Designing for the Fast and Furious: Using Performance Metrics to Redesign Expert User Applications

Wendy Yee, Ph.D., Director
Robert Schumacher, Ph.D., Managing Director

Abstract

Many “business critical” software applications can be found in hospitals, call centers, moving vehicles, handheld formats, and any other work environments where users must rapidly and successfully use them for specialized activities. These applications are often designed for expert (or at least well-trained) users and tend to reside on the opposite end of the spectrum from consumer-facing applications.

Instead of being “walk up and use at your own pace,”  expert user applications usually reflect “train extensively and use quickly.”  Therefore facilitating “optimal” user performance is a key objective of user interface designers who work on expert applications. The design of expert user interfaces also relies on an examination of performance metrics.

In this tutorial we will be exploring practical approaches for gathering and applying performance metrics that can be used to guide and influence the redesign of expert user applications.

Participants in this tutorial will:

• Learn about the challenges of designing applications for expert users, especially user groups who must use job-critical applications to meet specific time- and performance-related criteria
• Explore specific approaches for collecting and analyzing key types of performance metrics
• Discuss how the redesign process shifts when it focuses on key activities that are tied to these key metrics
• Participate in fast-paced analytical and creative exercises that highlight different options that UX researchers and UI designers have when designing for expert users and performance outcomes
• Examine potential design outcomes for performance-focused applications, including examples from redesign projects 

About the UPA

The Usability Professionals' Association supports usability specialists, people from all aspects of human-centered design, and the broad family of disciplines that create the user experience in promoting the design and development of usable products. The Association strives to facilitate the sharing of information about the techniques and methodologies in the profession, create an inclusive community for those interested in usability, integrate a concern for the people who use products into new product development processes, and increase the body of knowledge about usability and user-centered design. For more information, visit the UPA website.