QUALCOMM Wireless Business Solutions is in the process of adopting a user-centred design approach to product development in the organisation, replacing the years-old engineering-centric product development process. The Human Interface Guidelines repository was conceptualised as a tool to manage and bind the roles of design and engineering in a complete development process.

The QWBS Human Interface Guidelines project dealt with remodelling the standards repository as a design knowledge management tool to support developers and QA testers to take up low-level design responsibilities from the design team. The scope of the project grew from being an isolated developer tool to a medium that helps structure the new process in many ways. The concept was developed involving real users (the user base was in the US).

My work in the project involved studying the user domain and the system, and structuring the information required according to user requirements. The information was packaged as a complete tool by designing the interaction and UI to suit the tasks. The developed tool reduced iteration and miscommunication within the team, speeding up the process delivering high quality results at the same time.

I learnt to modify existing and standard methods of user study and creating new ones to accomplish goals and meet the demands within industrial constraints. The experience also taught me the mechanics of teamwork, even while maintaining my own individual streak.