The term user-centred design is used to describe design processes in which the end user, consumer or customer is involved in and has a direct influence on the design. (Abras & Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2004: 1). This review will discuss the question of whether involving the end user in the design process is in fact helpful, or not. A set of five articles will be discussed to evaluate the user’s involvement in the design process. The five articles referred to are as follows;
Authors Oygur and McCoy argue that the user is the most important factor to be taken in consideration when designing (Oygur & McCoy, 2011: 1). There are three types of users that should be considered during the design process, namely primary-, secondary-, and tertiary
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When considering that a product is ‘designed for’, the involvement activities would include background interviews and questionnaires, which has the purpose of collecting information on the needs and expectations of the user (Kaulio, 1998: 148). This information will have an influence on how the designer will assess the design alternatives, prototypes and the final product. The involvement in this instance will be at the beginning of the design process. Interviews and questionnaires may be repeated at the end of the design process to gather qualitative data on the user’s satisfaction of the product (Abras & Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2004: 6). When the involvement of the user is considered to be at a ‘designed with’ level, the user is presented with a number of solutions or proposals which they can reject and react to (Kaulio, 1998: 148). The activities considered to be relating to this level of involvement include creating focus groups, which can determine the requirements and issues to be addressed by the product being designed. Role-playing, walkthroughs, simulations and usability testing can also be considered to be at this level as they involve the user experiencing, using, and testing the proposed prototypes. These activities have the purpose of gathering large quantities of measurable data which can be taken in consideration in the design process. (Abras & Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2004: 6). The level that is considered to be ‘designed by’ involves the user being constantly and actively
Lawson, Bryan. How Designers Think: The Design Process Demystified. 4th ed. Oxford: Architectural Press, 2006.
Plan and design measures to make improvements to the standards that are required giving constructive feedback
The Design Way lays out the fundamental principals of design forming a diagram to approach the world. Authors Harold G. Nelson, a Nierenberg Distinguished Professor of Design at Carnegie Mellon University and Erik Stolterman is Professor and Chair of Informatics at the School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, Bloomington (Design and Design Theory) provide an insightful look at the struggle to understand and interact with the complex world we live in. Nelson is also a Senior Instructor in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School and President of Advanced Design Institute. Currently, Stolterman’s main work is within interaction design, philosophy and theory of design, information technology and society, information systems design, and philosophy of technology grounded in careful analytical studies of the everyday practice of users and professionals dealing with interactive artifacts with a strong emphasis of building theory. Stolterman combines this approach with a strong critical and theoretical analysis of current practice (In...
IDEO’s approach to the product design process is through a collective group effort that encourages suggestions, multiple prototypes, and...
The speech of Tony Fandell; a recognize product designer who has worked for companies like Apple, is sending a clear message about how human beings lost the capacity of noticing the common things in our daily basis. He explains how through his work can see the things that become usual for all of us, how to feel them, and try to surpass the imperfections becoming great products and ideas.
How design is altered from the traditional up front design method will be discussed. The general picture obtained from a first glance at the XP method tends to imply that design is a frivolous activity put in second-place after programming. Although programming is incredibly important for getting anything done, it is equally nothing without design as design without programming. They compensate each other for their own blunders.
When dealing with technology, User Interface Design is often not considered the main part of the technology. One might assume that UI is not an important part of the device and can be thrown in at last minute but in reality UI is the most vital part of the any system. When a user looks at the device, the UI is the most essential part because it is how people interact with the computer. If a user is confused or doesn’t understand the UI, that could be a huge problem for the company. If a user disagrees or dislike the UI, the user will most likely stop using that device which plays significant role in the company’s business. Eventually users will lose interest in the device and give up on it. The user doesn’t care about the programming aspects, databases and hardware behind the device because they are not connected to them (1).
Lawson, Bryan. How Designers Think: The Design Process Demystified. NY: Architectural Press, 1980, 2007. Massachusetts: NECSI Knowledge Press, 2004.
Design has established itself as core elements in societies helping countless communities build infrastructure, invent new ways to better living conditions and create design desirable for consumption hence bettering the economy. Though this is a positive, most designers of the 21st century use their skills and their designs alike for those who can afford it; designing for what’s in fact the minority, 10% of the world’s population. The reason why developmental aid and design for development is essential to improving standards of living for those who live in developing countries, but to also bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Ilse Oosterlaken (2009, p.100) equates most designs for development that use a `participatory' process as having a limited, user-centred approach; and suggests instead a more universal design approach, which she calls ‘capability sensitive design’. This essay will illustrate designs that have contributed to developmental design through capability sensitive design approach, considering sustainable design that are not only better the environment, community health and social welfare but the country’s economic standing. Through evaluating each example’s potential for real, sufficient, diverse and lasting value for the targeted users we can determine each design’s efficiency.
Wicked Problems in Design Thinking Author(s): Richard Buchanan Source: Design Issues, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring, 1992), pp. 5-21 Published by: The MIT Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/
Hegeman, J. (2008). The Thinking Behind Design. Master Thesis submitted to the school of design, Carngie Mellon University. Retrieved from: http://jamin.org/portfolio/thesis-paper/thinking-behind-design.pdf.
Systems design is about answering questions such as “how will the information system solve a problem”. The purpose of systems design is to modify and update existing systems to achieve organizational goals. Technical design is the details of a systems outputs, inputs, and the user interface. And includes hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, personnel, and procedures. This involves the components and how they relate to one another.
... a certain product. On the consumer’s side, they will have the rights to choose, the freedom to select the product that will best suit their satisfaction or needs. Because on each day, we have daily needs that we can’t live without. Each necessity sometimes used almost every day so this study will introduce them the upside of having product variation. On the entrepreneur’s side, this research will become helpful for to know the wants needs of the people. They will be able to know the strategies or the right product to manufacture that will help them increase their market.
Design has major impact with concerns to environmental qualities. This field is a direct study of the relationship between behaviouristic actions of its inhabitants. Designers constantly interact with people and communicate to solve the needs of their clients regardless of large or small scale projects. Analysis is key in combining creativity with managerial design solutions. These outside-of-the-box designers have the ability to create beautiful, safe and functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces using common factors, designing for communities as well as,
‘You cannot hold a design in your hand. It is not a thing. It is a process. A system. A way of thinking.’ Bob Gill, Graphic Design as a Second Language.