Dealing with the problem between user related knowledge and design, the present thesis underlines the guiding role of designer&rsquo / s user concept as a concept in problem structuring, by framing his/her understanding about user and influencing knowledge use and solution generation. Considering limitations of prevailing user concept in the architectural design studio, underlying problems are detected with reference to knowledge and design contexts, which have critical influence on the formation of user concept, particularly on its capacity to cover qualities of user and its relation with design. Defined narrow content of knowledge context and the detachment between design and knowledge contexts constitute the problematic basis of limited user concept and indicate a need for a shift in student&rsquo / s user understanding. The thesis aims to provide a conceptual framework to define required change referring underlined contexts. The broadening of knowledge context is defined addressing unifying perspective of Universal Design, with its emphasis on diversity, user experience, and knowing user by experience. With reference to the notion of designerly ways of knowing, required constructive relation between knowledge and design contexts is reconceptualized as designerly way of knowing user and defined as user related knowledge generation as part of problem structuring and design concept generation through this knowledge base. The potentials of proposed framework are exemplified by an architectural design studio experience. The analysis shows that when student&rsquo / s user learning is organized within student&rsquo / s actual user investigation as part of problem structuring, it is possible for students to acquire needs and expectations of diverse users and translate them to solutions from user perspective generating user related design concepts. Therefore, proposed conceptual base promises to improve user concept of student not only to involve experiences of diverse users, but also to be designerly.

This study argues that including aspects of user experience relevant to the user's knowledge of a product's context-of-use in the early stages of product design can enhance the design of product usability. To explore these issues, research was undertaken to respond to three research questions: (i) What aspects of user experience influence people's understanding of product usability? (ii) What is the nature of the differences between users' and designers' understandings of product usability? (iii) How can context-of-use and human experience enhance the design of product usability? Findings from the study have shown that experience, context-of-use and knowledge about a product's usability are interrelated. Conceptual principles and design principles were established based on findings to explain (i) the relationships between aspects of experience and areas of product usability and (ii) differences between designers' and users' concepts of product usability. These principles responded to the first two research questions. Causal relationships found between experience and product usability suggested the need to implement them in an accessible manner for a product design process. A design tool -- named the Experience and Context Enquiry Design Tool (ECEDT) -- was devised to exemplify the implementation of findings. A trial run verified that the type of information that ECEDT brings to designers could assist them to address usability and experience issues during the early stages of the design process. This result responded to the third research question of the study. This study's conceptual principles and design principles contribute new knowledge to design theory and practice. This knowledge contributes to design theory in providing greater detail about the differences between designers and users than that addressed by existing theory; it contributes to design practice as it informs designers about the aspects of human experience that prompt users' understanding of a product's use. In doing so, it can potentially assist in the design of products that embed new technological applications, and support the design of product usability.