Your eLearning module is complete. Itis visually stunning, and the content was developed by highly paid experts whoare tops in their field. But the employees at your company refuse to use it.Why?
Your content might be fascinatingand important; your images might be beautiful; the training might even complywith a whole raft of specifications—but if no one can figure out how to use it,or if the module is not accessible to many users, you’ve wasted your time andmoney.
A user-centered design (UCD) approachcan help you avoid such an expensive eLearning failure. UCD focuses onunderstanding who will be using the end product and how. The design aims tomake the eLearning product useful to those actual learners. Usability isprimary. While designers should also consider the business and learning goalsand create products that are attractive and engaging, if the users cannot orwill not use an eLearning module, the learning goals will never be met.
User-centered design is good design
International web standards bodiesrecognize the importance of designing for usability. The W3C Web AccessibilityInitiative emphasizes “Designing for Inclusion” in its guidelines and provides resources to help designersand developers understand the needs of various users. UCD is called“human-centered design” in ISO specification (ISO 9241-210:2010) to emphasize that you must consider all stakeholders, notonly “typical” users. UCD is accessible to a broader range of potential users,including learners with disabilities, older employees, those who are nottech-savvy, etc. ISO (the International Organization for Standardization)defines UCD, or human-centered design, as an “approach to systems design anddevelopment that aims to make interactive systems more usable by focusing onthe use of the system and applying human factors, ergonomics, and usabilityknowledge and techniques.” The ISO standard stipulates that users are involvedthroughout design and development, and that the design is refined based on userevaluation. Usable systems are less stressful for users, and they result inimproved productivity and reduced risk of harm, a result of including ergonomicsconsiderations as well as other aspects of usability.
Putting users at the center ofdesign embodies a culture of accessibility, a belief that making usableproducts matters. It’s also good for the bottom line. “Accessibility encouragesgood design and development practices. In our work with clients, theycontinually indicate that implementing accessibility best practices just makestheir lives easier. They focus more on good design and user interaction, andeven their own coding and development practices are optimized because of that,”Jared Smith, associate director of WebAIM,told participants in a July 7, 2016 webinar, Implementing & Evaluating Web Application Accessibility.
Designing with end users in mind isnot a new concept: Think about the first home computers. To get them to doanything, the user had to enter lines of code. As computers got more sophisticatedand were able to perform more functions, users had a longer list of codes tomemorize. If users made a single mistake, the computer froze, crashed, ate theirdata, or worse. Then, Apple invented the Macintosh. Users interacted with the computerusing the familiar analogy of a desktop, folders, and files. They could movethings around using a mouse. Rather than forcing users to enter the engineer’sworld, Macintosh computers fit easily into the users’ world.
Imagine—or engage—actual learners during design
A UCD process might begin with thedesigners creating a set of “personas”—archetype users—to keep in mind whiledesigning look, feel, and function. They might then write scenarios—fictionalstories that document the personas’ encounters with the product. How might eachuser interact with the learning module? Scenarios should include examples wherethings go well for the personas and examples of those inevitable days whennothing works as it should. The design is tested at every stage with actualusers. According to Usability.gov,a resource for user experience (UX) best practices, UCD is compatible with manydevelopment methodologies, including waterfall and agile. The design process shouldinclude four general phases:
- Identifyingthe context of use—who will use it, why, and under what conditions
- Specifyingrequirements—business or learning goals that the product must satisfy
- Creatingthe design—here, any of several design models may be used, and the designmight occur in stages
- Evaluatingthe design—usability testing with actual users is the best way to evaluatethe design
