A systematic methodology to support the creative idea generation phase of the user interface design process
Venkatraman Balasubramanian, Murray Turoff · 1998
Human-Computer Interaction researchers have primarily focused on systematic techniques and tools for two phases of the user interface design process: design by prototyping and evaluation. Studies have shown that the advent of a number of rapid prototyping techniques and tools have not significantly reduced the amount of time and costs involved in the design and programming of user interfaces. This is due to the fact that designers do not spend enough time thinking about the design problem; instead, they resort to aimless prototyping with a complex set of tools. This dissertation proposes the introduction of a formal planning and idea generation phase into the user interface design process prior to prototyping, to minimize the effects of ad hoc design practices. In this phase, preliminary requirements for an information system are available but the details are not clear. The designer starts thinking, planning, and making mental and written notes about the problem and the solution. This phase is similar to the problem formulation and idea generation phases discussed by researchers in the area of creative problem solving. This dissertation proposes a systematic design methodology containing fifteen non-sequential, highly connected, and iterative design tasks to structure the creative and opportunistic thought processes of the designer. This dissertation also reports on HyperDesign, a software prototype that incorporates hypertext functionality and facilitates application of the proposed methodology during this early phase of interface design. Hypertext functionality encourages flexibility during the design process compared to other guidelines-based design approaches. Two rounds of usability studies were conducted. Results from a beta test, with students and professionals, confirm the need for a planning and idea generation phase during the user interface design process, with moderate levels of agreement about the validity, relevance, and usefulness of the proposed methodology. The beta test also reveals that the prototype was moderately difficult to use; further changes to both the methodology and the software are proposed which will be incorporated in the next iteration, making it more usable by and acceptable to designers.