Investigating user-centered design practices in Austrian AAL projects

This paper summarizes the results of an online study on stakeholder involvement, user-centered design methods, and communication practices. Overall, 27 Austrian organizations actively involved in innovation projects focusing on the development of solutions in the field of Active and Assisted Living (AAL) took part in the study. The results reveal a wide involvement of various stakeholders in most projects, however insurance companies and public authorities are rarely actively involved. With regard to methodological approaches, our results show a high literacy on advanced user research methods, but only a limited variety of methods actually applied. Finding a common language and choosing the right ways to communicate user requirements have been identified as a necessity for successful collaboration within AAL project teams.