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

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.

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