Users as Actors in Innovation Processes

PhD Anna StåhlbröstResearcher

Social InformaticsDepartment of Design and Innovation

Botnia Living Lab

Users as Actors in Innovation Processes

• Who can be involved?• How can they be involved?• What motivates users to participate in innovation

processes?• Why involve users?

Who can be involved?

• It depends on the situation and goal – Potential user– Actual user– Tertiary users– Non-users– Lead-users– Customers– Voluntary contributors– …..

How can they be involved?

• It depends on what is aimed to be achieved

What motivates users to participate in innovation processes?

• Some motivators are: – Learn something new– Be entertained– Be the first to test an innovation– Have the opportunity to win something– Give vent for creativity– Seek for status– Contribute to a better society– Share experiences with others– …

Three Motives for Involving Users

Economic (pragmatic perspective)• Developing the “right” innovation at once

• Lower the users threshold towards new technology

• Create expectations and understanding of new innovations

• Increase the willingness to by the innovation

• Make the users positive towards the innovation to increase success rate

• Increase user commitment to the innovation

Social• Strengthening developers

understanding of users context and needs

• Strengthening users understanding of the developers perspective

• Increase knowledge exchange and communication between competencies

• Increase job satisfaction and involvement

Three Motives for User Involvement

Ethical (political)• Ethically and morally right

• People have the right to influence their own lives

• Develop users technical competence

• Balance power relations

Three Motives for User Involvement

Direct results from user involvement

• Large amount of innovative ideas• Knowledge about users and their situation• Inspiration for future innovations• Direct feedback on ideas, concepts, prototypes,

solutions• Creative and innovative design processes• Faster development cycles • Real life experiences and evaluations

Questions?