Kenneth R. Fleischmann
The design and use of information technologies are not as easily separated
as they may seem. Designers have much at stake in the use of their software,
while users are greatly influenced by the design of the software that they use.
In this paper, I explore the complex relationships built up between the designers
and users of human anatomy simulations, including processes of cooperation and
conflict. I develop and apply a three-step process for studying the design and
use of a software product in its social context. First, it is important to focus
on the social worlds of designers and users that influence the development of
the technology. Next, the emphasis shifts to the technology itself, which can
be viewed as a boundary object emerging from the intersection of the contributing
social worlds. Finally, the technology exhibits agency by reshaping the relationships
and interactions among the contributing social worlds.