User-driven Innovation in the Case of Three-dimensional Urban Environments

The article states that a thorough understanding of media technology users has become vital in technological design and development, in order to increase the chances of new products and services living up to the expectations, characteristics and practices of future (end) users. Theoretically, the authors envisage linking the perspectives of "User-Centred Design" (UCD) and "User-Driven Innovation" (UDI) with the domestication approach that looks at how media technologies are domesticated in people's everyday lives. The URBAN project, which deals with the effective and efficient handling of 3D data for urban environments, is used as a case study. The authors observe no easy match between current and future user practices (identified by means of the domestication framework) and the objectives and expectations of technological project partners, who are mainly concerned with fine-tuning and experimenting with the basic technology of 3D modelling. However, it is possible to combine both approaches, first by identifying innovation opportunities from the users' point of view and second, by allowing all the stakeholders involved to steer the development process in an iterative way. This could lead to a more thorough understanding of users which would result in finding new opportunities to create value, and a systematic/planned involvement of users throughout the entire innovation process.