Extreme experience interviews for innovative designs: Classroom assessment of a new needs-gathering method

Abstract

A recently published "Extreme Experience Design1" method places interviewees in simulations that parallel physical disabilities (such as wearing dark glasses to simulate low vision) in order to elicit normally-hidden product needs. This new needs-gathering technique equips students with awareness and skills to design for persons with disabilities, as well as an interview method leading to breakthrough design innovations through uncovering latent (hidden) needs. Traditionally-taught needs gathering interviews typically lead to parametric needs and thus incremental design changes; however, the latent needs uncovered with extreme experience interviews are often non-parametric and offer greater ..