User: Inspiration or Constraint?

Abstract

This article shares findings from a case study conducted in a senior interior design studio in which students were introduced to user–centered integrated design process (user–centered IDP) through a rural community–university collaboration. The goal was to understand the role of the user and user involvement in the interior design process. The research focused on the integration dimension of user–centered IDP and analyzed how students utilized user interaction and knowledge through the stages of the design process. This understanding is important for better interweaving user involvement and design, managing more effective design projects, and supporting student learning in the interior design studio. Research results indicated that students utilized the knowledge of the user in two ways: as an inspiration and as a constraint. The user, as a design factor, oscillated between inspiration and constraint thus suggesting an inspiration–constraint cycle of user in interior design process. This finding demonstrated the constructivist nature of user. Students constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed the concept of the user based on project context and requirements.