Integrated Keyword Mapping Process: Bridging User Research to Style Concept Development

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce ‘Integrated Keyword Mapping’ that will be helpful to connect user research data to concept visualization. Designers commonly experience a broken chain situation, a logic lacking situation when they jump into idea sketch phase after user research. This appears to happen due to the non-existence of appropriate methods that can be used for translating user research data to visual language. In our design process of a brainwave detecting smart hard hat, we conducted user research through user observations and focus group interviews. When we translated the user research result to visual, we met a similar situation. To successfully link the research data to the design, we invented the method, with which we drew out concept keywords not only from the research data but also from the designer’s interpretation. We found that this provides a logical connection between the user research and the design outcomes.