UCD–CE Integration: A Hybrid Approach to Reinforcing User Involvement in Systems Requirements Elicitation and Analysis Tasks

Requirements elicitation and analysis tasks in user-centered design (UCD) are pivotal for assessing digital systems’ quality and costs. However, these tasks often face challenges due to limited user involvement. This stems from unclear guidelines on how to conduct activities and engage users effectively to achieve their goals during the development process. This study explored how the integration of collaboration engineering (CE) principles with UCD approach could address these challenges. Using an Applied Science / Engineering approach, a UCD-CE process was designed drawing on the Six-layer model of Collaboration. This model aligns the CE steps with UCD principles (why), practices (what), and methods (how). Data collection tools included structured interviews, questionnaires, and observations, supported by techniques like user stories and dialogues, as well as thinkLets, and patterns of collaboration. Formative and summative evaluations were used to validate the UCD-CE process; and the results underscore its strengths, particularly its efficiency in helping users to complete tasks on time, reducing effort in reaching common goals, fostering high user satisfaction, promoting creativity and productivity, ensuring ease-of-use and learnability, and delivering comprehensive outcomes in requirements elicitation and analysis tasks during the development process. Future research aims to assess the practicality of UCD-CE integration in reinforcing user involvement during the UCD design phase.