by Tim Welty, HCD-UI/UX Lead

March 3, 2023

In today’s digital age, we use technology in almost every aspect of our lives. A question that is asked a lot is: Why are there vastly different user interfaces (UI), applications, websites, and software? The answer is because different personas fit different needs for applications, software and websites, and their respective experiences can and should be different.

The best approach to understanding the users’ needs is to follow a design methodology called User-Centered Design (UCD). UCD is a design process that focuses on research techniques helping to understand the specific needs of the users. UCD derives different personas for different applications. The issue with the current development philosophy is that we must regularly incorporate users’ thoughts throughout the design and development process. Excluding users and their feedback can incorporate deep-rooted biases within a product and steer it away from what the users truly need and want. This is why UCD is vital to producing high-quality and custom-tailored UIs based on the core users’ needs.

One might ask how UCD is followed. Are there specific steps or a framework? There are five areas that are vital to follow, and each has its own set of processes, but here are their key aspects:

1. Empathy — Empathy is critical as it allows the designers to see things from the users’ perspective. Empathy allows us to build products and experiences tailored to the users and to cast aside any biases that might interfere with the design and development of the product.
2. Involvement — UCD relies on the end users and their respective feedback. Involving users from the start helps derive requirements, evaluate designs, and provide critical feedback. In addition, early involvement will help reduce any tech/design debt for future work.
3. Requirements — When we follow UCD, we strive to meet the requirements of both the business and users. Defining these requirements helps the strategic alignment of business value, IT, and user needs.
4. Feedback — We must gather feedback to create a product users consistently want to use. Regularly testing out designs with the users will help ensure that the work is being completed, the requirements are kept in check, and design decisions are matched up with the user’s needs.
5. Iteration — As with any product being designed and developed, technology will continue to grow, and so will the users’ needs. The designs will likely not fit the user’s needs 100% of the time and there might be some edge cases to design for. Continuing to design, receiving feedback and driving iterative design helps move the product to a completed state.

There are many design frameworks and methodologies, but UCD is an excellent choice because it helps solve specific problems users face within an application, website, or software. Here at Unissant, this is one of the methodologies we use, as it helps us dive deeper into the core needs of the users and solve intricate problems that only some get to face.

About Unissant

Unissant, Inc. (Unissant) is an award-winning Small Business Administration (SBA) certified Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) with experience as a prime managing large, enterprise-wide, Information Technology (IT) solutions for customers across the Health, Federal Civilian, National Security and Financial Services markets. We are a prime contractor on various government vehicles such as CIO-SP3 SB, GSA Professional Services MAS. GSA IT MAS, Seaport NXG and CMS SPARC.

We focus on five capabilities for our customers: Data and Advanced Analytics, Agile and DevSecOps, IT Modernization, Cloud Services and Cyber Security. Our team members are always learning, staying on top of the latest technology, using trusted methods as well as out-of-the-box innovations to craft solutions for customers that address the current problem and can adapt to the challenges of the future.

Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia with a satellite office in San Antonio, Texas, Unissant is a CMMI ML 3 Dev & SVC, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 company. Unissant is also the recipient of various industry awards such as SECAF Government Project of the Year, the ACT-IAC Innovation Award and most recently the FedHealthIT Innovation Award.