A Canvas Method to Foster Interdisciplinary Discussions on Digital Assistance Systems

Meaningful and usable digital assistance systems that support the employees in their everyday tasks seems to be a challenge for many organizations in terms of individual and organizational acceptance including usability, UX, or Work 4.0 issues. Existing software engineering methods are insufficient to integrate employees in the design and development, and to discuss solution concepts of such systems at eye level. In this paper, a lightweight canvas method is presented that shall address these challenges. It includes the human, the business as well as the technological perspective in one communication instrument. First evaluations show that participants appreciate the canvas concept and that the method is versatile in different scenarios. Several questions enrich the discussions about new systems and improve the acceptance as well as the mindset at early stages in the design and development process.