This paper analyses barriers to user involvement in design development
by focusing on a failure case. By conducting a single-case study on a
freelance designer and his client, we found that an accelerated speed of
development was among the most important factors that negatively
influenced the development of creative concepts, including the final
product. This accelerated speed of development limited the time
allocated to user involvement and impacted both the productclient fit
and the artistic value that makes creative products relevant or
appealing in the first place. Specifically, this paper contributes to
the scholarship on the failure of user involvement by analysing an actor
(a freelancer) with very limited resources. In addition, this paper
extends our understanding about the formation of the outcome of user
involvement: the final product. From a managerial perspective, this
paper serves as a warning about the drawbacks of adopting accelerated
product development and provides guidance on how to avoid unsuccessful
user involvement.