Understand

• Contextual Inquiry: Contextual inquiries capture the real workflow, ambient conditions and usage context of an application.
• Diary Study: Diary studies record the use of a product in the actual context and over a longer period of time.
• Focus group: Focus groups are moderated group discussions to record experiences and perspectives.
• Observation: Through observation, the real usage context and workflow are recorded.

Define

• Personas: Personas describe user groups like a profile.
• Storyboard: A storyboard is a comic strip that visualizes the sequence of interaction.
• User Journey Map: User Journey Maps visualize the relationship of a user with a product over time.
• Usage scenario: A usage scenario is a textual description of the interaction with an interactive system.

Design

• Card Sorting: In card sorting, suggestions for the navigation structure of an application are developed using (paper) cards.
• High fidelity Prototype: A high fidelity prototype is already very similar in appearance and interaction to the future interactive application.
• Low fidelity prototypes: Low fidelity prototypes take the form of mind maps, sticky notes, and paper sketches.
• Paper prototype: Paper prototypes are a fast and cost-effective way to visualize the basic structure and interactions of an application.
• Styleguide: Styleguides contain concrete specifications for the design of an application.
• Wireframe: A wireframe shows the layout and UI elements of an interactive application.

Evaluate

• Cognitive Walkthrough: During a cognitive walkthrough, the usability of an interactive system is assessed by experts from the point of view of a user.
• Field Test: In a field test, the interactive application is evaluated in the real context of use.
• Heuristic Evaluation: During a heuristic evaluation the usability of an interactive system is evaluated by experts based on heuristics.
• Laboratory Study / Usability Test: In a usability test the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of an interactive application is evaluated.
• Questionnaire: Using a (standardized) questionnaire, the usability or user experience of an interactive system can be measured.
• Thinking Aloud: During a usability test, thinking aloud is used to verbalize a subject's thoughts.