Identifying User Needs and the Participative Design Process

2010 ◽  
pp. 79-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franka Meiland ◽  
Rose-Marie Dröes ◽  
Stefan Sävenstedt ◽  
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn ◽  
Anna-Lena Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Participative Design

Bringing Ergonomics to the Design of a Behavioural Care Unit

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 8-11
Author(s):  
Jacqueline B. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Iterative Process ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Early Design ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
Final Design ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Cost

The application of ergonomics is important when considering the built environment. In order to create an environment where form follows function, a detailed understanding of the tasks performed by the individuals who will live and work in the facility is required. Early involvement in the project is key to maximizing the benefit of ergonomics. At Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada, this early intervention was embraced during the design process of a behavioural care unit for aggressive patients. The ergonomist was involved in three phases of design; user needs analysis, block schematics and detailed design. The user needs and characteristics were established using a combination of focus groups, interviews, direct observation, task analysis and critique of current working environments. The challenge was to present the information to the design team in a useful manner. The format chosen was a modification of Userfit (Poulson 1996) that outlined the various characteristics of the patient group and the design consequences with “what does this mean for me” statements. During the block schematics phase an iterative design process was used to ensure that the ergonomic principles and the user needs were incorporated into the design. Ergonomic input was used in determining the room sizes and layout and to ensure work processes were considered. Simple mock-ups and anthropometric data assisted in illustrating the need for design changes. Examples that highlight the areas of greatest impact of ergonomic intervention include the patient bathrooms, showers and tub room. Significant changes were made to the design to improve the safety of the work and living space of the end users. One of the greatest challenges was having an appreciation for the individual goals of the team members. Ensuring there was adequate space for equipment and staff often resulted in recommendations for increased space. This in turn would increase the cost of the project. The architect and, later in the project, the engineer had goals of bringing the project in on budget. The final design was very much a team effort and truly die result of an iterative process. The sum of the individual contributions could not match the combined efforts. It was only through the ergonomic contributions in this early design phase that the needs of the staff, patients and families could be so well represented. The success of the iterative process provides the foundation for bringing ergonomics considerations into the early design stages of future projects.

Exploring Empathy in Student Design Teams

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Apfelbaum ◽  
Kendra Sharp ◽  
Andy Dong
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Applied Psychology ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Trait Empathy ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Empathy Scale ◽  
Design Theories

Abstract The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology to better understand behavioral empathy in the design process for the purpose of addressing user needs. To accomplish this, content analysis was conducted on undergraduate student assignments that documented group projects designing a consumer product. Using qualitative data analysis, the assignments and presentations were coded for their levels of behavioral empathy, using a scale that applied psychology and design theories. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index was administered to the students to assess their trait empathy. Results from these two analyses showed little connection between levels of behavioral empathy and self-assessed trait empathy of the student groups. The student assignments did reveal empathic waves that demonstrated comprehension and application of expressed user needs, evidenced by ascending and descending the empathy scale. These results indicate that is it not trait empathy that leads to empathic design, but rather applied empathy in the design process; developing internal empathy is not sufficient if it does not effectively translate user needs to technical requirements in the final design.

Social Research Methods Used in Moving the Traditional Usability Approach Towards a User-Centered Design Approach

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 36-53
Author(s):  
Horia D. Pitariu ◽  
Daniela M. Andrei ◽  
Adriana M. Guran
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Web Design ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
The People

The present chapter focuses on the idea of rethinking the concept of usability moving from the traditional view of usability expressed in the internal characteristics of the product towards usability understood as deriving from the quality of interactions between humans, their work and the web design product. Usability is not only an add-on or a final result in the design process but it is embedded as a main concern within the design process itself. Related to this perspective on usability, the authors discussed the design models which can support it and argued on the importance of using social research tools for a better understanding of the people and their needs starting with the very first stage of design. Further on the authors have provided a brief description of the most frequently used research methods in user needs analysis (interviews, focus groups and surveys) together with short guidelines in preparing and using these methods. The last part is dedicated to the illustration of user needs analysis taken from two of their research projects.

scholarly journals Understanding Inclusive Design Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 619-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicky Wilson ◽  
Avril Thomson ◽  
Angus Thomson ◽  
Alexander Freddie Holliman
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Population Ageing ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Inclusive Design ◽  
User Needs ◽  
User Requirements ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Education Strategy ◽  
Uk Higher Education

AbstractThere is a need for responsible engineering design to accommodate the diverse user requirements that come with the global phenomenon of population ageing. Inclusive design can address these diverse requirements through the consideration of a wide diversity of user needs within the design process. However, uptake of inclusive design in industry is limited, with designer awareness of the approach and its associated methods and tools noted as barriers to its uptake. This research aims to understand the current approach to inclusive design education within UK Higher Education Institutions, utilising interviews with design educators and a student survey. The study concluded that teaching of inclusive design varied between institutions with conflicting responses from academics and students relating to the methodologies taught. This study recommends that greater transparency should be encouraged between institutions to encourage the development of a cohesive inclusive design education strategy, in addition to the development of a framework to aid the implementation of appropriate inclusive methods and tools within the design process.

Design-Based Doctoral Education in Bioengineering

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa K. R. Burke ◽  
Sara E. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Product ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Clinical Experiences ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Doctoral Level ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Bio Engineering

Abstract In order to meet the needs of industry, graduate schools should consider adding design-based programs to their curriculum. A majority of Ph.D. students in bio-engineering and biomedical engineering (BME) seek employment outside of academia, implying that these students will need to be able to leverage their dissertation research for other types of positions. Here, curriculum elements are examined from several graduate programs across the United States and a strategy is proposed that combines bio-engineering design-based research and education at the doctoral level. Ideally, a design-based Ph.D. includes: traditional engineering and scientific coursework, coursework focused on the design and commercialization process, industry and clinical experiences, and design-centric research. A design-based dissertation leverages the design process into specific aims that build on each other to complete a body of work. These aims can occur at different points in the design process and should include evaluation of the technology against user needs. It is possible to orient the in-depth research of a doctoral dissertation to the design of an innovative medical product that can be of a benefit to patients.

scholarly journals Architecture and forming social relations – creation of space based on assumptions of environmental psychology

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 005-012
Author(s):  
Dorota Flor
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Environmental Psychology ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
The Social ◽  
Participative Design

The general purpose of the article is to consider design process from the social needs perspective and the attempt to interpret the idea of participative design. Based on the environmental psychology assumptions, the efforts were made to estimate the chances and risks arising from the incorporation of users into the process of designing.

Metaphors in Conceptual Design

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. G. Hey ◽  
Alice M. Agogino
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
The Core ◽  
Computer Interfaces ◽  
The Impact

A metaphor allows us to understand one concept in terms of another, enriching our mental imagery and imbuing concepts with meaningful attributes. Metaphors are well studied in design, for example, in branding, communication and the design of computer interfaces. Less well appreciated is that our understanding of fundamental design concepts, including design itself, is metaphorical. When we treat design as a process of exploration or when we get together to “bounce ideas off each other” we understand the abstract concepts of design and ideas metaphorically; ideas don’t literally bounce, nor are we literally exploring when we design. Our research is a descriptive study of the metaphors employed in design. It is the first phase in a longer research effort to understand the impact of design metaphors on creativity. We investigated whether design authors employed different metaphors for the overall design process and consequently for core design concepts. To address this hypothesis we analyzed the language used in the concept generation chapters of nine widely used engineering design textbooks. We coded each metaphorical phrase, such as “finding another route to a solution”, and determined the core metaphors in use for common design concepts including, ideas, problems, solutions, concepts, design, the design process, user needs and others. We confirmed that authors with differing views of design do indeed emphasize different metaphors for core design concepts. We close by discussing the implications of some common metaphors, in particular that Ideas Are Physical Objects.

Building a Competitive Intelligence System

2011 ◽  
pp. 228-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egbert Philips
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Competitive Intelligence ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Intelligence System ◽  
The Future ◽  
Participative Design ◽  
Competitive Intelligence System

Competitive intelligence is understood as the process of acquiring environmental data and transforming them into strategic relevant intelligence. To realize the activities in the four stages of the intelligence process (directing, collecting, analyzing and distributing), a so-called intelligence infrastructure is needed. This infrastructure consists of all the requirements (division of tasks and responsibilities, human resources, and ICT) to perform the intelligence activities. In this chapter we propose an infrastructural approach to designing and implementing a competitive intelligence system. In the infrastructural approach, it is acknowledged that ICT solutions are only a part of the total infrastructure, realizing the CI activities. Moreover, the infrastructural approach is characterized by a specific view on the development process. The different elements of the infrastructure are simultaneously developed and the design of the process is actually executed by the future users. The goal of this participative design process is to create user commitment by taking the interests and needs of the potential users into account. This commitment is supposed to be a necessary prerequisite for a successful implementation of a CI infrastructure. In this chapter, a case is described to illuminate how an infrastructural approach with respect to CI works.

scholarly journals A Problem Well Defined is Nearly Solved

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Medical Device ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Device Design ◽  
Medical Device Design ◽  
Consulting Firms ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
The Difference

Solving problems is simple. Understanding which problems should be solved is immensely challenging. Medical device design projects frequently begin with a search for solutions rather than a clear appraisal of needs. Understanding clinical needs, user needs, unmet needs and the differences between them is crucial. Through a process of filtering research into an array of needs the author prescribes a method to aid the designer in defining the overarching problem. This array can create a clear path to problem solutions while utilizing a methodology that fits in the context of a regulated design process. For medical device startups, design consulting firms, and corporate manufacturers, a clear understanding of the problem can mark the difference between a misguided solution and a solution that benefits physicians and patients.

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