UCD-CE Integration: Enhancing User Involvement in Systems Requirements Through a Hybrid Approach

The tasks involved in requirements elicitation and analysis are fundamental to ensuring the quality and cost-effectiveness of digital systems in User-Centered Design (UCD).

However, these tasks often face difficulties due to inadequate user participation, primarily stemming from unclear guidelines on how best to involve users in achieving their goals throughout the development process.

A recent study has introduced a novel hybrid approach, integrating Collaboration Engineering (CE) principles with the UCD framework to overcome these challenges. By utilizing an Applied Science/Engineering approach, a combined UCD-CE process was developed based on the Six-layer Collaboration Model. This model harmonizes CE’s steps with the core elements of UCD—such as the purpose (why), practices (what), and methods (how) of development.

The research gathered data using tools such as structured interviews, questionnaires, and observations. In addition, user stories, dialogues, thinkLets, and collaboration patterns were employed to create a robust analysis framework. The validation process involved both formative and summative evaluations, with results demonstrating the process’s effectiveness.

Key benefits of this integration include the timely completion of tasks, minimized efforts in achieving common goals, heightened user satisfaction, and boosted creativity and productivity. The UCD-CE process also improved ease-of-use, learnability, and delivered thorough results in requirements elicitation and analysis tasks during development.

Future research aims to further explore the practical application of this UCD-CE integration in strengthening user involvement during the UCD design phase, ensuring better outcomes for digital systems development.