Human-Computer Interaction Case Study
IST 331 focused on designing systems around user needs instead of designer assumptions.
The course emphasized user research, usability evaluation, workflow analysis, prototyping, testing, and iterative redesign. The primary project involved analyzing and redesigning portions of the Booking.com user experience through structured user-centered design methods.
Project Summary#
Overview#
IST 331 focused on understanding how people interact with systems and how those systems can be improved through structured design methods.
The course emphasized:
- user-centered design
- usability evaluation
- workflow analysis
- accessibility awareness
- user research
- prototyping
- testing
- iterative improvement
The largest project involved analyzing and redesigning parts of Booking.com to improve the overall user experience.
The objective was not simply to make the interface look better.
The objective was to make it easier for users to accomplish tasks successfully.
Why This Project Matters#
This page is more important to my portfolio than many people expect.
The same principles that improve a booking website also improve:
- ServiceNow workflows
- vulnerability management workflows
- governance processes
- incident response processes
- dashboards
- analyst interfaces
- documentation
- portfolio design
Good systems are not only technically correct.
They must also be understandable and usable.
Many security problems are actually usability problems:
- confusing workflows
- unclear ownership
- poor navigation
- excessive complexity
- hidden information
- weak feedback mechanisms
IST 331 helped reinforce the importance of designing systems around users instead of assumptions.
That mindset directly influenced how this portfolio was built.
Portfolio-Safe Publishing Approach#
Privacy note: This page summarizes methods, findings, and design lessons without publishing raw participant responses, interview data, grading materials, private collaboration records, or full project artifacts.
This page excludes:
- participant names
- raw interviews
- private survey data
- grading records
- complete Figma projects
- private collaboration discussions
- full academic submissions
- internal course materials
Instead it focuses on:
- methodology
- workflow analysis
- usability findings
- redesign decisions
- professional lessons learned
User-Centered Design Workflow#
Understand Users#
Identify user goals, frustrations, motivations, and common workflow paths.
Research
Booking.com Redesign Themes#
The Booking.com redesign focused on improving user experience rather than changing visual style alone.
Major themes included:
- reducing interface clutter
- improving navigation clarity
- simplifying task completion
- improving filter usability
- improving visibility of important actions
- reducing cognitive load
- increasing user confidence
- providing clearer feedback
- improving workflow consistency
The redesign process emphasized evidence-based improvements rather than personal preference.
User Research Evidence#
The research work involved understanding how different users approach systems.
Topics included:
- user goals
- workflow expectations
- pain points
- navigation habits
- trust and confidence factors
- differences between user groups
- task completion behavior
The purpose was to understand the user before attempting redesign.
Personas and User Profiles#
The course included creation and analysis of user personas and profiles.
These activities helped answer:
- who the users are
- what they are trying to accomplish
- what barriers exist
- what assumptions designers should avoid
This reinforced the idea that systems should be built around actual user needs.
Prototyping Evidence#
The project included:
- low-fidelity prototypes
- high-fidelity prototypes
- workflow mockups
- interaction design concepts
- iterative improvements
Figma was used as the primary design platform.
The prototypes helped visualize improvements before implementation.
Usability Testing Evidence#
Usability testing focused on understanding how real users interact with the design.
Areas evaluated included:
- navigation
- discoverability
- task completion
- workflow efficiency
- user confidence
- interface clarity
- feedback mechanisms
Testing often revealed issues that were not obvious during design.
Accessibility and Usability Themes#
The course reinforced several important usability concepts:
- consistency
- visibility
- feedback
- error prevention
- discoverability
- readability
- workflow clarity
- accessibility awareness
These principles remain relevant across many technical environments.
Capability-to-Evidence Map#
Professional Lessons Learned#
The strongest lessons from IST 331 were:
- users should be understood before solutions are designed
- assumptions often fail under testing
- usability affects adoption
- workflow clarity matters
- feedback improves confidence
- simplicity improves outcomes
- accessibility benefits everyone
- iteration is part of design
- evidence should drive decisions
- technical systems must also be usable
Professional Relevance#
This project supports:
- ServiceNow implementations
- vulnerability management workflows
- governance workflows
- analyst interfaces
- dashboard design
- documentation design
- process design
- cybersecurity operations
It also directly influenced the design of this portfolio.
Many of the navigation, hierarchy, review-path, and usability decisions on sudoRunner were influenced by lessons from IST 331.
Difference from Other Portfolio Pages#
Most pages in this portfolio focus on:
- security operations
- incident response
- malware analysis
- forensics
- governance
IST 331 focuses on people.
It demonstrates how users interact with systems and why usability matters.
That perspective strengthens every other area of the portfolio.
Related Portfolio Areas#
sudoRunner Portfolio Website#
A live example of applying workflow design, navigation, information hierarchy, and usability thinking.
Applied HCI
ServiceNow SecOps Lab Hub#
Workflow ownership, remediation processes, analyst usability, and operational design concepts.
Workflow Design
IST 456 Security & Risk Management#
Governance and decision-making supported by effective communication and process design.
Governance
Featured Work#
Curated evidence showing how HCI, workflow design, and cybersecurity work connect.
Evidence Map
Next Steps#
Future additions could include:
- usability-testing summaries
- workflow diagrams
- design iteration comparisons
- accessibility review examples
- security workflow usability examples
- ServiceNow workflow design notes
For now, this page serves as the primary portfolio-safe summary of my IST 331 user-centered design work and the HCI foundation behind many portfolio decisions.