Interacting with users in the design process

Summary form only given. It is pointed out that close contact between users and system designers throughout the design and specification cycle can dramatically increase the effectiveness and usability of systems. However, involving users in the design process is not without its problems. Some issues deserving careful consideration are: how to chooser user; how user should be involved; what organizational pressures exist; how to help users discover, understand, and articulate what they want and need; how system designers can come to understand what users do; how to mitigate increased uncertainty of progress due to involving users; how to determine what information or feedback would be useful; and how to put that information to use in the design process. An attempt is made to answer some of these questions.<>