To consolidate or distribute?: that is the question

ABSTRACT

In large companies, the processes of user-centered design (UCD)---or as these authors say, "customer-centered design (CCD)"---may be similar across business units, but the content of the work may differ dramatically from one unit to another. Thus, like many other "minority" professions, User Experience and UCD communities struggle with how to balance full involvement in and service to their business units with coordination, professional cohesion, and leadership across business units. In this month's column, our authors discuss how they and their colleagues at Hewlett Packard have been working to strengthen their professional community across the company, while preserving the ties linking practitioners and their business units.

---Susan Dray and David Siegel

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.0 General