Human-centered design for advanced services: A multidimensional design methodology

Advanced services have caught the attention of industries and academics as a way to exploit new customer value propositions. However, the existing design methodologies for advanced services are limited to partially addressing one or some key design elements, hence causing confusion in practice. Moreover, human factors are not often addressed, even though the design for advanced services requires human-centered thinking. Aiming to advance the body of research, the current study aims to conceptually propose a multidimensional design methodology called DIMAND that captures the key design elements and their relations in a single-view structure in accordance with a human-centric approach. Specifically, DIMAND encapsulates the (i) life-cycle service design interrelated with other key design elements—(ii) stakeholder networks, (iii) new service development methods, and (iv) design skills—that must be considered to develop effective advanced service design. Based on a hybrid research design, DIMAND was conceptually developed through systematic reviews and structured analysis of existing design methodologies, as well as an elicitation of expert knowledge in the domain through the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). For validation, the average usability score of DIMAND as evaluated by 26 practitioners was 72.2, which falls into “excellence” on the simplified system usability scale (SUS), hence confirming its potential utility. As a result, DIMAND offers a novel and holistic guideline for design practitioners and engineers to obtain coherence in all the life-cycle design processes by simultaneously taking these key design elements and their relations into account, making the design of advanced services more practical

Enhancing human-centered design methods through jobs to be done

Muitas vezes, a criação de produtos digitais tende a priorizar o Design da interface ao invés de focar em como resolver os problemas do usuário. Para realizar uma pesquisa de usuário mais profunda e criar produtos melhores, a metodologia Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) pode ser uma adição viável à caixa de ferramentas geral de UX. Apesar de o framework JTBD já existir há algum tempo, ele ganhou popularidade entre os UX Designers recentemente. No entanto, no momento desta pesquisa, não há pesquisas ou informações suficientes disponíveis sobre como combinar essas metodologias. Portanto, esta pesquisa realizou um estudo comparativo entre a metodologia Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) e a Metodologia UX, a fim de entender se sua fusão é viável e benéfica na realização de User Research. Por meio de uma revisão de literatura seguida de uma pesquisa online, entrevista UX e entrevista JTBD, buscou-se entender as diferenças e semelhanças nas informações obtidas com cada framework. Por fim, com as informações obtidas, aplicamos os resultados a artefatos tangíveis, incluindo uma Análise do Concorrente, Persona do Usuário e Mapa de Jornada do Cliente, a fim de comparar visualmente a metodologia UX com o framework JTBD. Este estudo levou a insights positivos sobre a combinação das metodologias JTBD e UX, pois concluímos que a fusão não é apenas alcançável, mas necessária para a metodologia HCD. As descobertas seriam benéficas para a comunidade de design, bem como para as empresas e instituições que investem no desenvolvimento de software e aplicativos e, mais importante, para o usuário final.Often, the creation of digital products tends to prioritize the Design of the interface instead of focusing on how to solve the user’s problems. In order to undertake deeper User Research and build better products, the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) methodology might be a feasible addition to the general UX toolbox. Despite that the JTBD framework has been around for a while now, it has gained popularity among UX Designers just recently. Nevertheless, at the moment of this research, there is not enough research or information available about how to combine these methodologies. Therefore, this research carried out a comparative study between the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) methodology and the UX Methodology, in order to understand if their merge is viable and beneficial in carrying out User Research. Through a literature review followed by an online survey, UX interview and JTBD interview, we sought to understand the differences and similarities in the information obtained with each framework. Finally, with the information obtained, we applied the results to tangible artifacts, including a Competitor Analysis, User Persona and Customer Journey Map, in order to visually compare the UX methodology with the JTBD framework. This study led to positive insights about the combination of JTBD and UX methodologies, as we concluded that the merge is not only attainable but necessary for the HCD methodology. The findings would be beneficial to the Design Community, as well as the companies and institutions investing in software and app development, and most importantly, for the end user

Human‑centred design in industry 4.0: case study review and opportunities for future research

The transition to industry 4.0 has impacted factories, but it also afects the entire value chain. In this sense, human-centred factors play a core role in transitioning to sustainable manufacturing processes and consumption. The awareness of human roles in Industry 4.0 is increasing, as evidenced by active work in developing methods, exploring infuencing factors, and proving the efectiveness of design oriented to humans. However, numerous studies have been brought into existence but then disconnected from other studies. As a consequence, these studies in industry and research alike are not regularly adopted, and the network of studies is seemingly broad and expands without forming a coherent structure. This study is a unique attempt to bridge the gap through the literature characteristics and lessons learnt derived from a collection of case studies regarding human-centred design (HCD) in the context of Industry 4.0. This objective is achieved by a well-rounded systematic literature review whose special unit of analysis is given to the case studies, delivering contributions in three ways: (1) providing an insight into how the literature has evolved through the cross-disciplinary lens; (2) identifying what research themes associated with design methods are emerging in the feld; (3) and setting the research agenda in the context of HCD in Industry 4.0, taking into account the lessons learnt, as uncovered by the in-depth review of case studies

Uncovering human needs through visual research methods: Two commercial case studies

This paper presents two respective case studies which demonstrate how visual research methods can elicit a deep understanding of the needs of potential end users and drive product and service development at a strategic business level.The engagement of users in the development of products, services and systems has been explored by a number of design disciplines in the last few decades including but not limited to product design, human-computer interaction, systems design and service design. Each has recognised the importance of understanding the humans who will potentially be using their design outcome. Notable research methods include ethnographic inspired research, in-context and lab-based observations, interviews and the user trial of prototypes. However, these approaches also have their critics and limitations ranging from the need for incremental adjustment rather than radical design, being time-consuming and costly processes, and the large volume of ‘messy data’ being collected contributing to the complexities of ‘wicked problems’.In response to some of these limitations, a number of research methods have emerged which are more arts-based in nature i.e. the act of creating allows the researcher to extract ‘deeper’ human needs (tacit and latent needs) in a drastically shorter timescale. To fully utilise such approaches it is essential that a study be designed which amalgamates diverse research methods. The two case studies presented in this paper employ a variety of traditional and generative design research methods in live commercial projects. The specific project outcomes are retained under Intellectual Property and, as such, this paper critically focuses on the value of the process and methods utilised, their relationship to the wider concept of arts-based research, and discusses issues related to their application in commercial work

Human-Centred Design in the context of Servitization in Industry 4.0: A Collaborative Approach

The competitiveness of the business today will depend on empowering hu-man intelligence and creativity, capturing and capitalizing on available infor-mation and knowledge for the total product and service lifecycle. To realize this beyond technical aspects, the collaborative work of multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral teams is constituted to develop an appropriate methodology of human-centred design (HCD) with advanced service innovation in indus-try 4.0. Based on the state-of-the-art analysis and industrial requirements, the methodology is tested with European industrial cases in various sectors to validate its implementation and benefits. This paper aims to provide the well-rounded collaborative framework to deliver the new HCD methodology

“OPER.TEN” Transform Emergency Now! - facing Covid-19 with Open Innovation and Human Centered Design

The paper presents “OPER.TEN”, a 10 days program that hybridized Human Centered Design (HCD) with Open innovation (OI), developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The program adapted a HCD methodology so that the design teams could face the challenges of designing during a pandemic, such as relying on remote interactions only.  Methodological challenges are presented as well as tools and methods developed to overcome those challenges. To ensure fast implementation of the results, the HCD methodology was hybridized with pillars of OI by involving stakeholders of the territory that could participate with implementation capacity. The final network involved Universities, Companies, Municipality, and Government. After the design phase, 3 of 4 solutions were successfully implemented in 40 days. Results report how to hybridize a HCD with OI to push rapid implementations