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Design Tidbits
Design Tools
- My Design Tools – Part I
- My Design Tools – Part II
- Using Prototypes
- UI Toolbox: Capturing and Editing Screenshots – Part I
- UI Toolbox: Capturing and Editing Screenshots – Part II
Simplification
- What Does "Simple" Mean?
- Anti-Simplification – How to Make Life Harder for Users
- Reducing Complexity
- Error Prevention Comes First
- Don't Let Your Interface Lie
- Don't Let Users Suffer from System Weaknesses
Interaction Design
- Bridging the Gap – Part I
- Bridging the Gap – Part II
- Bridging the Gap – Part III
- Did You Make Your Selection? – Part I
- Did You Make Your Selection? – Part II
- Did You Make Your Selection? – Part III
- Did You Make Your Selection? – Part IV
- The Software Works The Way I Think: Beyond Point and Click
- A Layman's View on Interaction Styles – Part I
- A Layman's View on Interaction Styles – Part II
- Selecting Objects By Attributes – Part I
- Selecting Objects By Attributes – Part II
Screen Design
- The Art of Hiding – Part I
- The Art of Hiding – Part II
- Screen Layout – Part I: General Considerations
- Screen Layout – Part II: Layout Hierarchy
- Screen Layout – Part III: Examples
Hierarchies
- Hierarchies - Categories vs. Vectors
- Fighting
(with) Hierarchies –
Part I: Basics - Fighting
(with) Hierarchies –
Part II: Presentation - Appendix: Fighting (with) Hierarchies – Presentation Techniques I
- Appendix: Fighting (with) Hierarchies – Presentation Techniques II
Visual Design
- Some Color Mysteries
- Some Mysteries of Colored Text
- Animation – The Chili Pepper of the Web
- Appendix: Definitions of the Most Common Types of Animation on the Web
Design Process
- The Construction Cycle – Another Way to "Organize" the Design Process
- User Feedback
- What Does User Integration Mean for Software Design?
- Mapping a Conceptual Interface to a Physical Interface
Web, Web Applications, Web Design
- The Web – A Short Introduction
- An Introduction to Designing User Interface Controls at SAP
- From Dropdown Listboxes to Comboboxes
- List Box Tweaks (Part II)
- Concept Statements and Website Messages – Part I
- Concept Statements and Website Messages – Part II
Performance
- Waiting at the Computer: Busy Indicators and System Feedback – Part 1
- Waiting at the Computer: Busy Indicators and System Feedback – Part 2
- Waiting at the Computer: Busy Indicators and System Feedback – Part 3
- Human Performance at the Computer – Part 1: Introduction
- Human Performance at the Computer – Part 2: Making Applications More Responsive
- Human Performance at the Computer – Part 3: Perceived Performance
- Human Performance at the Computer – Part 4: On the Way to Performance-Oriented UI Guidelines
- Addressing a "Design Issue:" Start-Up Time
- Examples of Poor Responsiveness
Miscellany
- Adding Value to Your Interface by Using Simple Math and Matching
- Refreshing Three HCI Laws: Fitts' Law, Hick's Law, and the Power Law of Practice
- How Much Documentation Do Applications Need? – A Simple Example
- Human-Computer Dialog: How Good Does "Good Enough" Need to Be to Appear "Perfect"?
- Narrative User Interfaces
- Golden Rules for Bad User Interfaces
- Universal Usability
- User Interface Controls and Interaction Techniques of Horror
Links & More
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Related Links |
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What Does User Integration Mean for Software Design? |
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The Construction Cycle – Another Way to "Organize" the Design Process |
Background Links |
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User Day Toolkit |
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SAP's Design Process (offers links to the design process stages) |
User Feedback
By Gerd Waloszek, SAP AG, SAP User Experience – Originally published in the Philosophy section
Abstract
User feedback is the key factor in a user-oriented development process, because only user feedback can ensure that a software product comes up to the users' needs. User feedback also helps to continually improve products and to adapt them to changes in the work practice. This article discusses a variety of ways to get useful user feedback.
User feedback is the essence to a user-driven development process. Developing software without listening to the users may be possible, but it is unlikely that such software will come up the users' needs. Only user feedback can ensure that users get what they want, namely "software that works the way they do". Also, user feedback is needed during the whole life-cycle of a software product. It ensures that a product is continually improved and adapted to changing work practices.
In a broad sense, user feedback is any input coming from the users of your software. While any input is better than none, it is useful to ask which methods exist in the field that yield useful user feedback. To simplify the discussion, we will distinguish between two types of user feedback:
- User input that is generated during "testing" situation, and
- User feedback that is "freeform" and based on a variety of ways to evoke user reactions.
Test-Based User Input
There are two important ways in which you can get feedback from your users.
In the early design stages you think about the general design of your application and may consider a variety of design alternatives. Here, user feedback can help to resolve design issues and direct the design specification in ways that the users' needs are satisfied.
Later, when the application is nearly finished, tests usually are conducted in more formal ways, e.g. in a lab under "standardized" conditions. In this case, user feedback is collected from several individuals and may even be analyzed statistically. Now user feedback is no longer used on a "conceptual" level, but helps to find deadlocks in your software, non-intuitive features, hidden functionality, and of course, quality problems.
It is important to evoke user feedback repeatedly in order to iteratively improve your software and to adapt it to the ever-changing needs of the users' work.
At SAP, User Days include a variety of activities that serve as sources for user input: Workshops, "quick&dirty" user tests, as well as the standard user test in the SAP usability lab.
"Freeform" User Input
With respect to "freeform" user feedback, the number of ways that users can respond to your product is limited by your imagination only. Therefore, we will mention just a couple of possibilities, most of them are common practice at SAP.
Let us again begin with a simple distinction: You can either get your feedback directly, e.g. by talking to your users, or you evoke other ways of user input like mails, letters, questionnaires, online media etc. We will start with the face-to-face mechanism for gathering input and then cover a variety of other ways you can get user feedback.
User Workshops
User workshop may involve a variety of forms of user feedback. We have already mentioned the prototype testing. User workshops may also include presentations of your software or just of design ideas. By discussing these with users, users may have a very effective impact on the final design.
Site Visits
Site visits are conducted to learn more about actual work practices at the customers' sites. This includes watching how your or even a competitor's software is used, as well as observing the general context in which software is used. Note, however, that many customers also use site visits to bring forward their personal needs, suggestions and problems with respect to your company's software. Be prepared that they will not focus on your software, but will talk about any (in this case SAP) software they use.
Mailing Actions, Questionnaires. Phone Calls
Mailing actions are a well established way to receive user feedback. Typically, questionnaires are used when customers or end users can fill in fixed or free-form answers. Do not expect too many questionnaires to return. So, think of ways to make your mailings more attractive for users, for example by awarding them with little prizes for returning the questionnaires.
Phone calls can also be a way of getting into contact with customers. Phone calls show that you are interested in their software tool needs. Often, people prefer to answer questions on the phone rather than filling in a questionnaire.
Online Services and Online/Communities
Nowadays, online communication is getting more and more popular. SAP has used an online feedback system for customers for a long time. Customers can report problems and propose development ideas. With the rise of the web, message boards or chat rooms provide more interactive ways of getting user feedback.
Contests
Contests are a good way to motivate user feedback because it evokes customers' "sport spirit". SAP did this successfully during the Enjoy initiative, and will surely repeat this in the future. Be prepared for a lot of proposals that have already been implemented – the users just do not know this, because they are still using older systems...
Your Ideas Wanted!
Well, this space is intentionally left blank for your ideas! We are sure that there are lots of good ideas lingering around for getting useful user feedback!
Conclusion
A user-oriented development process cannot exist without sufficient user feedback. There are many ways to get this input and still room for new and exciting ideas for reaching out to users.
