Making the PC More Pleasure than Pain, by Listening to the People Who Use Them

Gregg and her fellow social scientists work at the intersection of market research, long-term planning and engineering. It starts with field work — spending time with PC users and uncovering both their pain points and their unmet needs. From there, Gregg explains, “you want to spur innovation in two directions”: in form factors, “to improve a person’s experience or their ergonomic problem,” and in usages, or “common practices people are doing now that could be assisted by the next wave of technology.” Where that’s leading, Gregg says, is to a set of design choices and requirements aimed at helping people focus, create and connect in more meaningful ways.