (Project manager)

Oszkar Nagy (UI Designer)

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

ABOUT THE PROJECTABOUT THE PROJECT

Where did the idea come from & what is the aim?Where did the idea come from & what is the aim?

“Create a system for use within universities, which will make sharing and communication

about teaching, learning and research between academics, postgraduate and

undergraduate students at the universities more effective bringing the best features ofsocial networking to academic networking.”

End deliverableEnd deliverable

Novelty of the projectNovelty of the project

• Experimented with user-centred design would this work in Academic world?

• Intensive research phase design phase with user-testing sessions

Flow InteractiveFlow Interactive

• www.flowinteractive.com • Training us in their methods• How well do commercial techniques work in a university software development

environment?

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OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECTOVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT

Preparation before startingPreparation before starting

• Defining project planning

• Defining research question

Research phaseResearch phase

• Recruiting target audience

• Gathering information: diary studies and interviews

• Working with data: task goal analysis and affinity sorting

• Working with data: behavioural axes

• Working with data: use the analyzed data to create personas

• Defining user and business requirements to start with design

Design phaseDesign phase

• Using personas and requirements to create extreme designs of concepts

• User recruitment and user testing sessions: using paper prototypes

• Using user feedback to merge extreme concepts into 1 refined design

• User recruitment and user testing sessions: using wire frames

• Repeating process of user recruitment, user testing and concept refinement until project team

and target audience are happy

• NEXT: We might do another round of design from scratch.

Coding and implementation phaseCoding and implementation phase• Implementing system in New CamTools / Sakai 3

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPPreparation before startingPreparation before starting

Defining the project planningDefining the project planning

= Guideline; what steps come next?

Giving an answer to: • How long will the project take?• How many people involved? Their roles?• How do our plans fit within academic year? Are students available when we need them?• What’s the budget?

Defining a research question Defining a research question

= Guideline of what you are trying to find out during the phases.

Our question: “How do students and academics communicate about their teaching, learning and research activities?”

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

RECRUITING THE TARGET AUDIENCERECRUITING THE TARGET AUDIENCE

• AIM : Gathering information from people who are representatives of target audience.

• What are their needs? diary studies and interviews

• But first recruit them How?

1.1. Define criteria Define criteria Spread of all the people 2.2. Define amount of participants Define amount of participants More criteria = more people

3.3. Start looking for right participants: different waysStart looking for right participants: different ways

• Running a survey• Find appropriate people in different sources• Find appropriate people through personal relationships• Reusing lists of participants

• Picking the right and useful peoplePicking the right and useful people

• Contacting participantsContacting participants

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

GATHERING INFORMATION BY DOING DIARY STUDIES AND INTERVIEWSGATHERING INFORMATION BY DOING DIARY STUDIES AND INTERVIEWS

Thoughts Thoughts • AIM: gathering information What are their problems? What to design later?

• BASIC PRINCIPLE : let them fulfill tasks

Doing the diary and interviewDoing the diary and interview

Capturing the informationCapturing the information

• Note taking

• Task goal analysis or recording and analyzing afterwards

Diary before the interview Diary combined with interview questions Questionnaire

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

WORKING WITH THE DATA : TASK GOAL ANALYSIS WORKING WITH THE DATA : TASK GOAL ANALYSIS

• AIM: analyzing data from interview through linking it to categories

• First phase in process of analyzing information

Close-up Close-up

Description of the processDescription of the process

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

WORKING WITH THE DATA : AFFINITY SORTINGWORKING WITH THE DATA : AFFINITY SORTING

• So far : awful lot of data need to sort it• AIM : find patterns in the information, cluster similar behaviours • How?

1.1. Cut every single entry Cut every single entry of every participant and put randomly on the wall

2.2. Find entries which are similar Find entries which are similar and cluster them

3.3. End up with lots of sorted clusters End up with lots of sorted clusters which present similar behaviours of

people included in our research

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

WORKING WITH THE DATA: BEHAVIOURAL AXESWORKING WITH THE DATA: BEHAVIOURAL AXES

• AIM: visually represent participants

• Compared to each other• According to behaviours found during Task Goal analysis

• Group in as few clusters as possible easier to work with• How?

1.1. Create grid Create grid with only behavioural axes poles on it

2.2. Write down every participant’s name Write down every participant’s name on colour coded post-its

• Put every name on the grid Put every name on the grid compared to each other and try to find patters and try to find patters

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

WORKING WITH THE DATA: USE ANALYZED DATA TO CREATE PERSONASWORKING WITH THE DATA: USE ANALYZED DATA TO CREATE PERSONAS

A persona: A persona: • Represents needs of larger (the whole) group of users

• Identifies user’s needs, motivations, expectations, goals

• Brings the group of users to life presenting them as real people

• Helps focusing during design phase

• Can be a ‘Primary’ or ‘Secondary’ persona

How to present them as real peopleHow to present them as real people

The 3 personas we ended up with The 3 personas we ended up with

made-up name

made-up picture

Goals based on all participants’ information

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPResearch phaseResearch phase

DEFINING USER AND BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS TO START DESIGN PHASEDEFINING USER AND BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS TO START DESIGN PHASE

• BridgeBridge between research and design phase

• How?How? Used goals of every persona to translate them into requirements

Example:Example:

Goal: “Discover what other people are working on.”

Requirement:“The user needs to be notified about relevant people or content they wouldn’t otherwise know about.”

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

USING PERSONAS & REQUIREMENTS TO CREATE EXTREME DESIGNS OF USING PERSONAS & REQUIREMENTS TO CREATE EXTREME DESIGNS OF CONCEPTSCONCEPTS

AIM : End up with extreme preliminary designs of conceptsHow?

1.1. Brainstorm Brainstorm about requirements and personas• Initial thoughts• Matching related thoughts

2.2. End upEnd up with with more than 10 but picked 3 most important and useful ones.• Each linked to a persona• Extreme thoughts

• Fleshed outFleshed out so we got real ideas to start designing with

AdvantagesAdvantages of this step :• Extreme ideas: designers can be more creative• Every persona’s needs will be answered in a design

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

IT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER RECRUITMENTIT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER RECRUITMENT

• AIM : Find relevant people to see whether our designs really are answers to their needs.

• DIFFERENT : Now specifically focusing on 3 personas

• How recruiting? Same ways as before:

1.1. Define criteria Define criteria Spread of 3 personas 2.2. Define amount of participantsDefine amount of participants

3.3. Start looking for right participants: different waysStart looking for right participants: different ways

• Running a survey : questions to find out personas• Find appropriate people in different sources• Find appropriate people through personal relationships• Reusing lists of participants

• Picking the right and useful peoplePicking the right and useful people

• Contacting participantsContacting participants

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

IT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER TESTING SESSIONS USINGIT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER TESTING SESSIONS USINGPAPER PROTOTYPESPAPER PROTOTYPES

Why paper prototypes: Why paper prototypes: • We want to keep it looking unfinished at this stage

• We want to get more hones feedback

The 3 concepts we ended up withThe 3 concepts we ended up with• 3 different kinds of prototypes; 1 for each persona

• Each concept contains several pages

Way of doing user testing sessions Way of doing user testing sessions • 2 rooms, one-way mirror

• Observe and analyze at high level

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

USING FEEDBACK TO MERGE EXTREME CONCEPTS INTO 1 REFINED DESIGNUSING FEEDBACK TO MERGE EXTREME CONCEPTS INTO 1 REFINED DESIGN

• Before: 3 extreme designs; 1 for each persona• AIM : end up with 1 design instead of 3

• So: merge 3 designs into 1

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

IT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER RECRUITMENTIT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER RECRUITMENT

• AIM : Find relevant people to see whether our designs really are answers to their needs.

• DIFFERENT : Instead of concentrating on personas, more on different kinds

find out how merged system works for everyone

• How recruiting? Same ways as before:

1.1. Define criteria Define criteria Spread of 3 personas 2.2. Define amount of participantsDefine amount of participants

3.3. Start looking for right participants: different waysStart looking for right participants: different ways

• Running a survey • Find appropriate people in different sources• Find appropriate people through personal relationships• Reusing lists of participants

• Picking the right and useful peoplePicking the right and useful people

• Contacting participantsContacting participants

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

IT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER TESTING SESSIONS USINGIT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT USERS THINK : USER TESTING SESSIONS USINGWIRE FRAMESWIRE FRAMES

Why wire frames: Why wire frames: • Clickable wire frames on laptop

• More realistic feeling

• Allowed to criticize detail more at this stage

The design we ended up withThe design we ended up with• 1 design, containing the information of the 3 concepts 3 personas as well

Way of doing user testing sessions Way of doing user testing sessions • 2 rooms, one-way mirror

• Observe and analyze at high level

• Screen recordings

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UP Design phase Design phase

PROCESS OF USER RECRUITMENT, USER TESTING, REFINEMENT UNTIL PROCESS OF USER RECRUITMENT, USER TESTING, REFINEMENT UNTIL PROJECT TEAM AND TARGET AUDIENCE ARE HAPPYPROJECT TEAM AND TARGET AUDIENCE ARE HAPPY

Done so far : Done so far :

• Came up with 3 extreme designs of concepts

• Tested them

• Merged into 1 design

• Tested again

• Found out how to refine this as well

This process could go on until project team & target audience are happy

Future :Future :• We’re planning to have further design rounds

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPCoding and implementationCoding and implementation

IMPLEMENTING SYSTEM IN NEW SAKAI-BASED CAMTOOLSIMPLEMENTING SYSTEM IN NEW SAKAI-BASED CAMTOOLS

• Within some time : putting decided designs into code

• Have a look how to implement in new Sakai-based CamTools

• At same moment : Building basic networking into new Sakai-based CamTools (piloting autumn this year)

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THE PROJECT CLOSE-UPTHE PROJECT CLOSE-UPWrap-upWrap-up

• We enjoyed learning about user-centric design.

We felt this was a useful way to connect with real users and design for them.

We hope to try similar methods again on future projects.

• It’s a never ending process:

We’re still learning about how to do user research and user-centric design.

• We’re looking forward to seeing our academic networking concepts realized in the future.

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CONTACT USCONTACT US

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT?WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT?

Websites : Websites :

• http://www.caret.cam.ac.uk

• http://academic-networking.blogspot.com

People :People :

• Laura James (project manager): [email protected]

• Anne-Sophie De Baets (researcher): [email protected]

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FEEDBACKFEEDBACK

Questions?Questions?

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Thank you!Thank you!