Design process excludes users: the co-creation activities between user and designer

Abstract

User needs are a fundamental element of design. If the design process does not properly reflect user needs, the design will be severely compromised. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate how the user is, and user needs are, understood in the design process. In this article, three accepted linear process models for web site and interactive media design are reviewed in terms of the designer and user participation. The article then proposes a user-evolving collaborative design process which is built on co-creation activities between designer and user. Co-creation activities across the entire design process structurally and ontologically reposition the users, and user needs, centrally, which allows the designers to holistically approach to the user needs through building a partnership with the users. Co-creation creates an equal evolving participatory process between user and designer towards sharing values and knowledge and creating new domains of collective creativity.

Keywords:

• co-creation
• collaborative design
• design process
• participatory design
• user-centred design

Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by a grant from the auDA Foundation in 2011. The auDA Foundation a charitable trust established by .au Domain Administration Limited (auDA) to promote and encourage education and research activities that will enhance the utility of the Internet for the benefit of the Australian community.