Although graphic design is absolutely fundamental to software, and branding elements such as logos help projects develop and strengthen their identity, user-centered design is much more than that, as the content of our devrooms illustrate. It is also important to understand that good graphic design does not exist in isolation: it is embedded within the work of other user-centered design disciplines and concerns.

User research, information architecture, interaction design and content strategy can make valuable contributions to FOSS projects. The question is, how? What needs to change for FOSS projects to identify the need of an information architect or a user researcher? Is it just about building knowledge and awareness about these branches of design? Or do these disciplines require some fundamental changes to the way contributions happen?

This talk is more about questions than answers. It will provide a brief introduction to the different "layers" of the user-centered design process as outlined by Jesse James Garrett (http://www.jjg.net/elements/pdf/elements.pdf), and will pose some questions about how to incorporate them into FOSS projects.

Finding the answers to those questions is one of the reasons why we need the Open Source Design community.