Open AccessImproving Conditions for Cooperative System Design: shifting from a product to a process focus
Author(s) -
Kaj Grønbæk,
Jonathan Grudin,
Susanne Bødker,
Liam J. Ban
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
daimi pb
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2245-9316
pISSN - 0105-8517
DOI - 10.7146/dpb.v19i331.6720
Subject(s) - process (computing) , computer science , quality (philosophy) , focus (optics) , process management , frame (networking) , product (mathematics) , new product development , face (sociological concept) , risk analysis (engineering) , knowledge management , engineering , business , marketing , telecommunications , philosophy , physics , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , optics , operating system , social science , sociology
This paper deals with the conditions for cooperation between users and developers in systems development projects. At first glance, many projects seem to present immense obstacles to user involvement. At the same time, there is a growing recognition of the need for user-developer cooperation, and research projects are providing new tools and techniques that engage users as full participants in system development. Two disparate projects serve as examples to frame a discussion of the realities of user involvement (or lack thereof) in development projects. This allows us to note both the possibilities for, and the obstacles to, user participation. We believe that cooperative systems design is needed to improve the quality of interactive computer applications, and that often it can be brought about even in the face of admitted obstacles. To achieve this, users need to be involved early in the whole process, and contracts governing development may need to be re-thought: inflexibility hinders iterative design, independent of the type of project under consideration. Development contracts should be shaped as process contracts between user and development organizations with scheduled renegotiation points. In general, we believe that the concern for quality products and processes requires that systems development assume more of a process focus than is currently evident.