The design collaboratorium: a place for usability design

ABSTRACT

The "design collaboratorium" is a new usability practice that has been developed in an action research project between three industrial usability labs and a university. The design collaboratorium has been developed as a reaction to the failing capabilities of classical usability methods to cope with ubiquitous technologies. It has borrowed elements from participatory design and developed them further to become useful in large-scale industrial development organizations. The design collaboratorium will be presented through examples from a joint project: a vision project concerning wastewater treatment technology. In light of the case, we will discuss the philosophy underlying the design collaboratorium in further detail: the collaboration between active participants, the role of design artifacts, and the room as a meeting ground. Finally we lay out the working method and propose directions for future usability competencies.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  G. Mathematics of Computing
  G.4 MATHEMATICAL SOFTWARE
      Subjects: User interfaces

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Theory and methods; Interaction styles (e.g., commands, menus, forms, direct manipulation); User-centered design

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
cooperative design, ubiquitous and mobile technology, usability practice, user interface methodology