Research and User Requirements in Design Process

Research

Primary research is key to understanding the needs and wants of the target user or market. This type of research involves methods such as questionnaires, interviews, and observations.
Secondary research provides valuable information about the larger market segments, current design trends, and industry standards. This could include market reports, trade journals, newspapers, websites, and books.
Ethnographic research, or studying people in their natural environment, can give unique insight into how the product would actually be used.
Competitor analysis is important to understand what other products are available and to identify opportunities for differentiation.

Establishing the target user is vital. Consider their age, gender, social status, occupation, and culture. All these factors will influence their need and expectation from the product.
Psychological, physiological, and sociological needs of the user must be assessed. Understanding these aspects helps to design the product with a holistic approach.
Performance specifications identify how well the product must perform. This considers factors such as strength, durability, ease-of-use, and comfort.
Aesthetic requirements like colour, pattern, texture, and style are crucial in the textiles sector. User preferences, fashion trends, and cultural influences should inform these aspects.
Economic needs address the price point, running costs, and maintenance costs that the target user is willing to bear.

The iterative design process is a cycle of research, idea generation, prototyping, testing, analysing, and refining until a final product is developed.
User requirements should constantly inform and refine the design process. Regular feedback or response from potential users should be sought at different stages of development.
Modelling and prototyping are key activities within the design process. These provide tangible, working models to test against user requirements and assess the effectiveness of the design.
Evaluation against the design brief and specification checks that the final product fulfils the user requirements. It’s important to reflect on what has been successful and what could be improved, learning from any mistakes or problems encountered during the process.