User friendly software does not happen by accident. It takes principle and technique to get there. Usability, an emerging concept of importance in the information technology field, significantly improves user experience with products. It also provides important benefits in terms of cost, product quality and customer satisfaction.

Using data collection methods like field studies and complementary data gathering methods in combination, profiles & personas, Persistent UE team experts can produce the needed information on time and budget. Scenario-driven design stands in good stead throughout development - from conceptual design to detailed design and testing. Task Analysis identifies opportunities for improvement and forms a strong basis for navigational design. Information architecture design helps build effective content hierarchies. Through Usability Testing, the Persistent UE team evaluates the way real users interact with your product. The end result is a performance and preference based evaluation and direct user feedback that enables design improvements or corrections.


Diagram of Usability Engineering Methodology

Data Gathering

This is the initial phase of the design, where we find about the actual end users, their tasks, find out their problem areas. Following are the various methods that are adopted to gather data from end users:

1. User Interviews
2. Contextual Enquiry
3. Personas / Scenarios
4. Direct Interview
5. Indirect Interviews.

Data Analysis

After Data Gathering, we need to analyze the data collected from the several methods used in Data Gathering. These are the different methods we follow to analyze the data:

1. Detailed Task Definitions
2. Proposed Task Flow
3. Comparative Analysis
4. Existing Product Analysis.

Conceptual Model and Usability Requirements

1. A broad level paper concept is designed based on the user studies and analyzed data
2. Requirements for the application are frozen
3. Site Map Definition is defined for the product.
   

High level navigation design:

1. Defining the site architecture
2. Organization of information
3. Designed labels and sub functions.

Detailed design:

Detail level page types, deliverables include:

1. High-level application flow
2. High-level prototype designs of the primary application window and some secondary screens
3. Description of the structure and behavior of the applications.

Visual design:

1. Graphical look and feel applied to the interface
2. Detail visual elements applied by the designers
3. A final look and feel designed for the end product
4. Defined visual design standards of the interface to be applied.

User Focused Design involves following stages:

Draft Screens:

1. Important and common screens of the application are sorted which can to be applied and used through out the application.

Document Standards:

1. Detailed standards and guidelines for the wireframes
2. Detailed visual design and guidelines document for visual implementation.

Implementation support includes following stages:

Design handover:

1. A final signoff of the frozen Interface with the final look and feel of the end product is handed over to the development team and the client
2. Provide assistance in implementation of the interface and to incorporate and abide by the standards documents provided for the application.

Summative testing:

1. The Testing is conducted after the product development
2. Testing is conducted to measure the success of the design in terms of performance and preference and Usability parameters defined for the application.