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We already discussed that in a technology-based process, the technology is predefined, and in a user-based process, the user is predefined. Another big difference between the two processes is the stakeholders. If designers use these processes in a commercial environment, the stakeholders for each one are very different.
When we look at the client, the biggest differentiator is the resources they bring to the table. For a user-based process, you are looking at clients with an existing user group or the capabilities to reach a new user group. They might already sell products to these customers and focus on marketing instead of research and development. When you look at a technology-based process, on the other hand, your client has a lot of patents and research capabilities. Their research and development are top-notch and might even got the first technologies market-ready. Of course, these differences are not always as black and white as described. But they can be an indicator for which process you can use. If a client is great in both fields, you can use it to your advantage since the process is much more defined. You know the user you are developing for and the technology you need to use.
In a user-based process, the users have a high priority. We know them very well, and they are the first ones we look at because they are predefined. In a technology-based process, the users might not seem to have the same priority, but they are still crucial in creating a cohesive use case for the technology. They are the final piece in the puzzle; we just do not know who they are yet.
The experts of a particular technology are the driving force of a technology-based process. In our approach, technology research has the same priority user research has in a user-based process. Since these experts are our primary source for understanding the technology and later applying it, they are critical to the process. They can be scientists but do not have to be. In a user-based process, the technology experts might not seem to have the same priority, but when it comes to implementing a solution for a specific user, they play a crucial role.
This covers the main three stakeholders and should give you a good overview of their roles depending on the process.