Project management system review and redesign using user-centred design methodology

An important aspect of redesign for usability is to evaluate the system with its real users in order to identify key areas for improvement. In this paper we discuss the redesign of a project management system using a user-centred design methodology. The system is used by a wide range of users; academic staff, students, external clients and administrative staff. The original system was not fulfilling its needs as it had not captured work practices in a way that was recognizable to the users. The advantages of the redesign included: improved usefulness; improved efficiency and productivity; reduced learning time; improved usability; and increased acceptance among users. We evaluated the current system and analysed work practices using a user-centred design and evaluation philosophy. We present comparative evaluation results that show significant improvements in performance of user tasks for the redesigned project management system.