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  • Essay / User Centered Design Essay - 1023

    When considering a product to be “designed for,” engagement activities would include baseline interviews and questionnaires, which aim to collect information on the user's needs and expectations (Kaulio, 1998: 148). This information will influence how the designer evaluates design alternatives, prototypes, and the final product. Involvement in this instance will occur at the beginning of the design process. Interviews and questionnaires can be repeated at the end of the design process to collect qualitative data on user satisfaction with the product (Abras & Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2004: 6). When user involvement is considered to be at a “designed with” level, the user is presented with a number of solutions or proposals which they can reject and react to (Kaulio, 1998: 148 ). Activities considered related to this level of involvement include the creation of focus groups, which can determine the requirements and problems to be solved by the product being designed. Role plays, walkthroughs, simulations and usability testing can also be considered to be at this level because they involve the user experiencing, using and testing the proposed prototypes. These activities aim to collect large amounts of measurable data that can be considered in the design process. (Abras & Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2004: 6). The level considered "designed by" implies that the user is constantly and actively