Involving Users as Innovators

Copenhagen.
We move on to Marinka Vangenck and (again) Jo Pierson as the next speakers at COST298, focussing now on user-driven innovation in 3D urban environments. This requires a thorough understanding of users themselves, and their systematic involvement as early as possible and throughout the entire innovation process. This R&D innovation process took place with computer-generated 3D city models in the present case, and aimed for service innovation and its adoption - test cases here were planning and going on a city trip, and researching and purchasing real estate.

The project found that three problem areas informed the sociotechnological development process: first, project direction, driven by a technologically oriented vision of the outcomes of the project - an approach in which innovation parameters are set by technologicaly possibilities and the user comes later. Second, cooperation, which is mainly bilateral between selected project partners rather than taking into account all of their interests. Incorporating user input only happens if and when project partners realise its value. And third, the perception that user involvement need only happen at later stages of the project, and is an optional component of any project.

Such problems can be overcome by profiling the project partners' interests and anticipating where user involvement will be useful; by utilising storyboards to demonstrate usage scenarios extracted from user involvement; by understanding that user and technology requirements do not match easily; and by anticipating that user involvement continues not to be seen as self-evident. Researchers continue to need to act as advocates here.

Technorati : COST298, innovation, produsage, urban design, users
Del.icio.us : COST298, innovation, produsage, urban design, users