Company Processes

Jasper van Kuijk - TUD

Which factors in the product development process influence the usability of electronic consumer products? In this project it is investigated how usability is integrated in product development.
There are a lot of usability theories and methods available, but it is not known whether and how these are applied in practice. That is why I try to the practice of usability, and to identify positive and negative influences on usability. The study consists of three case studies.

The first two case studies were based on interviews with actors in the product development process, such as the product manager, interaction designer and usability specialist. In the first case study I explored how usability was dealt with in the automotive, professional equipment and fast moving consumer goods industry. This resulted in insight in how usability is dealt with in different markets.

The second case study was performed among five major international developers of electronic consumer products (i.e., mp3-players, navigation devices, mobile phones). This provided understanding of how usability is dealt with by product development groups; barriers and enablers were found on market, company, team, activity and communication level.

Finally, in the third study I will investigate the development history of four products – with either good or bad usability – that have recently come on the market. In this last study, we will take a more detailed look at the development and design process. And see what really determines usability.

Main research question

What are the barriers and enablers in product development practice for the usability of electronic consumer products?