Integrating User-Centered Design within a Virtual Product Development Organization: Observations from the Field

Currently, flexibility and time to market have become the new keys to product development. The need for versatility, low overheads, and direct customer communication has led to the birth of an emerging breed of organizations that employ a virtual product development model (VPDM). This paper explores the role of user-centered design within a VPDM being used in an actual industrial organization, and is based on the experiences of the authors working in that organization. It also discusses possible user-centered evaluation methods, and the factors that influence their use in this model. Finally, it provides recommendations for a more seamless integration of user-centered design within this model.