You are here: Toolkit home » Knowledge & tools » Evaluation tools » User involvement - Introduction

Involving real end-users at any or all stages of the design process can provide insight into what design solutions can and cannot be used, and what goals they want to achieve with the product.

The focus of this toolkit is inclusive design and how this varies from traditional approaches. Involving real people is essential to understand the needs and goals that the product will address. User needs and goals extend beyond the boundaries of product interaction; however, this toolkit focuses on interaction since it is often misunderstood and its importance underestimated.

Users are those who will (attempt to) use the product or service once it is on the market. In practice, the type(s) of person that the product is aimed at will need to be determined, so people who represent these real end-users can be selected to engage in the design process.

Potential users vary widely, so it is of critical importance to select an appropriate mix of people for any study. As previously discussed, it is also important to ensure that the least able and most vulnerable users are considered. Members of the design team are therefore often not representative users.