Join our UX research group
Is your department conducting UX research?
Be user focused
What is user-centred design?
User-centered design (UCD) puts visitors at the center of every decision. Follow UCD methodology to tailor your website to suit your users' needs without making assumptions. Aiming for the right targets and making the right decisions will ensure you achieve your goals easily.
Why is it important?
UCD matters because great digital experiences are born from considering the end-user of your product at every stage of the conception and design process (Allen & Chudley, 2012, p. 3).
Checklist of things to do
- Be aware of the principles of user experience research and design processes
- User interviews
- Contextual inquiry
- Surveys
- Focus groups
- Card sorting
- Usability testing
- Work with McGill's Unified Web Team to obtain guidance with user experience research and design processes
There are several ways to learn more about your users' needs, you should not rely only on usage statistics.
Supporting resources
- Learn more about user-centred design
- Web Services resources and articles
- Translation guidelines
- Additional helpful sites
Looking to learn more about user-centred design? Navigate the tabs on the left to access our recommended resources.
Web Services resources and articles
Translation guidelines
Be aware of your audience needs and requirements concerning translated content and produce web content that aligns with those needs.
Translation to-dos
- Ensure your content is professionally translated
- Keep your French content synced with your English content
- Contact McGill Translation Services for guidance translating content
Helpful sites
- Nielsen Norman Group
- Smashing UX Design: Foundations for Designing Online User Experiences by Jesmond Allen and James Chudley
- A project guide to UX design: for user experience designers in the field or in the making by Russ Unger and Carolyn Chandler
- Data-Driven Design: Using Web Analytics to Validate Heuristics by Andrea Wiggins
Worksheets & forms
Use the worksheets below to apply Web Services principals to your projects. Login with your McGill ID to download.
Training & event slides
Access presentation slides from our training courses and events. Login with your McGill ID to download.