While these research activities focus on the outcomes of the process in terms of built products or in terms of effects it has on the user organisation through the use of the product, little work has been undertaken to understand the effect of the design process on the involved parties, both on the client - customer side and on the designer - provider side : How does the participation in the process question and transform their knowledge, their organisational structures ? Individual learning and even more organisational learning are a central aspect of this question. Various aspects of appropriation and of learning on the envisioned socio-technical system during the design process could be crucial for the quality of the forthcoming use and for usability. In order to develop this hypothesis, we will introduce the material of different case studies on complex building and urban projects. Our analysis may enlarge the understanding of service delivery in construction processes not only as the ability to provide facilities that support social processes of the clients but also as the ability of design processes that support and enhance organizational learning.

Keywords : design processes, experience, individual and organisational learning, organisational dynamics, system of players, usability.