Greetings, campus!
Throughout the Moodle Renovation process you might hear whispers of a process called UCD, which stands for user-centered design. UCD is one of multiple initiatives being used to gather intentional, meaningful feedback about Moodle usage at Butler. Here one of the UCD project team members describe the process:
UCD is about involving users throughout the design process to ensure their voice/viewpoint is represented as the design evolves from idea to prototype to finished product (and beyond). With UCD, the design team strives to develop a deeper understanding of a product’s users and stakeholders – their personal goals, motivations, frustrations, etc. The team uses this information to guide the initial design and invites users back during the process to test design ideas and provide feedback. This design/feedback loop can occur several times throughout the process; each cycle helps the team refine the design before the product is built and launched.
This is in contrast to a more traditional design process where the idea/prototype is often based on high-level market research (e.g., age, education level, income, geographic region, etc.) and the user has little to no involvement until they see the end product. This can result in a final product that may work fine technically but doesn’t meet the user’s expectations. Fixing problems post-launch can come at a huge cost, both in terms of time/$$$ to rework the design and damage to the company/developer’s reputation.
So why do all this in the context of Moodle? In short, we don’t want Moodle to just be functional; we also want it to be effective and an enjoyable tool to work with. As we make this upgrade, we want to ensure that 1) we understand users’ expectations at Butler, and 2) we pursue avenues for meeting those expectations where possible. The UCD process ensures we work on improvements that will provide the greatest impact in terms of value. It also helps put ourselves in the user’s shoes throughout the process (instead of guessing or making incorrect assumptions). In short, UCD helps us make smarter, better-informed decisions.
Moreover, it helps us identify problems and fix them early-the $1/$10/$100 rule. It costs $1 to fix a problem in the design stage, $10 to fix it as the product is being built, and $100 to fix it after it’s released. With this process in place and by testing and fixing in the design stage, we can greatly increase the likelihood of a smooth, seamless upgrade on August 23rd, 2015.
We have already finished up our initial UCD user interviews, and the issues that came out of those interviews are being prioritized for resolution and testing efforts. This set of items is scheduled to begin its first round of testing very soon! A big thank you to everyone on campus who took the opportunity to participate in one of these UCD interviews! The authentic feedback from real Moodle users is valuable and much appreciated.
Signing off,
The Moodle Renovation Team