What do we know about product use? A technique to share use-related knowledge in design teams

We propose the Envisioning Use workshop technique that enables members of a product development team to share and become aware of knowledge they have and do not have about product use. The technique was developed in an iterative process in which the workshop was executed and evaluated with practicing designers. The technique combines steps in which knowledge is accessed in different ways such as remembering, imagining, experiencing and envisioning product use. The evaluations showed that with this approach a broad spectrum of product use knowledge can be collected in a half-day workshop. The interactive character of the workshop supports sharing knowledge on product use. The workshop should be executed at or before the start of a design project, possibly involving the client. It is applicable to both projects aimed at redesigning an existing product and projects that have a more explorative character