HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN CASE STUDY FOR A WORKSHOP AND WEB REPOSITORY

This case study covers the interaction and results achieved by a diverse group of Masters and Doctoral students at the University of Kansas working together to create a workshop on Human Centered Design and ultimately to build a web repository on the research and application of human-centered design. In addition to Design students, the students involved come from a variety of disciplines including education, engineering, cognitive psychology, and business. Data collected includes observations, interviews, surveys, audio-visual material, as well as work products, documents, and reports. The case highlights the diversity of students seeking graduate degrees in Design, their struggle to find an educational program to meet their needs, and most importantly, it illustrates how a multi-disciplinary approach can be used with Design students from varied backgrounds to develop real-world, authentic projects that have lasting value. The case discussion includes issues arising from trying to solve ill-defined problems, the struggle to build a team and unity with individuals from such varied backgrounds, the design methodologies and approaches identified by the group, and an analysis of quality and usability of the group’s final work products. Finally, lessons learned and recommendations for future efforts are discussed