Utilizing end User Input in Early Product Development

Abstract

A critical component in the development of new products is the inclusion of input from future users. This input is invaluable in defining and understanding the technical/functional needs that the product must fulfill. This input also serves as a guide to less tangible, but often as important, attributes such as satisfaction, acceptability or aesthetics. Along with the functional needs, these play an important role in the ultimate success of a product. This is particularly true in the case of assistive products where functionality is critical but the treatment of non-functional needs can play a large role in a device's acceptability, the stigma associated with it and reducing rates of abandonment. This paper will review the product development challenges faced by producers of assistive technology products. It will then describe results from two early studies which may provide new approaches to meeting these challenges. The first is an investigation of the accuracy of user input when it is provided based on different representations of a design (such as sketches, renderings or models) that are commonly available at various stages of the design process. A better understanding of this input will allow designers to focus more on the components of it that are more likely to accurately represent users’ opinion of a finished product. The second is an investigation into the use of augmented reality to facilitate usability testing of design concepts.