A front ended approach to the user-centred design of VEs

The specification, development and evaluation of a VE to allow people with Asperger\´s Syndrome to practise social interaction is described. A "front-ended" style has been adopted, where the emphasis on user consideration is placed during the early stages of the development life cycle, before any VE programming takes place. A model for user-centred design is presented that shows the involvement of different groups of users and professionals at various stages of design. Design guidelines have been derived from literature reviews and empirical examination of existing VEs. These have then been applied within a highly iterative cycle of low -tech VE specification and review. One VE module has been developed and evaluated with a focus on usability