Designing the Total User Experience at IBM: An Examination of Case Studies, Research Findings, and Advanced Methods
Karel Vredenburg · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · 2002
IBM is a diverse multinational company that strives to lead in the creation, development, and manufacture of the world’s most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices, and microelectronics. Worldwide research labs work in all areas of information technology, from physics and cognitive science to leading-edge application research, while the IBM network of solutions and services professionals translates the advanced technologies into additional business value for our customers. IBM operates in more than 160 countries and has more than 319,000 employees worldwide. Critical to the success of our information technologies is a strategic focus on the design of the total user experience in our offerings by applying our user-centered design (UCD) process, incorporating findings from basic human–computer interaction research, and continually improving our UCD methodologies and technologies. Because a human factors organization was first established at IBM in the mid-1950s, the company has used various usability and human factors methods. The IBM version of UCD was first developed in the early 1990s (Vredenburg, 1999) based on the seminal work of Norman and Draper (1986). Our version of UCD is an