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A study of the role of user-centered design methods in design team projects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2010

Justin Lai ,
Tomonori Honda  and
Maria C. Yang
Justin Lai
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Tomonori Honda
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Maria C. Yang
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Abstract

User-centered approaches to design can guide teams toward an understanding of users and aid teams in better posing design problems. This paper investigates the role of user-centered design approaches in design process and outcome within the context of design team projects. The value of interaction with users is examined at several stages throughout the design process. The influence of user-centered design on the performance of design teams is also explored. Results suggest that the quantity of interactions with users and time spent interacting with users alone is not linked with better design outcome, but that iterative evaluation of concepts by users may be of particular value to design prototypes. Suggestions are made based on the reflections from the authors after conducting this study.

Keywords

Design PedagogyDesign ProcessDesign TeamsProduct DesignUser-Centered Design
Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
AI EDAM , Volume 24 , Issue 3: Design Pedagogy: Representations and Processes , August 2010 , pp. 303 - 316
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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