PLAN YOUR RESEARCH METHODS Research is the fuel for your ideas. During the Discover pI n activities to learn from 's perspectiv jar contexts, Methods Overview As part of this course, we've selected four categories of research for you to explore with your team. Here are examples of these categories in action: 1 Learn from users Who might be using the product or service you're: designing? Is there one kind of user, or many? In photograph 1, a team working onimproving urban food security in Nairobi is gathering information from vegetable sellers at alocal market. The team was able to talk to many different sellers, buyers, and distributors as part ofa single visit to the market. 2 Talk with experts, near and far Video conferencing tools make connecting with experts, especially those who may be outside of your immediate area, easy and efficient. In photograph 2, ateam talks with an expert in child development whois working a continent away. 3 Immerse yourself in context A team designing new waysto improve clean cookstove usage in Tanzania spent an entire Saturday with a local family cooking a meal, as seen in photograph 3. This exercise allowed them to ‘empathize with cookstove users and experience the challenges and benefits of cooking on charcoal firsthand, 4 Sex jon in analogous settings Inspiration often lies outside an industry or your idea's direct competitors. When helping surgical teams deal with complex procedures, designers looked at how car racing pit-crews (photograph 4) optimized their workflow for safety and efficiency. Both contexts share many parallel factors: highly specialized instruments, high-pressure conditions, life-or-death timing, and a team of diverse specialists that need to stay continuously synchronized,eens eer reeonr eens earn Series 1. Learn from People Human-centered with people eper insight al cresting people to meet Imagine a map ofall the people who might have something to do with your design challenge. Think o! meet As ateam. choose who you want to learn from and plan how to get in contac: with therm ‘Think of extremes $F completely unfamiliar with a praduet or service will colton highlight ey issues of the design challenge and Plan the interaction and logistics Tink about winat exactly you Want to do with each Invite participants You'llnced to connect with the people nterview Don't nesworks people are generally happy to share what ney knot, particulary if you tell them that you ar lesign is built upon deeply empathetic research. I's spending quality itand br But learning from people requires practice and preparation. Here's where to start jer inspiration from them and their Create a trusting atmosphere Startthe com Lubject that is unrelated Lo your reseatch frst te mak ofthe space you are in and make sure you have an Pay attention to the environment ito mes in their hore Tee, or workplace. This will help sense of what's important a them. During th sense the person right be willing, ask fora tour Capture quotes During your interview. capture important quotes dlinectiy rather than interpreting what you think the person is saying, Later. when sharing back with you team, you will have amore accurate recaré of who th ‘Take photographs Photographs help you remembe and whit you save Photo incerviews will make your research mote visual rmeaningiul, and easier to recall and navigate But iimterviewees iF i's OX to take make sure anything beyond internal project useeestor 2. Learn from Experts resol expe Experts can be especially helpful when you need to learn a lerge mount of information seer nyo ina short amount of time, or f you want to know what's cutting edge within a field a Choose your angle Set up for a productive conversation mt You will want to choose experts based on yo Carefully plan how yous want the conversation to objective, Are you looking for someone with aradical Consider asking the expert to actively help you work tothink beyond th {you want to gain amore bistorieal on an early concept. Using videoconferercing :ock 1e2Getatew like Skype willallow you to share and build on visual 3. Practice Empathy in Context eernsino Experiencing something for yourself can help you better understand some of the Approach challenges and opportunities of a particular design challenge. Plan your observations Reflect on what you've observed josean experience that can inform your challenge. _Immetiately after your observation, take some time ti For example, ifyou are looking for new ideas or reflect upon the moments you found most interesting Capture what you see Tink of certain aspects you want to captute, such as What was unexpected? Challenging? Seamies SoneT eerie fitheirneed:oer et Peer Srey eee ea ae slowed customers to nav eee ee ed fee 4. Seek Inspiration in Analogues You're probably familiar with what an analogy is: it's an associative thought process that allows us to transfer meaning from one particular subject to another. Analogous research does the same: It's inspiration from a different context or experience that can help you gain a fresh perspective. Here's how. Brainstorm adjacent experiences ‘Make arrangements ink of experiences that lie outside of your topic lyou want to talk with people while Ine private (a area but thal in some way have a connection with your opposed to public) space. i's best to get permission research objective. For example ifyour cbjectiveisto For example, ityou're going to a hotel for inspiration create community. chink of groups that have donethat and want to imerview staff or take pictures of the (eA team working to createa sense ofcommunity space, speak with a manager ahead of tin for an online college imerviewed a former Navy SEAL lounderstand how they stiueture bootcamp toereate Just tale it in incentional bonds amongst reeruits Dont worry tao much about making sense ofthe ‘experience inthe moment Later on, i might influence iPhone 5steps BUILD YOUR DISCUSSION GUIDE Having a good conversation with someone you don’t know isn't always easy. When speaking with research might seem odd, but conducting rigorous preparation. participants, you first have interview with a casual tone and feel requires omfortable. It o help them fee Identify objectives Asa team, think about the goal of your. challenge. As your come basic Why are you doing the: fat are you tying And out? Who are you going to alk to or observe? Know that the most valu ing Slide isthe thinking that goes into t art of Create a question guide When writing your guide, chink about the kind of feedback that's going tobe most useful and inspiting, Discussion guides should not be seen as seripts for the ‘observation, but rather guide rails to make sure you stay on track, Make questions easily seannable so you eve contact with your interviewee Organize your questions A good rule of thumb isto start with son then a jewee time to get smfor‘abie with you. 1» Gather basic demographics frst. Ask people their age, what they do fora living, if they shave children, ete 1» Begin with questions your partieipants are comfortable answering. For example, ifyou ‘are designing new savings products, you might ask people to make a list ofall of the things they purchased yesterday. Go deep: ask mare profound questions about hopes, fears, and ambitions. I's best If these questions are open ended, but relate ubsly back to your design challenge. For example, if you were working on @ project related to saving money, you might ask someone to draw the five big things they're saving money for overthe next ten years ‘and how those things fit into thir life goals, Word questions strategically Frame questions in an open-ended way. This helps ‘you to further explore your challenge and interesting, themes you discover durin mare depth. Try things like the conversatia » “Tell me about an experience » "Whar are the best/worst partsabout .?* "Can you help me understand mare about.2 Encourage people to tell you their whole story and avoid questions that lead Build tangible conversation starters Iscan be helpful to share early ideas or concepts in your conversation, particularly when you are working onan abstract challenge. You can ereate a sketch Confirm your plans ‘You should research activities. Agree on logistis, including Lransportation, with your eam, Can you conduct onfirm date, time, and location for your feduling Class 2ona th and job to take as much time as you activities. Don’ fea Ii ‘within the allotted works ch during the Class 2 Workshop? Consider ke ‘that your teams has people. We encourage more time to talk Assign roles to ture the details itlined on page 13, The team should also st ymeone to photography. tand the surrounding environment. Make sure you ase permission before taking am build rast with your interview subject before asking to lake photos, 0 ‘courage them interview sy photos. W's often best to ou my want Lo leave this unl you've finished the interview.Research Tips Use the following research tips to draw out interesting and more personal stories. Establish trust with participants Practice creating an atmosphere in which people feel comfortable enough to open up. » Listen patiently. Do not interrupt, and allow for pauses to give participants time to think. » Use nonverbal gestures, such as eye contact, nodding, and smiling, to reassure participants you are engaged and interested in what they are saying, Encourage participants to showas well as tell. ‘Ask participants to show you the object or space they are talking about. » Have participants draw what they are talking about. »Tryasking “why?” in response to consecutive answers. Know what to look for. Look forindications that reveal what people care about, and keep in mind that they may contradict themselves. What people “say"is often different than what they. actually “do.” Capture what you se Look for cues in the things that people surround themselves with or the way they carry themselves. Notice workarounds and adaptations people have made to make a system or tool serve their needs better. Explore things that prompt certain behaviors, for example, what needs do the images below reveal? Take lots of notes and photos of what you see, hear, feel smell, and taste during afield visit. Capture direct quotes whenever possible. Write down your immediate thoughts eee erent ere without worrying about an interpretation.Additional Research Techniques Personal diaries Ask participants to reflect at the end of the day on certain moments or themes. This gives them time for personal and Uninterrupted thinking, and gives you an interviewee's ‘thoughts captured in their own words. Use this when: You wantto get a longer view ofa partici- pant's experience over an extended amount of time. Photo essays Give participants a disposable camera and alist of objects and/or experiences to photograph throughout their day. This gives you a firsthand, visual perspective about your participants through things that are important to them, or are part of their everyday. Use this when: You want to compare and contrast the differ ent daily experiences and realities of a set of participants. natever advanced methods you use, make Peete ee eet Journey maps Have participants create a personal timeline of an exper ence, then have them map how they felt at different points along the way, Use the map as a visual jumping-off point for conversation, Use this when: You want to discuss a complicated system or series of interactions with a participant. (The process of buy- ing a caris good example.) Card sorts Create a series of cards with a single word orimage on itand ask participants to prioritize what's most/leastimportant, interesting, or relevantto them. Use this when: You want multiple participants to narrow down asetofideas. Concept provocations These are a series of concept drawings with accompanying explanations. Concepts could be outliers meant o illicit a strong reaction, or early ideas you might want to build into prototypes, Use this when: You want early feedback on why participants like or don't lke certain features.STEP 4 CAPTURE YOUR LEARNINGS sy to feel over med b an interview, so use a few minutes you've observed, as well as any new ic the amount of information ‘ou have gathered after ediately after the session to capture what as you have as a result. Take time to regroup lan extra time so that you can share your thoughts and impressions right alter your interview or observation with your tesmmates. This may often happen in. coffee shop or while in transi Share your impressions ‘What ate the things you found most interesting during the observation? Listen to each others recollections, Compare experiences and impressions, but dont ‘worry about interpreting these stories yet To cover the mast important topics, consider using these prompts: » Sound bites: What were the most memorable quotes that people heard? Why were they memorable? » Interesting stories: What was most surprising 0 you? » Interactions: What was interesting about the way hel “she interacted with his/her environment? 1» Remaining questions: What questions would you lke to explore in your next conversation? Illustrate new ideas DDid the observation spark a new thought or idea for ‘you? Sketch it cut. Dont worry about the wey your skerches look or feel intimidaced abou: being visual These illustrations will simply help you communicate your ideas to others an give you alla head start on brainstorming concepts, Cie moment. However, waitto share itlater with your ee