Product definition using a user-centered design method

This paper communicates the author's experiences defining the external user interface specification for a new workstation product using a user-centered design team. The multidisciplinary team consisted of a technical writer, a programmer, and a human factors specialist to leverage the different skill sets of each profession. The work was familiar to all involved, but each professional represented their profession's perspectives and experiences in the product definition task. In so doing, the work took on several new characteristics that are described in this paper. In particular, the focus on the user and on the user's tasks was far greater than had been traditionally the case. Inside IBM, as in the software industry in general, two forces have been playing an increased role in software development. First, there has been focus on reduced cycle time. Secondly, there has been focus on providing customers with solutions that address the types of tasks they do in their jobs. To address these forces, IBM's Software Solutions Laboratory in Toronto, Ontario has been experimenting with different approaches to designing software. The experiences related here come from designing a new product's interface using a multidisciplinary design team.<
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