Designing digital media products that are efficient, effective and satisfying to use, relies on a number of research methods borrowed from disciplines as diverse as behavioural psychology, sociology and market research. This issue explores ways in which these methods can be adapted to support a user-centred design process, by focusing on understanding the user, their tasks, the context of use and the interaction between these elements.

About the Authors

Marie Jefsioutine is Senior Research Fellow in Digital Media, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England. Her first degree was in Experimental Psychology (BSc Hons) at Sussex University, after which she worked as a Speech technology consultant for Logica Cambridge Plc., and then as a research assistant in Psycholinguistics at Cambridge University. Having studied Computing Cognition and Psychology to master's level at Warwick University, and Communications with Electronic Graphics (PgDip) at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She has worked multimedia design for over ten years. This has included work for the BBC Open University and Goldsmiths College Design Department. At Birmingham Institute of Art and Design she was Producer of The Virtual Gallery of Contemporary and works with research groups across the Faculty. Marie is currently involved in usability research and was instrumental in setting up the Faculty's Digital Media Usability Laboratory (User-Lab).

 

John Knight is Usability Engineer, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England. John's first degree was in Fine Art (BA Hons), at University of Wales, and subsequent to studying User-Interface Design at masters level (London Guildhall University), has worked on a number of usability research projects ranging from information systems at the British Library to digital media evaluation (Whirlpool). In addition he has also worked as a visiting lecturer and external examiner (London Guildhall University) on BSc and Msc computing courses. He manages User-Lab as well as collaborating in research with the aim of making usability usable to the art and design community.

MORE