How do we create user-centered design?

We start by understanding people, their needs, and their interactions with the subject. The subject could be the company, product, process, or service you are trying to improve. What we strive for is the best user experience possible. A great user experience might be an interaction with a device that is exceptionally intuitive and simplifies a person’s life, an airport experience that is fast, efficient, and even enjoyable, or even residing in a city where the quality of living is exceptional due to thoughtful planning.

Meet Sofie, Who Lives in the Not so Distant Future

Sofie is 24 years old. Technology is apart of her everyday life and so much better than when her parents were young. They had a different device for everything. Life is so much simpler now. Thank goodness.

Sophie is very athletic and keeps a close watch on her blood sugar, nutrition, and weight because of her hypoglycemia. She runs five days a week and keeps track of her miles. She works hard, and when she finally has time to relax, she wants to enjoy her family, listen to music, watch movies, and play at the park with her dog. She's very busy. Sophie appreciates anything that simplifies her life.

On a Beautiful Sunday in June...

Sofie gets up to do her 7-mile run. She puts on her Smart ID, tells it to play her most upbeat music, and hits the road. At 3 miles, she feels a bit fatigued and checks her sugar levels on her Smart ID. It turns out to be low, so she decides to stop for a juice. At the store, she grabs a juice and swipes her Smart ID. She drinks her juice and gets back to her run. At 5 miles, she realizes she can't do it today and uses her Smart ID to call her sister. Her sister picks her up and takes her home. When she approaches the door to her house, her Smart ID opens the door, and she enters with a sigh of relief. As she relaxes on the sofa, she checks her Smart ID. She ran 5.1 miles, burned 309 calories, and consumed 200. "Not bad," she says and tells her Smart ID to start a movie.

How Does Sophie Interact with Her Smart ID?

Sophie has been using the Smart ID for years. She loves it because it has grown with her and become more valuable to her over time. When she was in high school, she used it to track her runs, call her friends, and listen to music. It was cool and everything, but once she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, it became a necessity. Last year she had a terrible episode and was rushed to the hospital. Her medical records and insurance were easily accessible through her Smart ID, and she received the help she needed immediately.

Smart ID understands Sophie's needs. They have identified all possible touchpoints and built a collaborative business to make the Smart ID as useful as possible. They have thought of needs Sophie doesn't even know she has yet. Although Smart ID is the maker of the device and the company with the vision, they partner with thousands of top companies from every industry to make their vision a reality. Everyone wins because everyone wants a Smart ID and NO ONE can imagine living without it.

Sophie is Unaware of the Usability Testing but it's Exactly Why the Smart ID Works so Well

Since its inception, Smart ID has tested and refined its product extensively. Analytics from tracking user behavior, habits, and lifestyle help the usability team refine each process, identify new opportunities, and create a seamless interaction with the device, adding more value to the product each year.

For each new feature, prototypes are built to conduct usability tests. By recording user's actions, reactions, and commentary, the usability team at Smart ID can identify where users have difficulty and find out first hand how they feel about the product. When problems arise, they revise and test again to ensure they have resolved all issues.

Sophie's Device

By the time Sophie receives her Smart ID, it's incredibly easy to use and perfectly designed. It takes care of several day-to-day tasks without her having to think about it, like turning on her coffee pot at 7 am, unlocking her car when she approaches and opening the garage door as her car starts. The rest is taken care of by simple voice commands. She can turn Smart ID services on or off with one click. As soon as new services get added, they immediately appear in the Smart ID software, and she receives a notification. She turns it on if she's interested - no leg work, no contracts, and no sign-up forms. The Smart ID service takes care of everything.

The Smart ID and Sophie

Conceived, Designed, and Demonstrated by Julia Rudisill of Think-Possible

We hope you enjoyed this demonstration on how to create a user-centered design. If you would like to see how we might help you, please reach out to us. We would love to talk to you.