Do you know your user group? Why it is essential to put your user-requirements analysis on a broad database

Abstract

When developing a novel technological system, it is important to meet the users’ needs and expectations to ensure that the product will be accepted and applied by future users. To achieve that, a broadly based qualitative user-requirements analysis is essential. Following a user-centered design approach, a qualitative analysis was conducted to identify users’ needs and expectations for a future TV system. A prototype of the system has been developed with a focus on accessibility for deaf consumers by providing sign language via a virtual interpreter inserted into the traditional TV picture. The requirements analysis based on three different methods: the user interviews, the online questionnaire and the workshop. The statements given in the different studies handle similar topics. The respective detailed expectations by young and elder signers are mostly complementary, but partly even contrary. The results highlight the importance to set a user-requirements analysis on a broad database when developing technological systems. Only asking individual representatives of the user group and only applying individual methods would give very limited insight into users’ expectations and needs toward a technical system. To gain a detailed and representative picture for the whole community, a multimethod approach should be followed allowing for a feedback of several subgroups of the targeted population.