Refining the test phase of usability evaluation: how many subjects is enough?
Human Factors - Special issue: measurement in human factors
PD and joint application design: a transatlantic comparison
Communications of the ACM - Special issue Participatory Design
A mathematical model of the finding of usability problems
INTERCHI '93 Proceedings of the INTERCHI '93 conference on Human factors in computing systems
When Survival is an Issue: PD in Support of Landscape Architecture
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Participatory Design: Issues and Concerns
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Virtual Prototypes in Usability Testing
HICSS '01 Proceedings of the 34th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences ( HICSS-34)-Volume 5 - Volume 5
Adapting Virtual Reality for the Participatory Design of WorkEnvironments
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Identity and role-A qualitative case study of cooperative scenario building
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Participatory design with train drivers - a process analysis
Interacting with Computers
Using virtual reality and mood-induction procedures to test products with consumers of ceramic tiles
Computers in Human Behavior
Application of virtual reality technologies in consumer product usability
DUXU'13 Proceedings of the Second international conference on Design, User Experience, and Usability: web, mobile, and product design - Volume Part IV
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The usability of the user interface is a key aspect for the success of several industrial products. This assumption has led to the introduction of numerous design methodologies addressed to evaluate the user-friendliness of industrial products. Most of these methodologies follow the participatory design approach to involve the user in the design process. Virtual Reality is a valid tool to support Participatory Design, because it facilitates the collaboration among designers and users. The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of an innovative Participatory Design approach where Virtual Reality plays a 'double role': a tool to evaluate the usability of the virtual product interface, and a communication channel that allows users to be directly involved in the design process as co-designers. In order to achieve these goals, we conducted three experiments: the purpose of the first experiment is to determine the influence of the virtual interface on the usability evaluation by comparing ''user-real product'' interaction and ''user-virtual product'' interaction. Subsequently, we tested the effectiveness of our approach with two experiments involving users (directly or through their participation in a focus group) in the redesign of a product user interface. The experiments were conducted with two typologies of consumer appliances: a microwave oven and a washing machine.