Developing a model for effective communication of user research findings to the design process

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2013

Author

Töre Yargın, Gülşen

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It is a commonly held belief that the integration of user research data into the design process can bring great benefits; and there have been many studies that not only examine these benefits, but have also suggested how these researches may be carried out. However, effective integration relies as much on the way information gathered from user researches is delivered to the designer as the quality of the information gathered. Examples of how user research findings are communicated can be found in literature; but what is lacking is a structured approach to developing deliverables with a framing of discussions about effectiveness, considering the practitioner’s needs and expectations. This study aims to investigate how user research findings should be communicated to the designers in order to maintain effectiveness in integration of the findings to the design process. A model and strategies and guidelines to achieve effective communication are proposed as the result. In order to propose them the methodology involves three main stages, including a literature search, an in-depth interview with the practicing designers and a verification questionnaire to confirm the findings of the previous two stages. The results of the study reveal expected outcomes of the user research activity by designers as the dimensions of effective communication of user research findings. Moreover qualities of the delivery mediums and informational content of the deliverables are identified from practitioners’ perspectives. The outcome of the study is a set of strategies and guidelines that the researches should consider, while designing new deliverables and planning communication activities for delivering user research findings to the design process.

Subject Keywords

Industrial design, Industrial design, Industrial design, Product design

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12615607/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/22286

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

G. Töre Yargın, “Developing a model for effective communication of user research findings to the design process,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2013.