User-centred research methods help designers understand the needs, wants, abilities and limitations of the intended user. This research should focus on real people, real situations and real interactions with products.
Designers use research to avoid assumptions and make better design decisions. The information collected can help identify problems, understand user behaviour, create personas, develop scenarios, write specifications and test design ideas.
Designers often use a mixture of primary research and secondary research.
Primary research is collected directly from users or stakeholders. This may include interviews, surveys, questionnaires, observations, focus groups, user trials and usability testing.
Secondary research uses existing information from sources such as websites, books, articles, product reviews, standards, data tables, anthropometric data and existing product analysis.
Designers may also collect qualitative and quantitative data.
Qualitative data focuses on opinions, experiences and explanations. For example, an interview may reveal why a user finds a product uncomfortable.
Quantitative data focuses on numbers and measurable information. For example, a survey may show that 80% of users found a handle too small.
Interviews help designers understand user experiences in detail. They are useful for exploring opinions, emotions, needs and frustrations.
Surveys and questionnaires help collect information from a larger group of people. They are useful for spotting patterns, but may not provide detailed explanations.
Observations allow designers to see how users behave in real situations. This can reveal problems the user may not notice or mention.
Focus groups involve discussing a product or problem with a small group of users. They can generate useful ideas, but some people may influence the opinions of others.
User trials and usability testing involve users interacting with a product, prototype or existing solution. This helps designers identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement.
Task analysis breaks down how a user completes a task step by step. This helps designers identify pain points, inefficiencies and opportunities for redesign.
A persona is a realistic user profile based on research. It should represent the intended user and include relevant information such as needs, goals, behaviours, limitations and context.
A scenario describes a situation where the user interacts with a product. This helps designers understand when, where and why the product is used.
Personas and scenarios are useful because they help designers keep the user in mind throughout the design process.
Key idea:
User-centred research helps designers understand the user and use evidence to guide design decisions.
Paper 1 Analysis Prompts
What research method would help understand this user better?
Would primary or secondary research be more useful?
Is qualitative or quantitative data needed?
Could observation reveal problems the user may not mention?
How could interviews or surveys support the design process?
What might a task analysis show about the user’s experience?
How could research findings influence the final design?
Useful videos
User Research Methods: The Basics
A short introduction to common methods used to understand users.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuwEJ9u5KQo
How to Conduct User Interviews
A short video explaining how interviews can help designers understand user needs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq3OiHQ-HCU
Prototyping is the process of creating early versions, models or simulations of a product so ideas can be tested, evaluated and improved. Designers use prototypes throughout the design process to explore form, function, ergonomics, materials, scale, performance and user interaction.
Prototypes do not always need to be fully working products. Some are quick and simple, while others are more detailed and realistic. The type of prototype depends on what the designer wants to test.
Low-fidelity prototypes are simple, quick models used early in the design process. These may include sketches, card models, foam models or rough mock-ups. They are useful because they are fast, cheap and easy to change. However, they may not accurately show materials, strength, finish or full function.
High-fidelity prototypes are more detailed and closer to the final product. These may include CAD models, 3D prints, working models or realistic prototypes. They are useful for testing function, ergonomics, appearance and performance in more detail. However, they usually take more time, skill and resources to produce.
Drawings are an important way to explore, refine and communicate ideas. Designers may use informal drawings, such as freehand sketches, to quickly generate and develop ideas. They may also use formal drawings, such as isometric drawings, orthographic drawings, exploded drawings and CAD drawings, to communicate accurate details.
Informal drawings are useful in the early stages because they are quick and flexible. Formal drawings are more useful later in the process because they show accurate measurements, construction details and how parts fit together.
Prototypes can be physical or virtual.
Physical prototypes allow designers and users to handle, test and interact with a product. They can be used to check scale, comfort, aesthetics, materials, function and performance.
Virtual prototypes are created digitally using CAD or simulation software. They can be used to test ideas before making a physical model. Examples include surface modelling, solid modelling, generative design, digital humans, motion capture, haptic technology, VR, AR and FEA.
Virtual prototypes are useful because they can save time and materials, but they may not fully show how a real product feels, behaves or performs in use.
Rapid prototyping uses digital manufacturing techniques to quickly create physical models. This allows designers, users and design teams to test ideas and give feedback during development.
Examples include:
FDM — melted plastic filament is layered to create a model.
SLA — liquid resin is cured using light to create detailed parts.
SLS — powdered material is fused together using a laser.
Rapid prototyping is useful because it allows ideas to be tested quickly and repeatedly. However, prototypes may still have limitations in material properties, surface finish, strength, cost or production accuracy.
Key idea:
Prototyping helps designers test, communicate and improve ideas before final manufacture.
Paper 1 Analysis Prompts
Is the prototype low-fidelity or high-fidelity?
What is the prototype being used to test?
Would a physical or virtual prototype be more suitable?
How could drawings help develop or communicate the idea?
Could CAD, AR, VR or FEA improve the design process?
What are the advantages and limitations of the prototyping method used?
How could user feedback from the prototype improve the final design?
Useful videos
The Basics of Prototyping Physical Products
A useful introduction to why designers create and test prototypes before final manufacture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j28odaoZALA
Rapid Prototyping: Sketching — Google for Startups
A short video showing how quick sketching and paper prototyping can help develop early ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMjozqJS44M
The design process is a structured approach used to identify problems, develop ideas, test solutions and improve products. It helps designers move from an initial problem to a final outcome through research, creativity, prototyping and evaluation.
Design is rarely a straight line. Designers often move back and forth between stages as they learn more about the user, test ideas and make improvements. This is known as an iterative process.
Designers may use different versions of the design process, but most include similar stages.
Identify the problem
Designers begin by understanding the problem, user and context. This helps them decide whether there is a real design opportunity.
Research the user and existing products
Designers gather information through user-centred research, product analysis, observations, interviews and secondary research. This helps avoid assumptions.
Write a brief and specification
The design brief explains what the product should achieve. The design specification lists the requirements the product should meet, such as function, size, safety, materials, ergonomics, aesthetics and sustainability.
Generate ideas
Designers create a range of possible solutions using sketches, modelling, CAD, brainstorming and other creative techniques.
Develop and prototype
Ideas are refined through modelling and prototyping. This allows designers to test form, function, usability, ergonomics and materials.
Test and evaluate
Designers collect feedback from users and test the product against the specification. The results are used to judge how successful the design is.
Improve the design
Testing often identifies weaknesses or new opportunities. Designers use this feedback to make changes and develop a better solution.
An iterative design process means improving a product through repeated cycles of testing, feedback and refinement. Designers may return to earlier stages when a problem is discovered or when user feedback suggests a better solution.
This helps ensure the final product is more appropriate, effective and user-centred.
The design process helps designers make informed decisions and improve ideas through research, testing and feedback.
What stage of the design process is shown?
Has the designer clearly identified the problem?
What research would help guide the design?
How could the designer generate or compare ideas?
What type of prototype would be useful?
How could testing improve the product?
Is the design process iterative or linear?
How has user feedback influenced the design?
The Design Process — STEM Learning
A short overview of how designers move from a problem to a developed solution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAhpfFt_mWM
Iterative Design Process — Google for Startups
A short video explaining why designers test, learn and improve ideas through iteration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YL0xoSmyZI
Modelling and prototyping help designers explore, test and communicate ideas before making a final product. Models and prototypes can be used to check size, shape, appearance, materials, ergonomics, function and performance.
A model is often used to represent an idea. It may show the form, scale or appearance of a design. A prototype is usually used to test how a product, part or feature may work. In practice, the two often overlap.
Sketch models
Quick, simple models made from materials such as paper, card or foam. They are useful for exploring early ideas.
Scale models
Smaller or larger versions of a design used to show proportion, form or layout. They are useful when the final product is too large, small or expensive to make.
Aesthetic models
Models that focus on appearance, form, colour, texture and finish. They may not function, but they help communicate what the product could look like.
Functional prototypes
Prototypes that test how a product or feature works. These are useful for checking movement, strength, mechanisms, ergonomics or performance.
CAD models
Digital models created using computer-aided design software. These can be used to visualise, refine, test and prepare a design for manufacture.
Simulation models
Digital tests used to predict how a design might perform. Examples include stress analysis, motion studies, virtual testing, AR and VR.
Designers use models and prototypes to:
develop and improve ideas
test size, comfort and usability
check whether a product works as intended
identify problems before final manufacture
collect feedback from users and clients
communicate ideas more clearly
reduce risk, waste and cost
Modelling and prototyping allow designers to test ideas, learn from feedback and make better design decisions.
What type of model or prototype is being used?
Is the model testing appearance, function, ergonomics or performance?
Why might the designer make a physical model?
Why might the designer use a CAD or simulation model?
What feedback could be collected from the model or prototype?
How could the model help improve the final product?
What are the limitations of the model or prototype?
Prototyping and Model Making — Students of Product Design
A useful video showing how product designers use models and prototypes to develop ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWk6br5Ngkc
Rapid Prototype Modeling — PBS LearningMedia
A short explanation of how rapid prototyping can help designers create and test 3D models quickly.
https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ate10.sci.engin.systems.rapidtech/rapid-prototype-modeling/
Design for sustainability means creating products that reduce negative impacts on people, society and the environment. Designers should consider the whole life of a product, from raw materials and manufacturing to transport, use, repair and disposal.
A sustainable product should use resources responsibly, reduce waste and avoid unnecessary environmental harm. This may involve choosing renewable, recycled or recyclable materials, reducing energy use, designing for repair, or creating products that last longer.
Designers can make products more sustainable by considering:
Materials
Use materials that are recycled, recyclable, renewable, durable or responsibly sourced.
Manufacture
Choose processes that reduce waste, energy use, pollution and unnecessary production steps.
Transport
Reduce packaging, product weight or distance travelled where possible.
Use
Design products that use less energy, water or consumables during their lifetime.
Repair and maintenance
Allow parts to be repaired, replaced or upgraded instead of throwing the whole product away.
End of life
Consider whether the product can be reused, recycled, disassembled or safely disposed of.
Circular design aims to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible. Instead of following a “take, make, dispose” model, designers think about reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling.
This can reduce waste and lower the demand for new raw materials.
Sustainable design considers the full life cycle of a product and aims to reduce harm while still meeting user needs.
What environmental impact could this product have?
Are the materials renewable, recycled or recyclable?
Could the product be repaired, reused or upgraded?
Has packaging, transport or energy use been considered?
What happens to the product at the end of its life?
Does the design reduce waste or encourage a longer product lifespan?
Could a circular design approach improve the product?
EcoDesign 6 Minute Crash Course
A clear short video explaining how designers can reduce environmental impact through product design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5IZ_v3mqI
Designing for Product Sustainability
A short video showing how sustainability can be considered through materials, manufacturing and circular design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBrHGzbeFVE
Design for a circular economy means creating products that keep materials and resources in use for as long as possible. Instead of designing products to be used and then thrown away, designers consider how products can be repaired, reused, upgraded, remanufactured or recycled.
A circular economy reduces waste and lowers the need for new raw materials. It encourages designers to think about the full life of a product, including what happens after the user no longer needs it.
Linear economy
A linear economy follows a “take, make, dispose” model. Raw materials are extracted, made into products, used and then thrown away.
Circular economy
A circular economy aims to keep products, components and materials in use. Products are designed to last longer, be repaired, have parts replaced, or be recycled at the end of their life.
Designers can support a circular economy by designing products that are:
Durable
The product should last for a long time and resist unnecessary failure.
Repairable
Parts should be easy to access, replace or fix.
Upgradable
The product should allow improvements without replacing the whole item.
Reusable
The product or its parts could be used again for the same or a different purpose.
Easy to disassemble
Materials and components should be separated easily for repair, reuse or recycling.
Recyclable
Materials should be chosen so they can be recovered and used again.
Circular design reduces waste by keeping products, parts and materials in use for longer.
Does the product follow a linear or circular approach?
Can the product be repaired, reused or upgraded?
Are the materials recyclable or easy to separate?
Could parts be replaced instead of replacing the whole product?
Does the product encourage long-term use?
What happens to the product at the end of its life?
How could the design reduce waste?
Circular Economy Explained — Ellen MacArthur Foundation
A clear short introduction to the difference between a linear and circular economy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRKvDyyHmI
What is the Circular Economy? — CNBC Explains
A short explanation of how circular systems aim to reduce waste and keep resources in use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__0Spwj8DkM