Understanding the collaborative-participatory design.

In this study, the role of collaboration in design is discussed, placing emphasis on how to include end-users in the development process. The study is based on a literature review focusing on aspects of collaboration in design, usability and human factors. Thereby, it introduces, compares and contrasts the characteristics of both collaborative and user-centered design perspectives, leading to the collaborative-participatory design approach.

A children, teachers and designers as evaluators of usability of educational software.

This article sets out to discuss the results of evaluations of usability made by children, teachers and designers through methods targeted on their profiles and contexts of use. Based on a survey of methods for evaluating usability, a field study was conducted in which such users--stakeholders--explored the educational software called "Mundo da Criança" ("Child's World"). The focus of this study was the analysis of this system and principally of the appropriateness of methods as to the avenues they suggest such users and contexts might explore.