Decoded: Exploring user involvement in the early stages of software development

Abstract

This research aims to explore how user involvement in software development can contribute to innovation in interfaces and system functionality as well as create supporting literature for human-centered design in the software development process. To achieve this, a mixed-methodology approach is used to validate users as co-creators in the early stages of development. This is done through direct engagement with users, the adaption of the GOMS framework to develop human-centered methods for engagement, and the use of evaluative surveys. By combining GOMS and human-centered design, researchers could frame engagement methods for the elicitation of system functionality and interface design requirements. Researchers then synthesized requirements from user generated data, developed a prototype, and compared it to a prototype developed without user involvement. Early results show that user-generated prototyping provides key insights into the development of software features, user flow, and information architecture.