Author: Michiel Bertels / VIL

How to go beyond a proof of concept or a simulation? The path of a technology from basic research to commercialisation can be a bumpy journey. One of the biggest hurdles is to develop – technology that resonates with users. One way of bridging this gap is to introduce a technology into a dynamic real-life situation, a so-called Living Lab. In conjunction with a user-centred design philosophy, a living lab can be used to find out how technology can be seamlessly integrated into the daily lives of users.

User-Centred Design

The essence of the user-centred design perspective is that technology should serve the user. Together with a demand-driven approach to innovation, known as “PULL innovation”, it puts the users and their problem at the centre of innovation. It is important to recognise that new technologies are not introduced in a vacuum, but in a context of habits, experiences that can either facilitate or hinder the use of new technologies. It is important to be aware of these habits as ignoring them can lead to resistance. Acceptance, on the other hand, can help smooth the transition and even increase user satisfaction.

Living Labs: a real-life testing ground

Resistance to change is a common obstacle to the adoption of new technologies. The hesitation to move from familiar routines to new practices, can be mitigated by involving users early on and often in the development process. A Living Lab provides a setting where users can engage with new technologies in a familiar environment and provide feedback that can be used to make adjustments. This needs to be an iterative process where incremental changes are made between each iteration, incorporating feedback from test users. This will improve the technology and increase user buy-in by making them feel that their feedback is valued and heard.

The power of co-creation and collaboration

Users’ experiences are an important source of information. They can provide developers with perspectives and insights that can be very useful, especially when developers are less familiar with a local context. In this co-creation and collaboration process, users work alongside developers, which makes the technology more aligned with the needs and preferences of the users. It can also uncover opportunities that might otherwise be unnoticed. This “symbiotic” relationship between users and developers could lead to milestones in the development process that are both innovative and practical.

Iterative prototyping

How might such a co-creation process look like in practice? An example is Iterative prototyping meaning several versions of a technology are created. Each version takes into account feedback that is given on the previous version. This way, developers can make the technology more effective and user-friendly with each iteration. The key word here is balance, which is the most difficult part. How different does each version need to be between iterations? For example, if you only change the appearance of an application and this has no major impact, then there is no point in asking your users about this minor change.

The downside of making too many changes is that the feedback you get will be less specific because a lot of new things have to be checked and tested. As a result, the individual effects of (partly) independent changes are difficult to distinguish. Another disadvantage of both too small and too large changes is the effect on the level of user involvement. A high frequency of small changes be burdensome for users, which may lead them to want to withdraw from the process. On the other hand, large changes tend to require more time, which means more time between interactions. This could lead to users feeling disconnected from the process.

A possible in-between approach could be to divide the development into sub-areas (different functionalities, user interface…) and to organise the interaction with the end users more frequently, alternating between the sub-areas. This could lead to a balanced frequency of interactions and it gives developers the time to create reasonable difference from the previous version within the subsections. In this case, do not forget to organize moments of interaction to clarify the connection between them.

Living Labs – an iterative and collaborative innovation journey

User-centred design within Living Labs offers a way to develop technologies that are not only innovative but also resonant with users’ needs and experiences. It provides an opportunity to integrate technologies under development into the context of users’ existing habits and experiences. It also allows for a symbiotic relationship between users and developers that can improve technology through co-creation. This collaborative journey is part of the GREEN-LOG project, which aims to develop relevant, meaningful, and practical technologies/products that can make a real difference to their users.

Photo Credits: Sunny Studio/ Shutterstock