Usability Lifecycle Process Model

Accessible Description

The diagram shows a usabiliy lifecycle process model with four stages.

  1. The first stage is to analyse the opportunity.  This stage provides the business context for the web site. There are three steps within this stage: identify the stakeholders, identify why the site is being developed, and segment the market for the site. 
  2. The second stage is to build the context of use.  There are three steps within this stage: develop a rich description of customers, a description of the environment in which they access the site and a description of realistic activities or 'task scenarios' . 
  3. The third stage is to use these data to create the user experience.  This is an iterative process and the diagram shows four steps.  The first step is to develop key performance indicators for the web site: quantitative measures, based on key customer and business requirements, that the management team use to determine if the site is ready to 'go live'. The second step is to develop the information architecture (the high-level, conceptual model). The third step is to lay out the screens (the detailed design), starting with paper sketches and moving to electronic slide shows or interactive prototypes.  The final step of the iterative process is to evaluate the site’s usability, by using both usability experts and representative customers.
  4. The final stage in the usabiliy lifecycle process model is to track real world usage and continuously improve the site once it has been deployed.

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