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Human-Centered Design Study: Enhancing the Usability of a Mobile Phone App in an Integrated Falls Risk Detection
Richard Harte1,2, Leo R Quinlan2,3, Liam Glynn4
1NUI Galway, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering & Informatics, Galway, Ireland.
JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth
|June 1, 2017
Summary
Human-centered design (HCD) rapidly developed a connected health app for fall risk detection. The methodology ensured a user-friendly interface suitable for older adults, minimizing development time and user burden.
Area of Science:
- Connected Health
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Usability Engineering
Background:
- Human-centered design (HCD) is crucial for user safety and experience in product development.
- HCD's iterative nature can conflict with rapid development cycles in the connected health industry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply a structured HCD methodology to develop a smartphone app for a connected health fall risk detection system.
- To utilize discount usability engineering techniques for efficient development and rapid prototyping.
- To provide a detailed description of HCD methodology application for designers.
Main Methods:
- A 3-phase methodology involving use case development, expert/end-user analysis, and usability inspection.
- Iterative refinement of app prototype and user manual based on feedback.
- User testing with end users to gather further design recommendations.
Main Results:
- Expert and end-user analysis initially identified 21 interface problems; only 3 were observed in user testing.
- Validation testing yielded satisfactory ratings from both experts and end users.
- Final user testing indicated low mental, physical, and temporal demands using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX).
Conclusions:
- Clear and relevant user feedback (visual, auditory) is critical for task completion.
- Unambiguous language and minimal use of warning signals are essential for user confidence.
- The HCD methodology, aligned with ISO 9241-210, produced a functional app for older adults within a short cycle.
