Predicting future users and identifying opportunities for IT product and service design
Ko-Hsun Huang, Yi Shin Deng, Ming Chuen Chuang · International Journal of Product Development · 2013
Based on studies of users’ behaviour patterns or demographic analysis, different types of user modelling and profiling provide an efficient way to identify and present users’ preferences and knowledge backgrounds and help practitioners develop design concepts and evaluate final products. However, in rapid design processes, most user modelling and user studies methodology have narrowed down their scopes to limited groups of target audiences and mainly focus on users’ interactions and requirements towards a particular product or a platform. In this research we reflect on the methodologies used in user studies in three design projects, to propose a research approach that can help researchers, designers and development teams identify both target audiences and potential users earlier in the design stage. Additional benefits of the approach are also discussed, e.g. extending product lines, identifying user motives and requirements, and supporting cross-platform systems and complex services.