What is Human-Centered Software Design?

This book describes how designers create user interfaces by focusing on the people that use the software.

If you have some familiarity with software — maybe you’re a project manager, a product manager, or a programmer — and you want to learn how software designers do their jobs, this book is for you.

Designers describe what interfaces will look like and how they will behave, how they animate, what sounds they make, and so on.

They do this using skills they have learned, such as when to use a check box and when to use a radio button.

Designers also use graphic design principles, such as typography.

They often need to use writing skills, as when helping people find the information they need.

They may use library science skills to create taxonomies, such as the shopping categories on Amazon.com.

Designing the user interface is only one part of the design work on a software project. Designers research customers’ behavior and how that will apply to using the software. Service designers create plans for how humans interact with a service and how that service operates.

Designers also test their designs with people to make sure they work.

Designers even create plans to help others build the user interface, such as style guides.