In regards to information design, research provides high-level suggestions on how to learn and interact with customers to obtain their desired... Show moreIn regards to information design, research provides high-level suggestions on how to learn and interact with customers to obtain their desired requirements; but specifics on an approach to eliciting and controlling measurable requirements throughout the development process are not explored. In other areas of design, such an approach already exists: Quality Management, which has successfully improved processes and provided measurements for improvement in order to decrease errors and increase productivity. This dissertation analyzes the applicability of quality management tools to the process of developing information products.
The methodology involved two phases. In the initial phase, the researcher had the task of improving a company's benefits enrollment package for two groups. A Traditional Group used the currently accepted best practices in technical communication, performing a heuristic evaluation and a usability test to determine what changes to make in the existing package. This group focuses on the existing benefits enrollment package. In contrast, a Quality Management Group developed a benefits enrollment package using quality management tools, gathering quantifiable functional requirements early in the design and continuing throughout the process. The researcher prepared a revised benefits enrollment package for both groups, and the results of the studies were compared.
According to the usability analysis, the Traditional Group showed considerable improvement from the original package to the redesigned package. However, the Quality Management Group showed even greater improvements in several areas, suggesting the potential viability of this method in information design.
Future studies should focus on testing the effectiveness of this process on other types of information products. For the products that are successful, information designers could greatly benefit in learning how to use quality management tools to provide more precise and measurable information products. Show less
