Usability Improvements by Applying User-centered Design Method Case study: Iso Omena Application

In this study, user-centered design methodology was applied to discover usability issues and to seek improvements for the mobile application of the Iso Omena Shopping Center. The original application is provided to the shopping center’s visitors to help find stores, services and discounts. User-centered design-based objectives were defined for the study. Research data was collected by examining the application and conducting user testing with usability testing methods. Personas were used as guiding factors when selecting test users. The selected test users were from different demographic and ethnographic groups and displayed different levels of interest towards the shopping center and the application. The findings were compared with theory from literature about user experience, user interface design, design probes, usability and usability testing, resulting in a consensus of best practices for designing a new prototype mockup for the Iso Omena mobile application. The suggested new interface aims to be more pleasing for the users, faster to use and more accessible to a wider group of users, including users with disabilities. During the study and design, it was noticed that the Iso Omena application is not something that its users would use daily. Therefore, mandatory registration is seen as a hindrance and adding support for multiple languages and improving ease of access would bring value for the application