Practice IB Design Technology (DT) Topic 7.4 Strategies for UCD with authentic exam-style questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank focuses on the exact syllabus content for 7.4 Strategies for UCD and mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 style where relevant.
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A city council has commissioned a team to design a self-service ticketing kiosk for a new tram network. The kiosks will be installed at outdoor stops and inside stations. Users include daily commuters, tourists with limited local language skills, older adults, wheelchair users, and people who may have one hand occupied with luggage or a child.
Early trials of the first prototype (a touch-screen only interface) revealed several issues: some users could not read the on-screen text in bright sunlight; some struggled to find the “buy single ticket” option; and several users accidentally purchased the wrong ticket type. The council also received complaints that the kiosk “feels stressful” because it times out quickly and provides little feedback after a selection is made.
The design team proposes a user-centred design (UCD) approach that includes field observation at tram stops, low-fidelity paper prototypes, iterative usability testing with a diverse participant group, and clear design guidance for layout, feedback, and error prevention. The team must present a plan that justifies why UCD is necessary, how it will be carried out, and what design guidance will be used to improve the kiosk.
Figure 1: Concept mock-up of the ticketing kiosk interface
Outline two reasons why using user-centred design (UCD) strategies is important for a public ticketing kiosk in this context.
Outline how the kiosk design could apply two principles of UCD strategies during development.
List two types of users that should be included in the usability test participant group for the kiosk.
Explain how the design team could use UCD methods to identify and fix the issue of users accidentally purchasing the wrong ticket type.
Using examples from the case study, explain three pieces of design guidance that can improve the kiosk’s usability and accessibility.
A design team for a medical software application develops a detailed profile of 'Dr. Aris', a time-pressured surgeon who requires high-contrast displays and minimal data entry.
Which of the following is the primary purpose of using this strategy in user-centered design (UCD)?
A software development team is designing an educational platform for primary school students. They hold a workshop where students and teachers are invited to sketch potential interface layouts and collaborate with developers to build low-fidelity prototypes. This approach is an example of...
Clinatec, a French biomedical research centre, and the University of Grenoble have recently developed a device. This has enabled a patient, known as Thibault, to move all four of his paralysed limbs with a mind-controlled exoskeleton, see Figure 5.
Thibault had to undergo months of training before using the robotic exoskeleton. The training was performed in a usability lab, using his brain signals to control an avatar in a computer simulation.
The designers at Clinatec used a range of user-centred design (UCD) strategies in the development of the exoskeleton. This enabled them to gain a complete understanding of the needs of the users, tasks and environments, see Figure 6 and Figure 7. The trial was considered a success by scientists.
Figures 5 and 7: © J. Treillet/FDD CEA Clinatec.
Figure 6: © La Brèche/CEA Clinatec.
The exoskeleton is a very complex design and required the development of mechanical and electronic systems for it to function successfully.
Suggest how the exoskeleton may be developed into a product family.
Outline one reason why learnability is an important usability objective.
Outline one reason why registered designs are used to protect intellectual property (IP).
Outline one advantage of testing the exoskeleton in a usability lab.
Explain why Clinatec have used multidisciplinary teams, observation and personae as part of the development of the exoskeleton.
The Light Phone, see Figure 1, is a small, low-functionality mobile phone that has been designed to tackle the increasing issue of smartphone addiction. Designed to be used “as little as possible” the original Light Phone has only one primary function; to make and receive calls.
The designers intended the Light Phone to be used in addition to, rather than replace, a smartphone as it does not have internet capabilities. This allows the user to leave their smartphone at home and “disconnect” while still having access to a communication device.
The designers of the Light Phone have deliberately designed it with limited functionality to prevent the habit of “phone fidgeting”, the act of constantly checking one’s smartphone without purpose. The designers believe that modern gadgets and applications are designed to gain and hold the user’s attention. The Light Phone is the size of a credit card which means it can be easily carried, see Figure 2.
List two benefits of enhanced usability.
The Light Phone concept is built on the idea that users need to “disconnect” from their smartphones at times.
Explain why designers might use personae and characteristics in their user research to define the problem.
Outline one reason why multidisciplinary teams would have been important in developing the Light Phone.
Outline one disadvantage of using a usability laboratory to determine whether the Light Phone has led to a decrease in “phone fidgeting”.