Trans RINA, Vol 153, Part C1, Intl J Marine Design, Jul - Dec 2011
quite being used as it was intended. The post-it notes that cover the screen give insight into the relationship the user has with the object. Authentic human behaviour can enhance the final design outcomes by responding to revealed needs. Designers have to anticipate misuse of products as well.
Robinson and Godbey [7] proposed that work hours have not increased, nor has leisure time decreased. Rather, Americans’ attitudes toward time have changed and their way of dealing with a perceived time famine is to do more in the time they have. For example, now instead of simply engaging in leisure for its own sake, we combine it with networking for work or we try to catch up with friends on our cellular phones while using the drive- through to pick up dinner. Robinson and Godbey refer to this inclination to try to do more things at once as “time deepening.” They note that time deepening raises stress levels, robbing us of the opportunity to fully experience leisure and truly live for the moment. Thus, it potentially lessens the ability to develop and benefit from the social support that can come from leisure endeavors.
4. Design development
BOATING EXPERIENCE is
focused on generating user Figure 2: User engaging with iPod Touch
‘experiences’ rather than producing more final products. Boat design represents a highly specialized and luxury focused market. Customers and consumer buy into the ‘projected’ lifestyle that is associated by owning such luxury products. As discussed earlier, boat ownership satisfies needs beyond the functional, and as many people experience a significant lack of free time, it leaves designers with more challenges than ever on how the next generation of boats will manifest themselves.
Add into the mix that members of our population are generally living longer, developing disabilities and are less likely to accept having a disability as a barrier to a high quality of life, how boats will be used and the profile of the consumer will be changing significantly. Accepting that high functionality comes as standard with such luxury products as boats, the designer for the next generation of ‘floating homes’ will need to pay particular attention to the next generation of boat owners.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 3: Revealed authentic human behaviour upon closer investigation
3. LEISURE TIME
According to [5], Americans are working longer hours today than they did for the 100 years prior to World War II. Schor noted that this seems unnecessary given that workers’ production rates have increased and we now have so many
so-called conveniences, such as
microwave ovens, which theoretically should result in more time for leisure. This view is supported by Pink [6] who highlights that storage facilities represent one of the fastest expanding industries in America. He professes that individuals work long hours so that they can be active customers, yet never really have the leisure time to be active consumers of their possessions (e.g. boats).
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Using empathic design strategies to consider user needs provides designers with critical insights to create better products, and therefore, better user experiences.
In
design development the more user-centered approaches are resulting in industrial designers collaborating with users
through observation, conversation, and participation. This dialogue allows the life-expert-user who engages with the world from an alternative perspective (i.e., people with disabilities) to become an integral part of the design process [8].
The following offers some design areas that will be critical for a positive boat experience in the near future:
accessibility (e.g. wheel chair access)
enhanced tactility (e.g. reduced hand grip and dexterity)
to support effective new product development
©2011: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects
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