Good User-Centered Conceptual Design
According to a study by PTC about 75% of development costs are committed in the conceptual design phase and that fewer than 25% of a products cost is influenced by decisions made after this stage. Therefore, creating a good conceptual design is critical to success.
Almost all scholars of design agree that a design is a plan to bring about a man-made product and that the creation of such a plan requires the use of related scientific information, technical data, and imagination to discover constraints and to explore alternative possibilities.
However, they differ in their views about how these factors combine to create a new design. Dasgupta and Simon [1] characterized design as restructuring a current situation to achieve a preferred goal, while Willem and Page [2] saw the process of designing as an imaginative jump from present facts to future possibilities.
How to Create a Good User-Centered Conceptual Design
This full day tutorial introduces a seven step user-centered framework for creating a conceptual design that serves as the basis for organizing a product’s functionality and representing it in the product’s user interface. The material is presented using a combination of case studies, anecdotes and the instructor’s experience, heuristic evaluation, and usability testing. Attendees will also work on a simple example project for hands-on practice applying the framework.
This course is designed for software developers, human factors engineers, usability professionals, and users involved in the creation of user interfaces and other products. It is also appropriate for designers of physical objects and systems who want to improve their understanding of how human factors can influence the success of the overall user experience.
It’s important to take a creative approach when it comes to conceptual design, but not too creative. You should also be analytical, focusing on the purpose of your project and how it will achieve its goals. If you go too far with creativity, you may lose sight of your vision and end up with something that doesn’t serve its intended purpose.