Exploiting User Involvement in Interactive System Development

Abstract

By the time users have an opportunity to try out a prototype of a new interactive system, most of the fundamental design decisions have already been made, and it is usually too late to make more than superficial changes. In too many instances, the final result is a system that is awkward to use, and which may even be resisted by its users. To avoid this situation, genuine solicitation of user reaction to proposed system designs should begin as early as possible and continue throughout the design process. Several techniques (some of them rather unconventional) are suggested for actively employing users in system design.