Understanding users and their situation

Abstract

The first step in any design process is to set the stage for what to design and how that should be realised. In terms of user-centred design, this includes to develop a sense of who will be using the system, where it is intended to be used, and what it should be used for. In this chapter we provide an overview of this part of the development process, and its place in the design cycle, and some orienting design challenges that are specific to affective interaction. Thereafter we present a variety of methods that designers may want to consider in actual design work. We end by providing a set of examples from previous and ongoing research in the field, which could also work as inspirations or guiding sources in the early stages in a user-centred design process.