User Characteristics

Chajoong Kim - TUD

Because products are being used by different users from all over the world, there is often a gap between actual use in practice and use intended by product designers. The gap may result from the differences in characteristics of users. Therefore, this project focuses on user characteristics in relation to use problems experienced by users. These user characteristics encompass physical, cognitive, personal capacities of users together with demographic and cultural aspects.

The study will frame user profiles which will provide a complete picture of the influence of user characteristics on usability issues. The outcome of the project is a designer-aiding tool and design methodology, which integrate user profiles into the product development process. They helps a product development team to understand specific usability aspects of a target group for a certain electronic product.

Main research question

Which user characteristics are deeply involved in user-product interactions that lead to either a satisfactory or dissatisfactory usability?