User Experience Research & Design

User Experience Research & Design Thesaurus Project INFO 622 Fall 2009 Jamie Thomson Introduction In the words of Don Norman, user experience is all aspects of the user s interaction with the product: how it is perceived, learned, and used. User experience research and design has emerged over the past decade as a major professional field. It has swallowed up its progenitors human-computer interaction, information architecture, and others and pulled useful theory and practice from timeless fields like psychology and anthropology. The rapid evolution of the field has led to terminology that is constantly in flux, growing and changing with the innovation, needs, and rivalries of practitioners. This thesaurus seeks to bring some order to the chaotic language that user experience professionals speak day-to-day. As a rough prototype, it is hardly comprehensive, but attempts to capture a snapshot of vocabulary related to common research and design methodologies, as well as some foundational concepts and sub-disciplines. Many terms include scope notes for the benefit of the novice and the seasoned practitioner, as the definitions in this field are not always commonly understood or agreed upon. The following sources were used in determining the meanings and relationships between terms: References [DB] Brown, D. M. (2007). Communicating design. Berkley, CA: New Riders. [FD] Foraker Design. (2005). Usability glossary. Usability first. Retrieved from http://www.usabilityfirst.com/glossary [DN] Norman, D. A. (2002). The design of everyday things. New York: Basic Books. [DS] Saffer, D. (2008, Dec. 4). The disciplines of user experience. Message posted to http://www.kickerstudio.com/blog/2008/12/the-disciplines-of-user-experience [HS] Sharp, H., Rogers, Y., Preece, J. (2007). Interaction design: Beyond human-computer interaction, 2 nd edition. West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [UP] Usability Professionals Association. (2005). Glossary. Usability body of knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.usabilitybok.org/glossary

Hierarchical Display Activities Card sorting Content audits Interviews o <interviews by number of people> One-on-one interviews Paired interviews Group interviews o Focus groups <interviews by structure> Semi-structured interviews Structured interviews Unstructured interviews Observation o Controlled observation Usability testing o Field observation Contextual inquiry Surveys o Screeners Artifacts & Documentation Design documentation o Flow charts o Prototypes Wireframes o Site maps o Style guides o Visual composites Research artifacts & documentation o Heat maps o Participant profiles o Personas o Questionnaires o Scripts Strategy documentation o Competitive analyses o Concept models

o Content inventories Equipment Eye-tracking devices Software o Design software Development software Diagramming software Graphic design software o Research software Screen recording software Facilities Usability labs o Observation rooms o Testing rooms Disciplines Anthropology Cognitive psychology Click tracking software Screen sharing software User experience o Ergonomics o Graphic design o Human-computer interaction o Human factors o Industrial design o Information architecture o Interaction design o Usability engineering Persons Facilitators Moderators Observers o Scribes Participants Users Concepts & Principles Design concepts

o o o o o o o o o o Affordances Consistency Constraints Feedback Fidelity Grid systems Mappings Navigation Taxonomies Usability Interaction types o Conversing o Exploring o Instructing o Manipulating Psychology concepts o Attention o Mental models o Memory o Perception Research concepts o Ethnography o Scenarios o <types of data> Demographics Qualitative data Quantitative data o <types of questions> Closed questions Open questions o <types of studies by proximity> Face-to-face studies Remote studies

Alphabetical Display affinity diagrams affordances anthropology attention audience profiles blueprints card sorting concept models an attribute of an object that signals people as to how they should use it [HS-33] design concepts ethnography human factors & ergonomics interaction design usability engineering user experience the process of selecting things to concentrate on, at a point in time, from the range of possibilities available [HS-95] psychology concepts eye tracking heat maps personas click tracking software wireframes a technique for uncovering the hierarchical structure in a set of concepts or natural themes in a set of qualitative data by having participants group items written on a set of cards. Often used for defining or validating taxonomies, or for developing concept models [FD] concept models qualitative data site maps taxonomies software that records when and where on the screen a user clicks screen recording software heat maps usability testing

closed questions cognitive models cognitive psychology competitive analyses comps concept maps concept models conceptual models consistency a question which requires an answer from a predetermined set of alternatives [HS-299] research concepts structured interviews open questions quantitative data questionnaires surveys mental models human-computer interaction information architecture psychology concepts usability engineering user experience document providing benchmarks and examples of competing systems [DB-107] strategy documentation visual composites concept models a diagram that shows the relationships between different abstract concepts related to a system or product [DB-37] affinity diagrams concept maps strategy documentation card sorting mental models flow charts mental models designing interfaces to have similar operations and use similar elements for achieving similar tasks [HS-32]

constraints design concepts content analyses content audits content inventories contextual inquiry contextual observation controlled observation conversing refers to determining ways of restricting the kinds of user interaction that can take place at a given moment [HS-31] design concepts content audits analyzing the content in an existing web site or system to determine what information needs to be updated, deleted, or migrated to a new system content analyses content inventories a list of all the information contained in a web site or system, along with metadata like location, creation date, owner, or target audience [DB-167] strategy documentation content audits a semi-structured interview method to obtain information about the context of use, where participants are first asked a set of standard questions and then observed and questioned while they work in their own environments [UP] field observation semi-structured interviews ethnography facilitators field observation observation of users in a controlled environment such as a usability lab, or any non-native environment lab studies lab observations observation eye tracking usability testing usability labs

demographics design concepts design documentation design software users engaging in dialog with a system, either verbally or via text entry, to which the system replies via text or speech output [HS-64] interaction types statistics representing the range and composition of a target audience, such as total market size and distribution of age, gender, education, income, computer experience, occupation, nationality, and system configurations. [DF] research concepts participant profiles personas surveys concepts and principles related to design. Many are foundations of disciplines related to and included in the scope of user experience affordances consistency constraints feedback fidelity grid systems mappings taxonomies documentation used to convey structure, behavior, or appearance of a designed system, interface, or object artifacts & documentation flow charts site maps visual composites wireframes design software software used to generate documentation, prototypes, or code for implementation software development software diagramming software graphic design software design documentation

development software diagramming software direct mail surveys dyads ergonomics ethnography exploring software used to generate code for use in prototypes or final implementation design software prototypes software used to generate documentation generally based on simple shapes, lines, and text, such as flow charts, site maps, and wireframes design software flow charts site maps wireframes questionnaires paired interviews the study of how to design human-machine systems with a concern for human needs especially focused on work environments, efficiency, and safety. Has an emphasis on measurement of human performance parameters and physical properties [FD] user experience human-computer interaction human factors industrial design interaction design usability engineering The process of gathering information about users and tasks directly from users in their normal work, home or leisure environment. Traditional ethnography focuses on long-term studies spanning weeks, months, or even years user experience research generally has a smaller scope, but borrows from this methodology (UPA) research concepts anthropology contextual inquiry interviews field observation observation

eye tracking eye tracking devices face-to-face studies facilitators feedback users moving through a virtual environment or a physical space to gain an understanding of the scope and context of that environment [HS-64] interaction types monitoring users eye movements while they are interacting with a product or site. Used to study how interfaces are being used and where visual attention is being drawn controlled observation attention eye tracking devices heat maps usability labs usability testing a device used to monitor users eye movements while they are interacting with a product or site attention eye tracking heat maps usability labs usability testing conducting research co-located with participants in-person studies research concepts a person that works with a person or group to lead a discussion or activity in order to extract feedback and information. A facilitator's goals might include developing an understanding of a situation or objective, help achieve consensus, understand the differences or obstacles that stand in the way of the end goals, and clarify various viewpoints [UP] interviewers contextual inquiry focus groups interviews moderators scribes scripts

fidelity field observation field studies flow charts focus groups graphic design software sending back to the user information about what action has actually been done, what result has been accomplished [DN-27] design concepts level of detail where high-fidelity means lots of detail, and low-fidelity means less detail [DB-269] design concepts prototypes observation of users in their native environment contextual observation field studies observation contextual inquiry ethnography field observation visualization of a process or series of interactions, usually centered around a specific task or function [DB-229] flows process charts process diagrams user flows design documentation concept models diagramming software state maps scenarios a group of potential users or stakeholders in a product who are brought together to gather information as input to the design process. In contrast to interviewing individual users, a focus group offers the opportunity for the users, rather than the interviewer, to strongly determine what the important issues are for discussion. Focus groups offer the possibility that an unexpected comment from one person will lead to deeper insights from others [FD] group interviews

graphic design graphic designs grid systems group interviews heat maps software used to generate visual composites and other high-fidelity graphic design elements design software graphic design visual composites visual design user experience graphic design software information architecture interaction design style guides visual composites visual composites human-computer interaction a system of templates used as a framework to create uniform layouts between pages while still allowing each page to adapt to its content. The grid defines positions for standard elements on the page, margins, proportions, spacing, and edges along which elements will be aligned. [FD] design concepts style guides wireframes an interview conducted with more than two participants interviews focus groups paired interviews visualization of eye tracking, click tracking, or similar data where concentration is mapped using colors or shading research artifacts & documentation attention click tracking software eye tracking information visualization quantitative data

human factors in-person studies individual interviews industrial design information architecture the study and application of how people use computers and how computers can be designed to help people use them more effectively [FD] user experience cognitive psychology human factors & ergonomics interaction design usability usability engineering the study of the role of humans in human-machine systems and how systems can be designed to work well with people particularly with regard to safety and efficiency [FD] user experience ergonomics human-computer interaction industrial design interaction design face-to-face studies one-on-one interviews the study and practice of designing physical artifacts such as consumer electronics (TVs, VCRs, stereos), toys, computers, and appliances focuses on the physical form and interactive properties as opposed to the electronic functioning of the system [FD] user experience ergonomics human factors interaction design the study and practice of how to organize information most effectively to help people find and use the information [FD] user experience cognitive psychology information visualization interaction design navigation site maps

taxonomies typography wireframes information visualization instructing interaction design interaction types internet surveys interviewers the study and practice of how to effectively present information visually [FD] user experience information architecture graphic design heat maps users issuing instructions to a system by typing in commands, selecting options from menus in a windows environment or on a touch screen, speaking aloud commands, pressing buttons, or using a combination of function keys [HS-64] interaction types the study and practice of designing of how a user communicates, or interacts, with computers and other devices. Interaction designers focus on the flow of interaction, the dialog between person and device, how input relates to output, stimulus-response compatibility, and feedback mechanisms [FD] user experience ergonomics graphic design human-computer interaction human factors industrial design information architecture interaction types usability engineering types of interaction a user can have with a product or system [HS-64] conversing exploring instructing manipulating interaction design questionnaires facilitators

interviews lab observation lab studies manipulating mappings memory mental models conversation with a purpose, generally with the goal of illiciting insight into users needs and behaviors [HS-298] face-to-face interviews group interviews one-on-one interviews paired interviews remote interviews semi-structured interviews structured interviews unstructured interviews contextual inquiry ethnography facilitators participants qualitative data quantitative data scribes controlled observation controlled observation users interacting with objects in a virtual or physical space by manipulating them, e.g. opening, holding, closing, placing, clicking, dragging. [HS-64] interaction types the relationship between two things, such as between the movement of controls and the real-world result [DN-23] design concepts the mental process of storing and retrieving information and knowledge psychology concepts knowledge of how to interact with a system, and, to a lesser extent, how that system works [HS-116] cognitive models conceptual models psychology concepts

mockups concept models moderators navigation navigation models note-takers observation observation rooms visual composites A person that works with a group to regulate, but not lead, a discussion. Whereas a facilitator might take charge of a discussion to shepherd it in a specific direction, a moderator remains passive, without explicitly leading the process or driving a desired outcome [UP] facilitators scribes scripts usability tests components of an interface that allow a user to move from one part of a site or system to another design concepts site maps taxonomies wireframes site maps scribes watching people's behavior to find patterns and design-relevant activities observational studies user observation controlled observation field observation ethnography participants scribes the room in a usability lab where observers generally sit, away from the test participant. May have a one-way glass window into the testing room, or screen sharing and/or audio/video equipment can be used to transmit test proceedings usability labs observers

observational studies observers observation anyone observing and not engaging with participants during research activities scribes one-on-one interviews online surveys open questions page designs page schematics paired interviews participant profiles interviews conducted with one participant individual interviews interviews questionnaires questions with no predetermined set of alternatives research concepts closed questions qualitative data questionnaires semi-structured interviews unstructured interviews surveys visual composites wireframes interviews conducted with two participants, usually because they have some relation relevant to the study dyads interviews group interviews a summary of the key characteristics in the target population of a study, generally including demographic information, behavioral characteristics, etc. research artifacts & documentation demographics participants personas

participant screeners participants perception personas process charts process diagrams prototypes psychology concepts screeners individuals whose needs and behaviors are being studied generally the actual users of a system, or members of a target population subjects interviews observation participant profiles personas screeners users how information is acquired from the environment and transformed into experiences [HS-99] psychology concepts a summary representation of the system's intended users based on research, often described as real people [DB-15] audience profiles user profiles user role definitions research artifacts & documentation participant profiles participants users flow charts flow charts artifacts intended to communicate and test a design in some semblance of its final form can range from low-fidelity paper-based prototypes to high-fidelity wireframes to fully implemented code wireframes design software fidelity

attention mental models memory perception qualitative data quantitative data questionnaires remote studies cognitive psychology data that is difficult to measure, count, or express in numerical terms in a sensible fashion analysis focuses on the nature of something and can be represented by themes, patterns, and stories [HS-356] research concepts card sorting concept models interviews observation open questions questionnaires surveys data that is in the form of numbers, or that can easily be translated into number analysis uses numerical methods to ascertain the magnitude, amount, or size of something [HS-356] research concepts closed questions heat maps interviews questionnaires surveys a physical or digital form used to gather information from a sample of people surveys (artifact) feedback forms screeners closed questions open questions qualitative data quantitative data surveys conducting research on participants who are not co-located with researchers. May be facilitated by screen sharing software, phone, VOIP, webcams, etc.

research concepts screen sharing software research artifacts & documentation research concepts research software schematics scenarios participant profiles personas questionnaires scenarios scripts usability reports closed questions demographics ethnography face-to-face studies open questions qualitative data quantitative data remote studies scenarios software used to collect and analyze research data and facilitate observation software screen recording software screen sharing software wireframes screen capture software screen composites screen designs a story used to guide usability testing research concepts flow charts personas scripts usability testing screen recording software visual composites

visual composites screen recording software screen sharing software screeners scribes scripts semi-structured interviews software that captures a participant s screen while s/he is interacting with a system; some double as screen sharing software screen capture software research software click tracking software screen sharing software software that allows researchers to view a participant s screen when they are not co-located; some double as screen recording software artifacts & documentation remote interviews screen recording software a survey used to identify key characteristics in potential participants in order to select an appropriate sample of the target population [FD] participant screeners surveys participant profiles participants a person whose sole function is to take notes during research activities note-takers observers facilitators interviews observation a written series of questions and/or scenarios used for structured or semistructured interviews and usability testing research artifacts & documentation facilitators scenarios semi-structured interviews structured interviews

site maps site structures state maps combines features of structured and unstructured interviews and uses both closed and open questions. For consistency, the interviewer has a basic script for guidance, so that the same topics are covered with each interviewee. The interviewer starts with scripted questions and then probes the interviewee to say more until no new relevant information is forthcoming [HS-299] interviews closed questions open questions scripts structured interviews unstructured interviews a visual representation of a web site or system s structure. [DB-199] navigation models site structures structural models design documentation state maps card sorting diagramming software information architecture navigation taxonomies site maps a site map that relates structure and system status, similar to a flow chart site maps flow charts strategy documentation structural models structured interviews documents which provide additional context for a design [DB-105] content inventories competitive analyses concept models site maps

style guides subjects surveys surveys (artifact) taxonomies testing rooms interviews in which the interviewer asks predetermined questions similar to those in a questionnaire; useful when goals are clearly understood and specific questions can be identified [HS-299] interviews closed questions scripts semi-structured interviews a reference that establishes the look-and-feel of a user interface by clearly defining the standards and conventions of that interface grid systems, sizes, fonts, colors, interactive behavior, standard text messages (such as error messages), and labeling standards [FD] design documentation graphic design grid systems visual composites participants a technique for gathering information from a sample of people by asking a specific set of questions, generally using a questionnaire; when conducted verbally, use structured interviews screeners closed questions open questions questionnaires structured interviews questionnaires a scheme for classifying a body of knowledge and defining the hierarchical relationships between pieces of content. Often used to develop navigation [UP] design concepts card sorting information architecture navigation site maps

typography unstructured interviews usability usability (discipline) usability engineering the room in a usability lab where the participant engages in testing activities, sometimes accompanied and guided by a facilitator or moderator. Sometimes outfitted to resemble the participant s natural environment usability labs participants the study and design of letterforms, and the selective use of appropriate type (in appropriate fonts) for the display of text encompasses the layout of text: size, orientation, alignment, spacing (leading and kerning), and margins. [FD] graphic design information architecture usability interviews that are exploratory and more like conversations around a particular topic; they mostly consist of open questions posed by a facilitator operating without a rigid script [HS-298] interviews open questions semi-structured interviews the characteristic of being easy to use, usually applied to software, but relevant to almost any human artifact. Ease of use can be measured by how quickly a task is performed, how many mistakes are made, how quickly the system is learned and how satisfied people are who perform the task. Usability may also include factors such as safety, usefulness, and cost-effectiveness. [FD] design concepts typography usability engineering usability engineering a methodical "engineering" approach to user interface design and evaluation involving practical, systematic approaches to developing requirements, analyzing a usability problem, developing proposed solutions, and testing those solutions [FD] usability (discipline) user experience cognitive psychology ergonomics

usability labs usability testing user experience design human-computer interaction human factors industrial design interaction design usability usability labs usability testing where controlled usability testing is conducted. Generally includes a computer and any equipment used to monitor the test and gather data observation rooms testing rooms eye tracking devices usability usability testing a technique for measuring usability and soliciting feedback on the design of a web site or other interactive system usually conducted on one participant at a time [DB-49] controlled observation click tracking software eye tracking prototypes scenarios usability usability labs the study and practice of designing the best possible interactions for users, comprised of a variety of disciplines and strongly influenced by principles from cognitive psychology and ethnographic methods from anthropology ergonomics graphic design human-computer interaction human factors industrial design information architecture interaction design usability engineering anthropology cognitive psychology

user flows user interface design user observation user profiles user role definitions user testing users visual composites visual design visual designs wireframes usability users flow charts user experience design observation personas personas usability testing the individuals who use a site, system, or product participants personas user experience design an image that conveys visual design direction for elements of the final product; generally based on structure defined by wireframes or other prototypes comps graphic designs mockups page designs screen designs screen composites visual designs design documentation graphic design style guides wireframes graphic design visual composites

a simplified view of what content will appear on each screen of the final product, emphasizing structure and navigation elements usually devoid of color, typographical styles, and images. [DB-265] schematics blueprints prototypes diagramming software fidelity grid systems information architecture navigation visual composites

Appendix Sample indexed articles Barros, B., Bentley, C., and McGuane, E. (2009, Sept. 2). Low-budget prototyping techniques. Johnny Holland magazine. Retrieved from http://johnnyholland.org/2009/09/02/fast-prototype/ Johnny Holland Tags low-budget, prototyping, techniques UX R&D Thesaurus Terms design software, information architecture, low-fidelity, prototypes, usability testing Baum, C. (2008, Feb. 14). What is your mental model? An interview with Indi Young. Boxes and arrows. Retrieved from http://boxesandarrows.com/view/what-is-your-mental UX R&D Thesaurus Terms concept models, information visualization, interviews, mental models, strategy documentation Buscher, G., Cutrell, E., and Morris, M.R. (2009, April). What do you see when you're surfing?: using eye tracking to predict salient regions of web pages. CHI '09: Proceedings of the 27th international conference on human factors in computing systems. Retrieved from http://portal.acm.org Author Keywords Eye tracking, Web design. ACM Classification H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous. UX R&D Thesaurus Terms attention, eye tracking, heat maps, navigation, usability Norman, D. A. (2002). The design of everyday things. New York: Basic Books. LCSH Subject Headings Design, Industrial Psychological aspects. Human engineering. UX R&D Thesaurus Terms design concepts, human-computer interaction, human factors, industrial design, psychology concepts

Scott, K.M. (2009, May/June). Is usability obsolete? Interactions, 16(3), 6-11. Retrieved from http://portal.acm.org ACM Classification H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6), D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques UX R&D Thesaurus Terms field observation, interaction design, usability, usability testing, users