Decoded: Exploring user involvement in the early stages of software development
Edward J. Sieferd · IUScholarWorks (Indiana University) · 2017
This research aims to explore how user involvement in software development can contribute to innovation in interfaces and system functionality as well as create supporting literature for human-centered design in the software development process. To achieve this, a mixed-methodology approach is used to validate users as co-creators in the early stages of development. This is done through direct engagement with users, the adaption of the GOMS framework to develop human-centered methods for engagement, and the use of evaluative surveys. By combining GOMS and human-centered design, researchers could frame engagement methods for the elicitation of system functionality and interface design requirements. Researchers then synthesized requirements from user generated data, developed a prototype, and compared it to a prototype developed without user involvement. Early results show that user-generated prototyping provides key insights into the development of software features, user flow, and information architecture.