The best device is the one that’s easiest to operate. It doesn’t matter how many bells and whistles a design incorporates if the end user doesn’t know how to ring and toot them.

Emily Allen, an interaction designer for Cook Medical, understands users. The 25-year-old took the grand prize in the DiabetesMine Design Challenge, a contest run by the Web site DiabetesMine.com to encourage new tools to make living with diabetes easier. Her winning design, the diaPETic, is an iPhone/iPod Touch app to help teen girls with diabetes establish a glucose testing routine and deal with the emotions involved with their diagnosis.

Used with a peripheral glucose meter, the app features a cartoon pet that gives the user advice on what to do depending on her blood sugar levels. For example, if her blood sugar is low, the pet acts sleepy and suggests she have something to eat. If the user keeps up with her testing routine, she’s rewarded with games to play and accessories for her pet. The app, which is still in the prototype stage, also provides glucose history reports, and any information it gathers can be shared with a doctor.

Dell is also in tune with its users. The South African tech Web site ITWeb.za.co has an interesting story about how feedback from users has influenced the computer giant's recent product designs.

Have you taken the time to talk to users lately? If so, what did you learn? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

—Jamie Hartford