Scott McDaniel
Skills
- User Interface Design (Conceptual)
- A conceptual design implements high-level requirements and typically consists of detailed sketches of key screens, templates of each screen type for an application, and a navigational map of a user interface. I produce these items as well as a conceptual prototype that allows for usability testing to validate the concept and also serves as a tool to communicate the design to management.
- User Interface Design (Detailed)
- Developers should be able to code directly from specifications without having to make assumptions or continually ask questions. I produce detailed specifications that provide developers with all the information they need to create screens. Typically, specifications include a graphic component for screen layout and a data component for field contents, interaction notes, and error messages.
- Project Management
- User Experience activities must fit into an overall project in terms of schedule, scope, and budget. I secure stakeholder buy-in and produce schedule and cost estimates for the most appropriate activities. I also make appropriate trade-offs when needed to achieve the project goals and track activities and hours to ensure that the project stays on track.
- Product Team Facilitation
- At the beginning of a project, the entire team must be clear about a variety of usability issues: user groups, usability goals, business goals, business model, etc. The team must also be clear about management issues: scope, schedule, budget, roles, responsibility and accountability, etc. I lead team workshops to document these issues and better align business goals, IT goals, and user goals.
- Front-end Development
- Sketches and wireframes are great tools to think through the design. When it comes to testing interaction or demonstrating a product design, though, prototypes are the way to go. I use HTML, CSS, XSLT, PHP, and Javascript to produce prototypes and then to implement the production version.
- User Analysis
- Project teams usually begin projects with a set of assumptions about their customers, some true and some not. I choose the user analysis technique that best answers the questions the project team has. Using methods from Contextual Inquiry to interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, and card sorting, I clearly describe users, their work, and their mental models. I also turn that information into requirements and conceptual user interface designs.
- Usability Testing
- The best way to ensure an interface's usability is by observing customers while they use it. I coordinate the logistics of usability tests, write test scripts, facilitate or observe during the test itself, analyze the results, and present recommendations.
- Expert Usability Review
- Heuristic reviews, or expert usability reviews, of a user interface are a quick and cost-effective way uncover usability issues. I inspect a user interface and note where it deviates from usability best practices. I also assign a severity to each observation to assist with analysis and prioritization.
- Graphic Design
- After establishing the feature set and interaction design for an application, it is time to establish its graphic design. I provide logos, color schemes, font choices, icons, and illustrations to make sure the final product is both attractive and clear.
- Training
- User interface design and usability techniques, while common sense, are not always obvious. I provide workshops and training sessions at which participants learn these techniques and apply to them their workplace projects.
- Technical Writing
- I write clear, concise instructions, user messages, and training materials.
Technologies
- HTML5, CSS3 (Sass and LESS)
- JavaScript, Typescript, Angular
- Drupal, Wordpress
- VS Code, Eclipse, Git, Adobe Creative Suite, Visio
Selected Publications
- Academic Manuscript Submission: A Case Study in Interaction Design
- McDaniel, S. (2007) Academic Manuscript Submission: A Case Study in Interaction Design. User-Centered Design Stories: Real-World UCD Case Studies. Morgan Kaufmann. 289-316. Available at Amazon
- Planning Usability Tests for Maximum Impact
- McDaniel, S and Snyder, L. (2004) Planning Usability Tests for Maximum Impact. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Technical Communication. 345-349.
- Designing Search Pages
- McDaniel, S. (2004) Designing Search Pages. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Technical Communication. 296-300.
- Selling Usability: Scope and Schedule Estimates
- McDaniel, S. (2003) Selling Usability: Scope and Schedule Estimates. Intercom, 50:12, 22-25.
- Uncovering True Motivations: The Whys and Wherefores
- McDaniel, S. (2003) Uncovering True Motivations: The Whys and Wherefores. Usability Interface, 10:2.
- What's Your Idea of a Mental Model?
- McDaniel, S. (2003) What's Your Idea of a Mental Model? Boxes and Arrows. https://boxesandarrows.com/whats-your-idea-of-a-mental-model/
- The Big Dig: Mining Nuggets of Value
- McDaniel, S. and McDaniel, M. (2002) The Big Dig: Mining Nuggets of Value. User Experience, 1:2, 20-29.
- Surrogate Tests: When You Can't Get to Your Users
- McDaniel, S. (1999) Surrogate Tests: When You Can't Get To Your Users. Usability Interface, 6:1.
- A Heuristic Evaluation of the Usability of Infants
- McDaniel, S. (1999) A Heuristic Evaluation of the Usability of Infants. Intercom, 46:9, 44.