Pardon the disruption: a user-first approach to software design

The technology industry celebrates disruptive technologies and brags about revolutionary new features and products. Lots of great technology has been created this way. Most of the time, our product’s users don’t want to be disrupted or revolutionized. They just want things to work. In this talk, you will learn to think of your users first when designing your software or website. Thinking this way will allow your users to better understand changes and embrace new, great features instead of fearing them.

Transcript

1. Pardon the Disruption
   Derek Binkley @DerekB_WI
   A user-
   fi
   rst approach to software design
   

   View Slide

2. @DerekB_WI @Localize
   Photo by Tim Samuel from Pexels
   

   View Slide

3. View Slide

4. View Slide

5. @DerekB_WI @Localize
   82%
   Of users hate email collection pop-ups
   https://learn.g2.com/case-study/why-your-visitors-hate-pop-ups
   

   View Slide

6. View Slide

7. @DerekB_WI @Localize
   • Multiple Calls to Action
   
   • Requiring User’s Attention
   Design Smells
   

   View Slide

8. @DerekB_WI @Localize
   High Risk Scenarios
   

   View Slide

9. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/25/1088902487/former-nurse-found-guilty-in-accidental-injection-death-of-75-year-old-patient
   

   View Slide

10. View Slide

11. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    RaDonda Vaught, former nurse convicted of involuntary manslaughter in accidental death of patient
    "Overriding was something we did as part of our practice every day. You couldn't get
    a bag of
    fl
    uids for a patient without using an override function."
    

    View Slide

12. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Lorie Brown, past president of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys
    "This is a medication that you should never, ever, be able to override to. It’s
    probably the most dangerous medication out there."
    

    View Slide

13. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Routinely Ignored Warnings
    
    • Assuming User’s Complete
    Attention
    
    • Requiring User’s Precision
    Design Smells
    Photo by Mwabonje: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stop-sign-1806900/
    

    View Slide

14. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    — many users of technology
    “I’m not good with technology”
    

    View Slide

15. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Don Norman, author of The Design of Everyday Things
    “The Technology is not good with People”
    

    View Slide

16. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Target Audience
    

    View Slide

17. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • What is Your Audience?
    
    • Who do you want them to
    be?
    

    View Slide

18. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Maddy Beard, while working as Adobe Creative Resident
    “My aim is to help a company by focusing
    on helping their audience.”
    

    View Slide

19. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    https://www.pexels.com/@shvetsa/
    https://www.pexels.com/@negativespace/
    Marketing Design
    V.
    

    View Slide

20. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Ease of Use
    

    View Slide

21. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    https://dev.to/newrelic/who-are-we-helping-3oob
    “Making a solution less complex isn't
    "dumbing it down," it's making it more
    accessible.”
    

    View Slide

22. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Engineers approach problems
    logically
    
    • Your user’s generally don’t
    Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-scrabble-tiles-on-a-white-surface-5721050/
    

    View Slide

23. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    User Error
    

    View Slide

24. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • People Aren’t
    Precise
    

    View Slide

25. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • People Aren’t
    Precise
    

    View Slide

26. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Help Correct
    Mistakes
    

    View Slide

27. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Guiding Users
    

    View Slide

28. View Slide

29. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Solve the Right Problem
    
    • Keep asking Why?
    
    • Explore Solutions
    

    View Slide

30. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Make error correction easy
    

    View Slide

31. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Investigating User Behavior
    

    View Slide

32. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • People leave clues
    Physical World
    

    View Slide

33. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/05/desire-paths-the-illicit-trails-that-defy-the-urban-planners
    

    View Slide

34. View Slide

35. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Site Analytics Tools
    
    • Homegrown Tools/Logs
    
    • Support Case Analysis
    
    • All of the Above
    Tracking Activity
    Photo by Anna Nekrashevich from Pexels
    

    View Slide

36. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Stakeholder Approval
    

    View Slide

37. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Be sure of yourself
    
    • Understand the Why
    
    • When the User wins the Company wins
    

    View Slide

38. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • Know your Users
    
    • Solve their actual Problems
    
    • Users are
    
    • Not Precise
    
    • Chaotic
    
    • Software can
    
    • Help correct errors
    
    • Use power of computers
    
    • Be con
    fi
    dent
    
    • Build Great Things!!!
    

    View Slide

39. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    Thank You
    Derek Binkley - Full Stack Engineer
    with Localize
    
    Remote from Madison, Wisconsin, USA
    
    Keep in Touch:
    
    • @DerekB_WI
    
    • dbinkley@localizejs.com
    
    • Free stickers at the conference
    

    View Slide

40. @DerekB_WI @Localize
    • https://asktog.com/atc/principles-of-interaction-design/
    
    • https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/ben/goldenrules.html
    
    • https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/
    
    • https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/process/ui-design/4-golden-rules-ui-
    design/
    
    • https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/user-centered-
    design
    
    • https://twitter.com/joulee/status/1503452971752849409
    
    • https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/This-8-year-old-wanted-to-
    sell-Girl-Scout-17004009.php
    
    • https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/25/1088902487/
    former-nurse-found-guilty-in-accidental-injection-death-of-75-year-old-
    patient
    
    • https://learn.g2.com/case-study/why-your-visitors-hate-pop-ups
    

    View Slide