Human Centered Design Methods
The third thread of my research focuses on human-centeredness and user/stakeholder engagement in the design of information technology systems – and technology in general. A human-centered design process ensures that information system requirements and design choices support, rather than constrain, the exercise of human skills, knowledge and capabilities. I have been influenced in this area by the “emancipatory” literature on human-centeredness in design (Hirschheim and Klein, 1994; Markus and Bjorn-Andersen, 1987) , by theories of situated action (Lave and Wenger, 1991; Suchman, 1987, 1998) , and by “soft” theories of systemic inquiry (Checkland, 1981; Churchman, 1971) . My work in this area has focused on the effectiveness of “user-centered” system development methods, investigating the causes of failure that result in a technocentric design, and on user-adaptation of electronic collaboration technologies for purposeful work. The aim is to focus on the user as a purposeful actor in the social construction of technology, rather than as a passive consumer of technology.
Selected Papers
Gasson, S. (2003) 'Human-Centered vs. User-Centered Approaches To Information System Design', Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA), 5 (2), pp. 29-46.
Gasson, S. (1999) 'A Social Action Model of Information Systems Design', The Data Base For Advances In Information Systems, 30 (2), pp. 82-97.
Gasson, S. (1999) 'The Reality of User-Centered Design', Journal of End User Computing, 11 (4), pp. 3-13
Findings & current projects
While this area is related to my NSF-funding work, current studies of human-centeredness are not funded. I am pursuing a background, case-based investigation of how design methods are applied to achieve human-centered outcomes.
References
Checkland, P. Systems Thinking Systems Practice, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester UK, 1981.
Churchman, C.W. The Design of Inquiring Systems: Basic Concepts of Systems and Organization, Basic Books, New York NY, 1971.
Hirschheim, R.A. and Klein, H.K. "Realizing Emancipatory Principles In Information Systems Development: The Case For ETHICS," MIS Quarterly (83-109:March 1994) 1994.
Lave, J. and Wenger, E. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 1991.
Markus, M.L. and Bjorn-Andersen, N. "Power over users: its exercise by system professionals," Communications of the ACM June 1987 (30:6) 1987, pp 498-504.
Suchman, L. Plans And Situated Action, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge MA, 1987.
Suchman, L. "Constituting shared workspaces," in: Cognition and Communication at Work, Y. Engestrom and D. Middleton (eds.), Cambridge University Press, New York, 1998, p. 350.
