Output details

Capturing volunteered information for inclusive service design: Potential benefits and challenges

This is a peer reviewed journal article that contributes to three bodies of academic knowledge that are closely related to User Centred Design (UCD): Inclusive Design, Human Computer Interaction and Service Design. Inclusive Design is the discipline that aims to inform the design of mainstream products so that they are accessible to, and usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities and within the widest range of contexts of use without the need for special adaptation. HCI represents the intersection between computer science, design and the social and behavioural sciences. Service Design is one of the fastest growing design disciplines. Service Design research is about developing systematic and creative approaches to the design of services (particularly digital services) for public and commercial sectors. Its growing importance is evidenced by the recent publication of the UK Government’s Service Design Manual which provides detailed UCD guidance for developers of government services. The background to the paper is the emergence of web based services that enable people (volunteers) to gather and share information which they think may be of use or interest to others. Common examples of services built around volunteered information include OpenStreetMap and TripAdvisor. This paper contributes to both Inclusive Design and Service Design knowledge by illustrating how services can be made more inclusive through the collection of volunteered Information as an integral part of the service.