Between Cooperative Creativity and Conflicts on Appreciation: Customer-developer-links in a small software companies

Abstract

Research on participatory design focuses on scientific projects and model applications; few studies draw on commercial settings. In such settings the customer and its wishes are seen as dominant. The paper explores the nature of customer-developer-links in commercial projects. How can the cooperation between customers and developers be described? Based on case studies made in previous projects, I show that customer-developer-links oscillate between inspiring cooperation and fights for power and appreciation. Is there a chance to improve and professionalize these links? Answering this question needs further research.