Contextual Design: Eight Contextual Structures That Affect the User Experience

Abstract

The context of a product directly affects the user experience. This article presents eight contextual structures for products: spatial, systemic, social, cultural, situational, temporal, economic and political. The deconstruction of contextual structures is a strategy to enhance their understanding and inclusion in the design process. Each structure is described and associated with a service in order to clarify its impact on the user experience. These eight structures can serve as a starting point for design specialists to reflect on the role of context and thus make informed decisions.