An active procurer : Advancing cooperative design

If system design and development are to succeed, cooperation and participation from several different actors must be assured. Within a triad of roles consisting of user, developer and procurer, we focus on the role, influence and perspective of the procurer, especially considering use quality and usability. Through two case studies we discuss the complexity of relationships and boundaries between roles, the mediational aspects of the relationships, and the pivotal role an active procurer plays in providing an action space for user-centred design. We conclude that the competence of the procurer is an under-valued asset in setting the scene to develop systems that are highly usable.