The aim of this project was to test the effects of applying a user centered design approach to the development process of the Bene Power Brake home application. User Centered Design (UCD) was chosen because of its intensive focus on the user’s needs and expectations as a technology transfer process. Arguably, the most important job of a product designer is to correctly gather and interpret the data from the most important source, the user. The efficiency and accuracy with which the transformation of those expressed needs into the product design is made is a direct measure of the success of the product and of the designer. The relative success of exercise machines is measured by the motivation of the user to use the equipment, which is why the fundamental theories of UCD align so well with this project. It is essential to investigate the user and his motives and expectations. Data and statics were collected from researched literature, purpose-developed questionnaires, interviews, and on-site observations. Analysis of this data created an image of the potential user, and his characteristics and expectations helped define the design goals. Brainstorming focused on some of the issues of users’ expectations. The most promising and feasible resulting ideas were selected and further developed. One of these concepts was chosen as a final concept and developed into further detail. A physical mock-up of this concept was built for testing of usability and to receive a feedback from users in interviews. The final concept was evaluated and concrete changes and improvements were proposed to Bene Power.


Team members: Eva Lietavova