Performance Centered Design (PCD) is also known as Performance Support Systems Design, Interaction Design, and Usability Design.

None of these names adequately conveys the nature of the activity, nor the value it can add to technology-dependent ventures, particularly internet-related ones.

Performance Centered Design embraces the philosophy that technology can and should be designed to facilitate high performance by its users.  The practice of Performance Centered Design encompasses the disciplines of usability and user interface design, which may be more familiar terms, while also incorporating principles of instruction, learning and behavior.  It enables us to arrive at designs for interaction with technology that ordinary mortals can use and enjoy.   It takes the guesswork out of designing and building for success with users!

As the name suggests, PCD practitioners prefer to “design-in performance” from the start, however an effort to improve the user interactions at later stages of the development of the technology will also enhance the user experience and promote the success of the product.  I can also quickly evaluate and provide concrete advice to improve any existing interface. 

Including PCD in your design and development efforts pays off by making the time users spend at your site or using your application more rewarding, encouraging longer stays, more frequent use and increased loyalty.

Cheryl D. Green, Owner and Principal Consultant

Qualifications: 

I have extensive experience in Interaction & Performance Centered Design and Usability Evaluation for software, Information Architecture, Systems Analysis and Management, and Instructional Analysis and Design.  For the past 28 years I have used these skills to provide performance improvement and learning solutions to a broad range of clients. 

Summary:

I have spent the last nineteen years as an independent consultant providing performance centered interaction design services for a variety of government and commercial clients.

Prior to becoming an independent consultant I built my practical experience in a range of positions in the field, including

• A year of program management in performance centered design for software, handling a multi-project account.
• Over five years of training and performance support project management across five projects/customers, resulting in a total of approximately 100 hours of instruction and system interfaces for four end-user applications.
• Over seven years of instructional analysis, design and development experience with an emphasis on technology based training