The ISU design model is an ‘architecture’ designed to support a human resource approach to information systems development. The model emerged in a live project for a large local government client, and its particular shape derives from four major areas of concern: (1) quality, and the strategic management of resources; (2) client-led management of information systems development; (3) IT-related labour market issues and equalization of employment opportunities; and (4) human-centred approaches to the design of technology systems. This article develops a working definition of human-centred design practice, indicates key practices in implementing the architecture, and identifies key concepts in interpreting the ‘feel’ of the approach. As a human-centred model, it is essentially about learning, and the article refers to three concepts of organizational learning which informed the design work.
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