Abstract
Despite continuing debates about the üser" emphasis in HCI, new design
approaches, such as interaction design, continue to focus on humans as
technology users, constraining the human-centeredness of design outcomes. This
paper argues that the difference between üser" focus and a human-centered
focus lies in the way in which technology is designed. The emphasis on problem
closure that is embedded in current approaches to designing information systems
(IS) precludes an examination of those issues central to human-centered design.
The paper reviews recent approaches to user-centered IS design and
concludes that these methods are targeted at the closure of technology-centered
problems, rather than the investigation of suitable changes to a system of humanactivity
supported by technology. A dual-cycle model of human-centered design
is presented, that balances systemic inquiry methods with human-centered
implementation methods. The paper concludes with a suggestion that IS design
should be viewed as a dialectic between organizational problem inquiry and the
implementation of business process change and technical solutions.
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