Users, Markets, Needs and Product Evaluation
Designing for real people
User-centred design starts with understanding the user: anthropometric data (reach, grip, stature), ergonomics, cognitive load, accessibility and inclusive design, and cultural context. Needs analysis separates stated wants from underlying needs, often via interviews, observation, personas, journey mapping and task analysis.
Market considerations include target segment, competitor analysis, price positioning, differentiation and distribution. Evaluation uses criteria from the brief and specification, tested with users through usability trials, questionnaires and observation, and with technical tests such as drop, load, endurance and environmental testing.
Traps
- Designing for yourself and calling it user-centred.
- Confusing a want with a need, or a feature with a benefit.
- Using a single user's opinion as market evidence.
- Testing only at the end, when changes are expensive.
- Ignoring percentile choice in anthropometric data; 50th percentile fits few people well.
Rule of thumb
Define the user, the task and the context before evaluating. Use adjustable or accommodating designs rather than a single average user.
Worked example: A kitchen knife handle. Anthropometric grip data, plus observation of users with arthritis, reveals that a larger, softer, textured grip reduces force and slippage. A prototype is tested in a timed cutting task and rated for comfort. Results drive a revised handle profile, and the evaluation matrix records the improvement against the brief criteria.