Contextual design is a user-centered approach to product development that involves studying how people use existing products to create models for testing. This approach is popular in software design and involves one-on-one interviews with users to create effective models. The process involves a combination of disciplines, including psychology and sociology, and companies can follow a series of steps in product development with the help of consultants.
Contextual design approaches the development of products and services from a user-centered approach. It includes studies to determine how people use existing products to incorporate this information into models that can be tested by potential consumers before putting anything into development. This approach is available for use in a variety of design fields and may be especially popular with software and other computer products. Contextual design specialists are available to help companies interested in implementing it.
The process begins with a careful analysis of the people who use the products in their natural environment. This includes one-on-one interviews with subjects, which can later be consolidated into a variety of models that include different types of use cases and observations from one-on-one interviews. These become the basis of a vision for what a product should do and how it should work so designers can create effective models. Subjects can participate in modeling with adjustable components to allow them to customize the experience and demonstrate what they want and need in a product.
For example, a software company might present attendees with a felt board with a number of different movable representations of features. They could move components around to show how the software should be laid out and to demonstrate the features they would like to see in the finished product. This information helps software designers create a program that meets customer needs and increases the chances of satisfaction because real use cases were involved in its development and the contextual design team considered the input from people who may be using the software.
A combination of disciplines can be involved in contextual design. In the interview and observation process, psychology and sociology can play a role, because observers must gather accurate information and must be skilled in conducting interviews without accidentally guiding or directing the answers. During the development phases of projects, industry experts must be able to develop working models and refine them in response to feedback, working with the entire development team.
Companies interested in contextual design follow a series of steps in product development that can take variable times, depending on the project and the level of detail needed. Consultants can evaluate a plan before the firm starts work. They can help the business estimate how long the process will take and what types of expenses might be involved in the development process, which can help the business budget time, resources, and funds appropriately for the project.
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