Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
Experiencing Product Use in Product Design
Boess, Stella
Type:
Year:
2009
Editor:
Norell Bergendahl, M.; Grimheden, M.; Leifer, L.; Skogstad, P.; Lindemann, U.
Author:
Series:
ICED
Section:
Human Behavior in Design
Page(s):
311-322
Abstract:
How people use products can be quite different from the expectations of designers. This has been shown during the last twenty years, highlighting the need for designers to engage with product use during designing and proposing recommendations for this. So how do designers currently try to anticipate how people will use their products? An interview study with ten practicing designers was conducted. It asked how the designers try to aid that users are able to access the functionalities products may offer, and how the designers check whether the users really can and want to access these functionalities. The following issues emerge from the study. Designers see it as part of their competence to anticipate on product use. This is often based on intuition and professional experience. Designers could benefit from tools to reflect on this aspect more explicitly. Partly, these could be based on activities designers already do. Furthermore, product use can get crowded out of product development processes because its importance is not always made explicit. This should be addressed on a broader organizational level, although some solutions could be found in the design process itself.
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