A User-centered Model for Web Site Design
Needs Assessment, User Interface Design, and Rapid Prototyping
- Affiliations of the authors: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (MBK, WFC, WAK); Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (MFJ)
- Correspondence and reprints: Mable B. Kinzie, PhD, Instructional Technology, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, 405 Emmet Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2495; e-mail: <kinzie{at}virginia.edu>
- Received 21 June 2000
- Accepted 14 February 2002
Abstract
As the Internet continues to grow as a delivery medium for health information, the design of effective Web sites becomes increasingly important. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of one effective model for Web site design, a user-centered process that includes techniques for needs assessment, goal/task analysis, user interface design, and rapid prototyping. They detail how this approach was employed to design a family health history Web site, Health Heritage <www.healthheritage.net>. This Web site helps patients record and maintain their family health histories in a secure, confidential manner. It also supports primary care physicians through analysis of health histories, identification of potential risks, and provision of health care recommendations. Visual examples of the design process are provided to show how the use of this model resulted in an easy-to-use Web site that is likely to meet user needs. The model is effective across diverse content arenas and is appropriate for applications in varied media.
Footnotes
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This work was supported in part by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Preliminary versions of this paper were presented at the AMIA 2000 Annual Symposium, Nov 4–8, 2000, in Los Angeles, California, and at the AMIA 2001 Annual Symposium, Nov 3–7, 2001, in Washington, DC.
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↵* These and other pilot test findings are the subject of a forthcoming paper.
