Where Is the User in All of This?

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First, this is largely explained by the fact that it is simply taken for granted that the user is both considered and involved throughout the design process. Arguing for the need of user involvement in a modern book on product design is as pointless as a discussion about the need to know the rules of arithmetic in an advanced mathematics textbook. Second, there are various traditions, such as user-centered design and participatory design that have a well-established literature on their approach to user involvement in the design process. Third, it is precisely a concern for users that underlie the value of the approach to design that are discussed in this volume. The consequence is that user input can begin early enough to influence the design of the product. User involvement then obviously continues through the engineering phase, in the form of usability testing.