BACKGROUNDStudies in product development argue the importance of user involvement when designing products. Benefits include targeting relevant problems, finding usable and innovative solutions, and elicit user needs and expectations that may prove critical when introducing the new product.

However, some difficulties have been identified. These are mainly related to differences between the users and developers in terms of skills, experiences, terminology, goals and perspectives and that the users tend to neglect the value of their input. Typically users are also included too late in the process to have any real opportunities to alter the final product.

The aim of this study was to explore how early inclusion of user competence might influence the development of a novel concept for detection of traumatic injuries in emergency care.

METHODSAmbulance nurses representing car and helicopter ambulance were invited to three consecutive workshops to co-design key products of the new concept together with development personnel from the company behind the new concept and design researchers/engineers. The workshops were held in the ideation, concept generation, and development stages of the project. Each workshop was prepared by the researchers to enable and stimulate interaction within the group by applying design practices and provide mock-ups/illustrations. 

RESULTS Preliminary results from interviews tell that the company representatives report more detailed knowledge about the ambulance personnel’s needs earlier in the process compared to previous projects, and that this knowledge contributed to products with higher usability.

The ambulance personnel were positive and pleased to contribute their knowledge. One response was “it is very interesting to contribute to the development of a future product”.

CONCLUSIONSThe tested co-design process facilitated the ambulance nurses to contribute their knowledge so that needs and requirements was understood and integrated by the engineers in the design of the new concept for emergency care.