Knowing me knowing you: Understanding user involvement in the design process

Design thinking is an emerging concept gaining much traction in practice and more recently in academic debate. While prior work has examined the characteristics and processes of design thinking, there is an absence of studies that attempt to measure the extent of its use and effectiveness in industry. This paper reports on the preliminary results of a study targeted at designers operating in dynamic project environments. The aim of this exploratory research is to identify who designers collaborate with, the extent to which users are involved in the design process in practice and the perceived importance of understanding the emotional needs of the user. The study also sought to ascertain whether user interaction is associated with performance. To do this, data was collected from 131 experienced designers in Ireland. Initial findings from this analysis are presented and discussed. This study answers calls for further work in a neglected but essential area and helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice.