Usage-centered design

Usage-centered design is an approach to user interface design based on a focus on user intentions and usage patterns. It analyzes users in terms of the roles they play in relation to systems and employs abstract (essential) use cases [See Constantine (1995) and Constantine and Lockwood (2001)] for task analysis. It derives visual and interaction design from abstract prototypes based on the understanding of user roles and task cases.

Usage-centered design was introduced by Larry Constantine and Lucy Lockwood. The primary reference is their book. [Constantine and Lockwood (1999); see also Constantine (1996)]

Usage-centered design methods

Usage-centered design is largely based on formal, abstract models such as models of interaction between user roles, UML workflow models and task case and role profiles.Usage-centered design proponents argue for abstract modelling while many designers use realistic personas, scenarios and high-fidelity prototypes. The techniques been applied with particular success in complex software projects, some of which have been reported in case studies. [See, for example, Windl (2002) and Strope (2003)]

Usage-centered design and activity-centered design approach

Usage-centered design share some common ideas with activity-centered design. It is concerned more with the activities of users but not the users per se. In [Constantine, 2006] an integrated framework is presented where the models of Usage-centered design are enriched with concepts from the Activity theory.

References

* [http://www.foruse.com/articles/activitymodeling.pdf Constantine L. Activity Modeling: Toward a Pragmatic Integration of Activity Theory with Usage-Centered Design, 2006]
*Constantine L., and Lockwood, L. "Structure and Style in Use Cases for User Interfaces." In M. van Harmelan, Ed., "Object Modeling and User Interface Design." Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2001.
*Constantine L., and Lockwood, L. "Software for Use: A Practical Guide to the Essential Models and Methods of Usage-Centered Design." Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1999. (Russian translation 2004, Chinese translation 2004, Japanese translation 2005.)
*Constantine, L. “Usage-Centered Software Engineering: New Models, Methods, and Metrics.” In Purvis, M. (ed.) "Software Engineering: Education & Practice." Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press, 1996.
*Constantine, L. "Essential Modeling: Use Cases for User Interfaces.” "ACM Interactions, 2" (2): 34-46, April 1995.
*Strope, J. (2003) “Designing for Breakthroughs in User Performance.” In L. Constantine, ed., "Performance by Design: Proceedings of forUSE 2003, the Second International Conference on Usage-Centered Design." Rowley, MA: Ampersand Press.
*Windl, H. (2002) “Designing a Winner: Creating STEP 7 lite with Usage-Centered Design.” In L. Constantine, ed., "forUSE 2002: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Usage-Centered Design." Rowley, MA: Ampersand Press.

Further reading

[http://www.foruse.com/questions/index.htm Usage-centered design FAQ]