A Worth-centered development approach to information management system design

No Thumbnail Available
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
School of Science | Master's thesis
Checking the digitized thesis and permission for publishing
Instructions for the author
Date
2013
Major/Subject
Käytettävyystutkimus
Mcode
T-121
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
vii + 83 + [16]
Series
Abstract
In 2006, Gilbert Cockton introduced a novel design framework namely Worth-Centered Development (WCD). As practitioner, I always want to try out new approach and eventuallycontribute to human computer interaction (HCI) community with the study's results. Thus the goals of this study were, from practitioner's perspective, to have a comprehensive understanding of WCD framework, to assess its applicability, to examine in detail how WCD can be applied and eventually put WCD into realistic use. WCD framework has been chosen as main approach for designing an information management system used at my clients' organization, the Finnish Golf Union. This system was meant for employees at FGU and club manager at Finnish golf clubs to administrate their constitutional information. As main stakeholder, FGU demanded a new system to replace their current Central Registry (CR) system that had several usability problems and consequently causes managerial and financial problems to the organization and its member golf clubs. The study started with legacy system study and worth identification process applied via multiple HCI approaches, such as: bipolar laddering, laddering interview technique, and informal walkthrough. Then, worth sketches and worth map approaches were utilized to support worth design process. Finally, user experience frames (UEF), system usability scale (SUS); element measure strategy (EMS) has been chosen as viable methods for evaluating the design outcomes. The main metrics used to assess the success of this thesis were the improvements of the new system in term of usability, user experience, and perceived worthwhile outcomes over CR system. The user study involved 16 interviews in total with 6 interviewees from FGU and 10 interviewees from six golf clubs in Helsinki region. Totally, three design phases have been consecutively executed. Each phase contains several design iterations and different design foci. The design prototype in each iteration was evaluated with the combination of SUS, informal walkthrough, UEF, and/or EMS, and then improved based on the received feedback. My study results indicated that: 1) the new Verkkotietopalvelu system had significant improvements over the CR system in terms of usability and worthwhile outcomes, 2) to design a worthwhile information system, it is vital to address every possible hygiene factor and to involve multidisciplinary team in the worth design process, finally 3) to achieve effective worth evaluation process, the intended users of the system must be evaluated against hi-fi prototype. In overall, despite of its time-consuming processes, WCD was an applicable and beneficial framework providing a complete approach for designing worthy information management system.
Description
Supervisor
Nieminen, Marko
Thesis advisor
Runonen, Mikael
Helenius, Mika
Keywords
Worth-centered development, usability, user experience, information management system, action research
Other note
Citation