Human-Centred Design—User Experience: Tools and Intervention Methods

The specificity and innovative value of the ergonomic approach to design lies in its ability to evaluate the range of variables that define the interaction between people and what they come into contact with (that is, the characteristics and abilities of users; the characteristics of products and the activities for which they are, or can be, used; the characteristics of the physical, social and organisational context), their reciprocal relationship and what could change with time, by periodically identifying and interpreting the needs and expectations that people express, or can express, regarding this interaction. The design intervention, then, is based on the ability to understand, interpret—and imagine—the different situations and scenarios in which people can, or could, come into contact with the system, by identifying the range of variables involved and the complexity that defines their reciprocal relationship. This is achieved by defining the system of requirements that are needed for the product and the necessary parameters and criteria for evaluating and designing the quality of the product. Ergonomics’ intervention methods allow us to define and manage these relation- ships, organise the data collected during the design process and define the integrated intervention requirements. In particular, the methods for evaluating usability and safety of use, as well as the methods for evaluating the User Experience, are based on the collection of informa- tion about the interaction between people and products and systems they come into contact with within a given usage context. They also allow us to identify and analyse the behaviour of people (or users), their needs (needs, expectations and desires) and, finally, the type and frequency of the errors that they can make while performing the required tasks.