Analysis of Data

Identifying Affinity Groups

Larry Fenske Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Review – Combined Ethnography

Combining observation and direct questioning – both are important

Observation - allows you to “see” the answers

What to watch for:What do people do?How do they do it?

Questioning – allows you to understand what you see

Why does someone choose to do something in a particular way? Why do they want what they want? – prefer what they prefer?

Seek to discover - use open ended questions

Excerpted from essay in Design Research, Brenda Laurel editor, 2003.

Further Review

recognition > discovery > analysis > synthesis > (design) problem definition

After data is collected we need to make sense of it.

Design Research Process

Research Plan - Choose research method(s)Collect DataReview/Analyze Data - Look for trends/patternsDefine Affinity Groups

Identifying demographics – age, occupation, etcIdentifying Psychographics – beliefs, motivation, etc.Identifying Behaviors – routines, activities

Use: words, images, storying“Visualize” Data – charts, style boards, market matrix etc.Synthesis – identify design opportunities recognizing patterns/clusters in data• relationships – affinity groups• Insights (can become design opportunities)

Further Review

recognition > discovery > analysis > synthesis > (design) problem definition

After data is collected we need to make sense of it.

Design Research Process

Research Plan - Choose research method(s)Collect DataReview / Analyze Data - Look for trends/patternsDefine Affinity Groups

Identifying demographics – age, occupation, etcIdentifying Psychographics – beliefs, motivation, etc.Identifying Behaviors – routines, activities

Use: words, images, storying“Visualize” Data – charts, style boards, market matrix etc.Synthesis – identify design opportunities recognizing patterns/clusters in data• relationships – affinity groups• Insights (can become design opportunities)

Further Review

recognition > discovery > analysis > synthesis > (design) problem definition

After data is collected we need to make sense of it.

Design Research Process

Research Plan - Choose research method(s)Collect DataReview / Analyze Data - Look for trends/patternsDefine Affinity Groups

Identifying demographics – age, occupation, etcIdentifying Psychographics – beliefs, motivation, etc.Identifying Behaviors – routines, activities

Use: words, images, storying“Visualize” Data – charts, style boards, market matrix etc.Synthesis – identify design opportunities recognizing patterns/clusters in data• relationships – affinity groups• Insights (can become design opportunities)

Identifying Affinity Groups > Market Segmentation

Identifying Affinity Groups is a way of gaining a less generalized understanding of users by recognizing and identifying groups of people that share distinct patterns in lifestyles, behaviors, motivations and preferences.

Market Segmentation is essentially a market perspective for this understanding, dividing the user base into distinct consumer groups that are similar in the way that they perceive, value, or use a product or service.

Potential Segmentation CriteriaMarketingConcerns

•Requirements•Perceptions of product or service

•Motivations to purchase

•Barriers to purchase

•Personality traits•Values•Lifestyle•Attitudes•Beliefs

•Age•Gender•Education•Geography•Work status

•Actions/activities•How activities are done

•Frequency of activities

ProductPreferences

PsychographicDemographicBehavioral

Example of Segmentation

Developing Personas to Affinity Groups

Personas can be represented by a list of descriptors, or through storying -creating a narrative that describes the persona’s lifestyle, through images that communicate this lifestyle, or any combination of these.

Style Boards are a collection of images (possibly combined with words) that communicate the lifestyles of each affinity group or the personas created to represent them. Style boards may contain images of people that embody characteristics of the affinity group (behaviors, lifestyle), images of artifacts, (possessed, desired or influencing members in the affinity group), and/or images that may describe attributes of the affinity group.

The resulting names/personas/images can serve to create a design language and can also facilitate communication within a product development team.

Style Boards

examples of ways to present personas

•dynamic•athletic•strong•body aware•high energy•performance

•commuter•professional (or at least employed)•safety conscious•green•goal oriented•conscious

•current•tech savvy•trendy•fashion aware•image conscious

•ready made•down to earth•utilitarian•green•anti-corporate•resourceful•thrifty

examples of style/inspiration boards

• Analysis of

examples of style boards

Piero

Claudio