From "User-centric design" to "user-participatory design"

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The commonly used user research methods in UCD-questionnaires, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, etc., are more users as the object of research, through the user language expressed views, to understand the user's expectations, needs. The Nordic and North America in recent decades, especially in the last more than 10 years in the field of industrial design, the gradual rise of user-participatory design (participatory design,pd), advocating more in-depth user into the design process, cultivate the user's sense of ownership, stimulate and mobilize their enthusiasm and initiative.

As a representative of Nokia, Motorola and other traditional mobile communication products manufacturers, as well as advocates represented by IDEO, Frogdesign and other third-party design companies, the concept of "user-participatory design" has been infiltrated into the world. Some products around us, it is likely that the designers and ordinary users of the common inspiration and efforts to create.

The user-participatory design concept not only transforms the designer's consciousness and working mode, but also provides a broader perspective and research means for the user researchers. Motorola Labs at the Chicago headquarters, for example, brings together anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists and other professional researchers, not only using traditional ethnographic research methods to conduct field surveys of target audiences, but also with designers to organize users into laboratories to participate in the design of low fidelity prototypes ( Each session is called a "PD session". Through a number of PD sessions, collect rich data, analyze and refine the user's requirement, pass it to the designer as the core basis of the next prototype design.

This in the western industry has been used for many years of design concepts and methods, in the domestic practice is relatively small. When the "user-centric" concept has been deeply rooted in the hearts of people, we take a look at, "User-participatory design" compared to what the similarities and differences, suitable for what kind of products, project stage, who needs to participate, suitable for what kind of users, and how to implement.

1. What is a user-participatory design (PD)?

"Participatory design" concept originated in the 60 's Nordic countries, the initial meaning and "design" of the relationship is very small, more emphasis on "participation": managers to receive public opinion, the public voice into the decision-making process.

Then the concept of participatory design changed, more used in urban design, landscape design, architectural design, software development, product development and other fields, refers to the different stages of the innovation process, all stakeholders are invited to work with designers, researchers, developers, together to define problems, positioning products, propose solutions, and evaluate the program.

The core idea of "user-participatory design" can be embodied literally. It is a concept that will deepen the user's integration into the design process. Through the continuous practice and promotion of applied anthropologists and UE practitioners, this method has been recognized and applied in the Nordic and North American product design field for the last more than 10 years. The stakeholders involved in the design, primarily the end-user of the product, may also include potential users.

The role of the designer and the user has changed subtly compared to the tradition: the user becomes the designer and the change of the product, while the designer and the Development engineer play the Coordinator, the cooperating and the observer more in the PD session, and the perceptual gain firsthand information to the user. As the main organizer of PD, researchers have been able to tap into the user's consciousness and needs from a richer perspective in the process.

2. Is this another version of UCD?

and UCD advocated by the same user-centric, participatory design is also highly considered and respect for the user of a embodiment, emphasizing product design and development should first meet the needs and expectations of users. Personally, however, the two are somewhat different:

In the traditional UCD method, the user participates in the product design process to a lesser degree, the form is passive, mainly receives the interview, receives the observation, fills in the questionnaire, according to the researcher set the task to carry on the usability test to the product. Whether in the user's subjective feelings, or designers and researchers of the cognition, the user is the object of research, is the partner.

and PD Extreme emphasis on the user's initiative and enthusiasm, users are no longer just passive from the different options to make choices, express ideas, but really participate in prototype design, brainstorm design ideas, and even be absorbed into the design team, a short time with the designer work together. With the help of the material provided by the experimenter, the user can provide the design plan and explain his creative ideas in person. Throughout the process, users feel that he is working with designers to create, solve problems, is the product of the change and owner.

3. What kind of product is suitable for PD?

At present, the application of PD is very wide, the specific forms are also various, there is no rules and regulations which type of products can or cannot be used. As long as you do the project needs to meet the user as the ultimate goal, as long as you are not certain aspects of product design, as long as the company's culture is open enough to take risks, you can try to mobilize the enthusiasm of users, organize their own hands. Mobile keyboard, browser interface, TV remote control, medical devices, toys, and so on, and so on, all rely on a good experience to live products, are worth trying to integrate into the design of the user's in-depth participation.

Personally, the more innovative the new product, or the original product optimization, the more appropriate to use user-participatory design collection needs, ideas, programs or prototypes. When the product strategy is adjusted, the innovation meets the bottleneck, or an important product begins to enter the decline period, the implementation of PD is likely to bring new life for the product and the company. In the 2011 China Interactive Design Experience Day, the innovation Workshop's Wu Zhohao cited The Lego Company's example, when Lego in the end of the century in the borderless innovation circle, a designer attempts in the Forum with a group of Lego enthusiasts to design some products, achieved very good reaction and effect.

4. What stage of the project is suitable for use?

In general, the earlier the design phase the better. The designer's own plan has not been stereotyped, the product has not entered the development phase, so that the entire project has enough flexibility and openness to absorb a variety of ideas, user researchers through observation, analysis of the mining needs, to maximize the integration into the final design plan.

Introduction to here a little to come to an ending, we have any feelings or practical experience, welcome to discuss the message.

In the next installment, we will continue to explore which participants PD needs, what users are suitable for recruitment, what forms and how to implement them. Please look forward to ... ：)