Varieties of user-centredness: an analysis of four systems development methods.

Based on an extensive literature analysis, this paper examines user-centredness in the context of systems development as a multidimensional concept composed of four aspects: user focus, work-centredness, user involvement and system personalization. Each dimension loads user-centredness with different meanings. The four dimensions can be used for evaluating systems development methods and approaches as to what extent and in what sense they adhere to the ideals of user-centredness. To illustrate this, the dimensions are applied to the analysis of four allegedly user-centred systems development methods: Goal Directed Interaction Design, Contextual Design, Scenario-Based Design and Human-Centred Systems Development Life Cycle. The analysis shows considerable variation in how these methods address the four dimensions of user-centredness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]