Huriavi, Chel and Parsons, Bruce Obstacles and Attitudes that Small and Medium Businesses have Towards Website Development: A Design-Thinking Approach. 2025. Radford University, Thesis. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
One of the most common reasons that businesses invest in Information Technology (IT) is to improve their ability to survive, grow, and stay relevant. Small and medium businesses, however, face many barriers when adopting website technology. This creates a significant problem since larger counterparts have more resources for website development and online advertising, giving them a clear competitive advantage. This study aims to understand the obstacles small and medium businesses face in website development using design-thinking methodologies. A convenience and snowball sample of 11 small business owners participated in this study. The design-thinking (DT) methods are broken into four phases. The first phase included qualitative interviews using questions that varied slightly depending on whether participants currently have a website. Phase two consisted of a workshop using design-thinking strategies such as critique, problem tree analysis, and affinity clustering, where participants identified the causes and effects of obstacles associated with website development. In the next phase, the student researcher would analyze data collected and create persona profiles based on the gathered information. This was then critiqued by three of the business owners who participated in phase one and the interviews. Last, in phase four, the student researcher synthesized the information into an experience map. As we explored barriers to website development, participants thought deeply about the issue and identified what might be holding them back. Understanding core issues is the first step in removing barriers. This study focused on attitudes and obstacles to obtaining a website, rather than solutions that may emerge later. Once these issues were understood, businesses could implement DT strategies to remove these barriers.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Visual and Performing Arts > Department of Design |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Feb 2026 18:02 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Apr 2026 16:33 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1308 |
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