Stakeholder Perceptions of Requirements Elicitation Interviews With and Without Prototypes in a Cross-Cultural Design Setting

Abstract Using prototypes during design requirements elicitation (RE) interviews with stakeholders can encourage stakeholder participation. Stakeholder engagement and the quality of the feedback provided can be influenced by the format of the RE interview, especially in a cross-cultural design setting. Although the selection of design practices is typically motivated by designer preferences and design outcomes, deliberate consideration of stakeholder preferences and perceptions may lead to a more nuanced understanding of when and how to best leverage particular design practices. This study investigated the influence of the number of prototypes (here, assistive devices for removing subdermal contraceptive implants) presented during RE interviews on Ghanaian stakeholder preferences. The findings revealed that most participants (n = 34, 94%) preferred the presence of one or more prototypes compared to no prototypes during the interviews because prototypes enabled participants to better understand the design space, provide accurate feedback, and evaluate ideas. Prototypes provided participants with a basis for answering designers’ questions. When they were not provided with a prototype, participants explained that they imagined a novel device concept or recalled a device from prior experiences. Further, participants preferred the use of three prototypes versus a single prototype because multiple prototypes enabled them to compare across designs and make choices. These findings suggest that designers seeking requirements-related input from stakeholders at the problem definition stage should consider using one or more prototypes, unless they are interested in collecting design ideas from stakeholders.