Web Enabling a Business including HCI Strategy & Design

Vanessa Donnelly, IBM

The full abstract of her talk is:

With the promise of such business opportunities as access to millions of customers, global reach, no expensive high-street storefronts to maintain, and no expensive staff required to keep your customers happy, the Internet can seem too good to be true. And for many businesses, it is, because they haven't successfully created an e-business solution that can realise these benefits. However, when the business model is sound, when the products are good, and when the right technology is in place, then a highly usable website can be an effective cost-saving, sales-generating interface between the customer and the business. How can a business ensure that these success criteria are achieved?

If you often try to use websites, it may come as no surprise to you to learn that many websites are designed without ever involving users. It may come as no surprise that many are not even tested on users before they appear on the web! It is no wonder that many businesses are missing out on sales and losing customers, that call centres are inundated with complaints, and that users are frustrated trying to achieve even simple tasks. What is not so widely known is the amount of brand damage that a bad website can cause, and the effect this may have on other parts of the business.

When business websites are being designed, the need for a business analysis is widely accepted. But what about an analysis of your users? Having a design and development process centred around designing solutions for users can save time and money and reduce risks. And what about an analysis of the information that should appear on the website? This presentation shows what is involved in successfully moving a business onto the web, with particular focus on the crucial analysis phases which must take place at the start of the project, where the major design and development decisions are made. It explains how to design for people using people. It shows how a business can greatly increase the likelihood of e-business success by investing in an understanding of the goals, tasks and capabilities of the website users.

Vanessa Donnelly is a software designer and usability consultant with IBM. For the last six years she has been involved in commercial website design and development, both within IBM and as a consultant with IBM customers. Her book "Designing Easy-to-Use Websites" is published by Addison-Wesley.