Users and use contexts have to be studied and described. What distinguishes the selected target group and what requirements do they place on the product? In what environments and situations will the product be used, under what conditions and as part of what processes?
Do current technologies equally serve various groups of people? Can we make out fields of hidden work or marginalised life domains which have not been served yet? Which groups are less prioritised? How usable are current work tools or technologies for diverse persons? (reflection aspect: benefit)
In their research on Smart Home systems for persons with dementia, Hwang et al. (2012) closely cooperated with informal caregivers who would be the ones who introduce, control, and maintain these systems for the sake of their loved ones. In their analysis, they encountered strict usability requirements and critical positions concerning the general utility of such systems. Caregivers share their duties with others, and they often have to combine their private role with their professional life. Based on their personal experience, they pointed out their needs for timely but non-disruptive information, for communication and shared control with others, adding completely new aspects on the required functionality of Smart Home systems in this field.