Products & Digital Devices

The use of personas as a method for communicating user requirements in collaborative design environments is well established. However, very little research has been conducted to quantify the benefits of using this technique. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using personas. A design experiment was conducted with students over a 6 week timeframe. The results showed that, through using personas, designs with superior usability characteristics were produced. They also indicate that using personas provides a significant advantage during the research and conceptualisation stages of the design process (supporting previously unfounded claims).

The out of box experience (OOBE) describes the users first interaction with a product or service.  In the technology sector this first experience invariably involves plugging stuff in, installing some software and crossing your fingers in the hope that the product will work. The problem is that, in far too many cases, it doesn’t.

It is important to remember that the experience a person has using a product or service is every bit as important as that product or services usability.

As software interfaces migrate from the computer to become embedded in a multitude of everyday products, the scope to consider the hardware interface and the software interface under one unified approach becomes a possibility and a necessity.

There are aspects to touch-screen technology that make their design fundamentally different to that of desktop applications. This article outlines these differences and provides some pointers to ensure success.