Different Levels of Information Systems Designers' Forms of Thought and Potential for Human-Centered Design

Different Levels of Information Systems Designers' Forms of Thought and Potential for Human-Centered Design

Hannakaisa Isomäki
ISBN13: 9781599049496|ISBN10: 159904949X|EISBN13: 9781599049502
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-949-6.ch047
Cite Chapter Cite Chapter

MLA

Isomäki, Hannakaisa. "Different Levels of Information Systems Designers' Forms of Thought and Potential for Human-Centered Design." Information Communication Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, edited by Craig Van Slyke, IGI Global, 2008, pp. 734-750. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-949-6.ch047

APA

Isomäki, H. (2008). Different Levels of Information Systems Designers' Forms of Thought and Potential for Human-Centered Design. In C. Van Slyke (Ed.), Information Communication Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 734-750). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-949-6.ch047

Chicago

Isomäki, Hannakaisa. "Different Levels of Information Systems Designers' Forms of Thought and Potential for Human-Centered Design." In Information Communication Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, edited by Craig Van Slyke, 734-750. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2008. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-949-6.ch047

Export Reference

Mendeley
Favorite

Abstract

This article describes a study clarifying information systems (IS) designers’ conceptions of human users of IS by drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 designers. The designers’ lived experiences in their work build up a continuum of levels of thought from more limited conceptions to more comprehensive ones reflecting variations of the designers’ situated knowledge related to human-centred design. The resulting forms of thought indicate three different but associated levels in conceptualising users. The separatist form of thought provides designers predominantly with technical perspectives and a capability for objectifying things. The functional form of thought focuses on external task information and task productivity, nevertheless, with the help of positive emotions. The holistic form of thought provides designers with competence of human-centred information systems development (ISD). Furthermore, the author hopes that understanding the IS designers’ tendencies to conceptualise human users facilitates the mutual communication between users and designers.

Request Access

You do not own this content. Please login to recommend this title to your institution's librarian or purchase it from the IGI Global bookstore.