Karen Holtzblatt Livres

Is it challenging to include users in your design process or to adopt user-centered design techniques due to limited resources? This handbook presents Rapid CD, a fast, adaptable version of Contextual Design. It serves as a practical guide for those needing to implement Contextual Design in tactical projects with tight timelines. The handbook offers detailed advice on structuring projects and customer interviews, conducting interviews, and leading interpretation sessions. It guides you step-by-step in organizing data to identify key issues, visioning solutions, storyboarding, and conducting paper prototype interviews, all achievable with a small team in just a few weeks. Real project examples with actual customer data illustrate the application of the process. The handbook covers the entire project scope, from determining interview types to analyzing collected data, and includes sample schedules for various project types. It provides instructions for writing affinity notes and labels, building affinity diagrams, and consolidating sequence models. Additionally, it demonstrates how to leverage consolidated data to define designs within tight timeframes, featuring examples of visions, storyboards, and paper prototypes. The introduction of CDTools, an application designed to support customer-centered design, further enhances the process.

The book focuses on the persistent underrepresentation of women in the tech industry and the high attrition rates among them. It details the research conducted through The Women in Tech Retention Project, highlighting six key factors that foster women's success and retention in tech roles. Additionally, it presents practical interventions aimed at improving workplace practices, enhancing team dynamics, and supporting diverse employees. The findings are based on extensive data from a diverse group, emphasizing the importance of creating inclusive environments for all team members.