Between autonomy and advocacy: Architects’ attitudes towards users in design

As designers of people’s living environments, architects are committed to deliver ‘good’ designs, but whose appreciation is considered here may differ. Perspectives range from architects themselves or their professional community over a particular client to society at large. Due to the increasing complexity of design processes, however, architects may not have direct access to users’ perspectives. This article explores what underpins architects’ constructions of the people they design for, drawing on an ethnographic study in three Belgian architecture firms. Interviews with architects shed light on their motivations and reasoning regarding responsibilities towards users. Additionally, observations of design meetings illustrate the visions in play when architects reflect-in-action about future use(rs). Results show a spectrum of attitudes, affecting how the presence of ‘the user’ is shaped in design. The insights are useful for developing strategies to support architects in accommodating, negotiating and acting more consciously on user experience in design.status: accepte