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Conceptual Design

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For more information,
send email or call
Interface Concepts
at (360) 297-2500.

Based on experience applying the Conceptual Design process, clients of Interface Concepts have realized the following benefits:

• Design projects get off to a running start because the process is fast, simple, and effective.



• The design teams finds out early on what information is lacking or needs to be clarified, which avoids surprises and rework later.



• The process is detailed and systematic, so nothing is left out.



• Conceptual design focuses on creating solutions, not on finding problems as many other usability methods do.



• Measurable objectives guide the design and provide a way to evaluate the results, so itís easy to tell when the design is a success.



• The ideas of participating team members are aligned and synthesized into a single design, which results in greater consistency and coherence of the application. There are fewer disagreements on detailed design issues because everyone shares a common understanding of the guiding principles for the design.



• The process lends itself to an iterative approach. The same techniques can be applied during the detailed design phase to clarify and refine each area of the application. An iterative approach also helps to accommodate changing requirements.



• Designing the underlying concepts early on is more cost-effective than trying to fix conceptual problems that have been built into a prototype or an implemented user interface.



• A simple, well-designed conceptual model that is clearly and accurately represented in the user interface makes applications easier to learn.



• When the functionality is organized around user objects and tasks--that is, the way users think about them--applications are easier to use.



• The result is a better user interface from the beginning, instead of one that requires major revisions to meet minimum usability standards.

For information on how you can derive these benefits on your next user interface project, send email or call Interface Concepts at (360) 297-2500.

Copyright © 2001, Interface Concepts. All rights reserved.
Updated November 2001.