Empathic Design Research:Disability + Relevant Design

摘要

With increased user expectation of products,a balanced approach to functionality and supra-functionality is more important than ever.Rather than designing for,we need to be designing more intimately with the users.Empathic design research is an approach that relies on the user being an active partner within the information creation and designing process.Developing empathy enables the designer to become closer to the user through respectful curiosity,genuine understanding,and suspension of judgment.Through this intimate,trusting relationship they create knowledge together.Users (consumers of products) are acknowledged as being significant sources of insight and innovation.In this paper we discuss empathy and the empathic horizon (the boundaries to a designer's knowledge and understanding) in the context of ensuring that design outcomes are both appropriate and relevant.We also consider the importance of the products that surround us within our public and private environments,referred to collectively as our material landscapes.These concepts will be illustrated through a discussion of a design research project (Disability + Relevant Design) that was conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with particular emphasis on empathic design research.Graduate students share their experiences with dealing with students with disabilities as collaborators within their designing process.