A shift of focus : an inspiration from users' reception of computer interface design

By borrowing from so-called reception theory, which was originally applied in literary studies, and through empirical case studies of users’ reception of computer interface design, the author argues that users have their own preferences and use their own tactics to deal with the designs – strategies – imposed by designers. In the article, the author also attempts to reinforce the concept that creative design is not the creation of the perfect design according only to the decision of designers, since this goal could never be reached, as the needs and wants of users are diverse and continuously changing. Rather, creative design should be geared towards a cooperative outcome that relies on the designer’s professional knowledge and the user’s participation. Borrowing from these concepts, the author further proposes that design and engineering education should shift in focus from the designer and the design to the user.