Funcional analysis

Contextual inquiry and future workshops build on the precondition that the future user of the system is known and that they should be an active partner in the design process. When working with product and service development it is much harder to identify the future users and to get them involved in long-term processes. Within the area of industrial design, the problem, and the background for the vision is often based on different sources. It can be competing products, market research, user interviews, and field studies of the considered situation (Löwgren and Stolterman 2004). The thought with the functional analysis is to express what the future system should do (functions) but not how. The functions are usually expressed with two words; a noun and a subjective. If a function is absolutely crucial for the system to be able to fulfil its central purpose it is classified as necessary. If a function is good, but not necessary it is classified as desirable. If a function is neither desirable nor necessary, it is classified as unnecessary. The functions are thereafter categorised in different areas to give a good overview.