User Centered Design in Practice - Problems and Possibilities
Jan Gulliksen, Ann Lantz, Inger Boivie · 1998
Participatory design involves four types of actors: designers, human factors experts, managers and users. This paper explores gaps between theory and practice based on my experience with two industrial participatory design settings. Introduction Project leaders and managers in France give lip service to the idea of participatory design. Books such as Psychology of Everyday Things (Norman, 1988) have influenced both industry and academia. However, in practice, users are often left out. Why is it so hard to involve users? Participatory design involves more than just designers and users; it must also include human factors experts and managers as well. This paper examines how the different prejudices, competencies and goals affect participatory design projects. We studied participatory design in two work settings in France. The CENA (Centre d'Etudes de la Navigation Arienne) is responsible for the design and implementation of new technologies to support French Air Traffic Control. Researc...