Unit 2: User Interaction Design

Complete lecture notes — UX process, research methods & ideation techniques

2.1 UX Design Process & User-Centered Design

What is User-Centered Design (UCD)?
User-centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy and iterative process that places the end-
user at the heart of every decision. Rather than designing what seems logical to the engineer or
business, UCD ensures the product is shaped around real users' needs, behaviors, goals, and
limitations.

Core principle: "Design for users, not at them." Every design choice must be justified by user
evidence — not assumptions.

The UX Design Process — 5 Iterative Stages

UX design is never a straight line. It cycles through these stages repeatedly as you learn more
about users. This is the Design Thinking framework — widely used at Google, IDEO, and Apple.

01 02 03 04 05
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand users Synthesise research Brainstorm and Build low- or high- Evaluate with real
through research & into a clear problem explore many fidelity mockups to users and loop back
observation statement possible solutions test ideas to improve

The process is iterative, not linear — findings from testing often send you back to Empathize or
Ideate to refine your understanding before building again.

Mind Mapping in UX
A mind map is a visual diagram used early in the UX process to explore ideas, user needs, and
system relationships. Starting from a central concept (e.g., "Food Delivery App"), branches
radiate outward covering user goals, pain points, features, competitors, and constraints.
• Why it's useful: Reveals connections between ideas that don't surface in linear thinking
• When to use it: During Empathize and Define stages — before any wireframing begins
• Tools: Miro, FigJam, Mural, or even paper and sticky notes

2.2 UX Research Methods

Why Conduct UX Research?
UX research removes guesswork. It ensures you solve real user problems rather than assumed
ones. Research can be generative (discovering problems) or evaluative (testing solutions). The
combination gives a 360° picture of user needs.

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 Method 1: User Interviews
One-on-one conversations between a researcher and a participant. The most powerful method
for uncovering deep motivations, mental models, and emotional responses.

Structured interviews Semi-structured interviews

• Fixed, identical questions for every • Guide topics but allow natural
participant conversation
• Easier to compare responses across • Uncovers unexpected, valuable
participants insights
• Less flexibility to follow unexpected • Most commonly used in UX practice
threads

Key interview tips:

• Use open-ended questions: "Tell me about a time when..."
• Avoid leading questions that suggest a desired answer
• Probe with "Why?" and "Can you tell me more?" to dig deeper
• Record with permission — do not rely on memory alone

Method 2: Surveys
Questionnaires distributed to a large group of users to collect quantitative and qualitative data at
scale. Surveys are ideal for validating hypotheses formed during interviews.
• Quantitative questions: Rating scales (1–5), multiple choice — give measurable,
comparable data
• Qualitative questions: Open text fields — give nuanced personal opinions
• Best tools: Google Forms, Typeform, SurveyMonkey
• Key limitation: Cannot follow up or probe vague answers — good for breadth, not depth

Rule of thumb: Use surveys to confirm patterns found in interviews, not to replace them.
Target 100+ respondents for statistically meaningful results.

Method 3: Competitive Analysis

A systematic evaluation of competitor products to understand industry standards, identify gaps,
and find opportunities for differentiation. You analyse the UX of similar apps or websites — what
do they do well? What frustrates users? What is missing?
• Direct competitors: Products solving the same problem (e.g. Uber vs. Lyft)
• Indirect competitors: Products solving a related need (e.g. Uber vs. public transport
apps)
• What to evaluate: Onboarding flow, navigation structure, visual hierarchy, error
handling, accessibility, key features
• Output: A feature comparison matrix or SWOT analysis per competitor

Competitive analysis answers: "What already exists, and how can we do it better or
differently?"

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 Creating User Personas
A user persona is a fictional but research-based character representing a key user segment.
Built from real interview and survey data, personas keep the whole team aligned around a
shared picture of "who we are designing for." Most projects have 2–4 primary personas.

A complete persona includes:

• Name, age, occupation — humanises the data and makes it memorable
• Goals — what does this user want to achieve?
• Pain points / frustrations — what makes their life harder?
• Behaviours — how do they currently solve this problem?
• Tech literacy — are they a digital native or less comfortable with technology?
• Quote — a representative statement capturing their mindset

AM RK
Amara, 28 Raj, 62
Busy professional. Wants fast, reliable grocery Retired teacher. Low tech confidence. Needs
delivery. Frustrated by complicated checkout large text, simple navigation, and clear error
flows. messages.

User Journey Mapping

A user journey map is a visual timeline showing the steps a persona takes to accomplish a goal,
along with their thoughts, emotions, and pain points at each stage. It reveals exactly where
users struggle and why.
A journey map tracks: Stages → Actions → Thoughts → Emotions → Opportunities

Awareness Research Sign up First use Return

User discovers the Compares Creates an account Attempts core task Retention & loyalty
product alternatives

• Emotions are charted as a line graph showing highs and lows — low points are design
opportunities
• Touchpoints are every moment the user interacts with your brand (email, app, website,
support)
• Outcome: Drives prioritisation — fix pain points with the highest emotional impact first

2.3 Ideation Techniques

What is Ideation?
Ideation is the creative phase where the team generates a wide range of potential solutions to
the defined problem. The goal is quantity over quality at first — no idea is too wild. Filtering and
refining comes later.

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 Golden rule of ideation: Defer judgment. Wild ideas spark better ideas. One seemingly
impossible concept often contains the seed of a brilliant, practical solution.

The three core ideation techniques:

Mood boards Brainstorming Sketching

A curated collage of images, A structured group session Rapid, low-fidelity hand-drawn
colors, and typography that generating as many ideas as UI concepts. Fastest way to
defines the visual and emotional possible. No criticism during externalise an idea. Crazy 8s: 8
direction before any UI is built. generation. Build on others' sketches in 8 minutes.
ideas.

Mood Boards — In Depth

Mood boards are assembled before wireframing to answer: "What should this product feel like?"
They communicate design direction without committing to any specific layout or feature —
especially useful for client presentations.
• Colour palettes — sets emotional tone (e.g. blues for trust, greens for health and
growth)
• Typography samples — serif for editorial authority, sans-serif for modern clarity
• Photography style — bright and lifestyle-focused vs. dark and editorial
• UI inspiration — screenshots of apps or websites with the desired feel
• Textures / patterns — organic, geometric, minimal, maximalist

Brainstorming — In Depth
Effective brainstorming follows rules to prevent groupthink and encourage genuine creative risk-
taking. Aim for 50+ ideas in a 30-minute session with 5–8 people.

Rules of good brainstorming HMW questions

• No criticism during generation phase • "How Might We..." reframes problems
• Encourage wild, impossible ideas as opportunities
• Build on others' ideas ("Yes, and...") • e.g. "HMW help elderly users feel
confident?"
• Aim for quantity, not quality
• Not too broad, not too narrow
• One conversation at a time
• Each HMW becomes its own
brainstorm prompt

After generation, ideas are dot-voted or clustered using affinity mapping — grouping similar
ideas into themes to identify patterns and priorities.

Sketching — In Depth
Sketching is the fastest, cheapest form of prototyping. A sketch communicates a UI concept
without investing hours in software. The Crazy 8s technique — 8 sketches in 8 minutes —
forces divergent thinking by removing the temptation to perfect a single idea.

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 • Speed over polish: Aim for 6–8 variations of the same screen, not one perfect version
• Annotate your sketches: Add short notes explaining interactions, animations, or logic
flows
• Storyboard sketches: A sequence showing the user's journey through an entire flow
• Decision sketching: Two divergent approaches side-by-side to force a conscious
design choice

After sketching, the best ideas are voted on by the team and selected for wireframing — the
next stage covered in Unit 3.

Unit 2 — Key Takeaways

• UCD keeps users at the centre of every design decision — backed by evidence, not
assumptions
• The 5-stage Design Thinking process (Empathise → Define → Ideate → Prototype →
Test) is iterative, not linear
• Interviews give depth; surveys give scale — use both together for a complete picture
• Competitive analysis prevents reinventing the wheel and reveals gaps in the market
• Personas humanise data; journey maps reveal exactly where the experience breaks
down
• Mood boards align on visual tone; brainstorming generates volume; sketching
externalises ideas quickly and cheaply

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