Research and Design Methods

Michael Hawley Megan Grocki Adam Connor

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Infusing Research Into Design

Analysis Paralysis

Loudest Customer Complaint Syndrome

Too Many Ideas

Stuck in a Creative Rut

Uniting a Team Around a Common Vision

Finding Budget For Research

Too Many Cooks In the Kitchen

Decision by Committee

Agreeing on Design Decisions

The Swoop and Poop

The CEO iPad Christmas Gift Effect

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Design Studio

Experience Visioning

Research

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Why Research?

@hawleymichael

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Why Research? Design is Decision Making Copy Trends

Experiment, Learn and Adjust

Intuition or Preferences

Informed by Research

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When All Else Fails, Do It Anyway

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Research Buzz Word Bingo

Affinity Diagraming

Desirability Studies

Laddering Likert Scales Tree Testing

Card Sorting Eyetracking Rapid Iterative

Testing A//B Testing Field Studies

Contextual Inquiry

Heuristic Reviews

Site Surveys First-click

testing Mental Models

Repertory Grid Focus Groups Intercepts Galvanic Skin

Response Collaging

Diary Studies Task Analysis Unmoderated

Testing Customer

Feedback Panels Cultural Probes

Design Ethnography

Triading Mood Maps 5-Second Test Web Analytics

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Step 1: What Question You Are Answering?

Concept Business Task/Workflow Usability User

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Step 2: What Data Source Do You Have?

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/user-research-methods.html

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Step 3: Where Are You In the Design Process?

Strategy and Inspiration Optimization and Refinement Benchmarking and Assessment

Research Goal

Early feasibility, thinking about walking in the user’s shoes

Still looking for opportunities, but also narrowing down scope, looking for improvements to structure, and minimizing risk

Measuring design against prior versions and competition. Validating ROI or identifying future opportunities.

Methods Ethnography, contextual inquiry, diary studies, surveys, comparative studies, participatory activities

Card sorting, online usability testing, surveys, desirability studies, naming studies

A/B testing, SUMMI and SUS, vertical benchmarking, ongoing user community commentary

Interactive Assessment

Low-fidelity artifact testing, exploratory, looking for reactions

Mid-fidelity artifact testing, pre-defined tasks, still plenty of moderator interaction. Iterative if possible.

High-fidelity usability testing, strict set of tasks, statistical considerations for post-task ad post-test questionnaires.

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ê  Agile Versus Waterfall

ê  Innovation versus Refinement/Improvement

ê Marketing vs. Transactional vs. Informational Experiences

ê  Skepticism of User-Centered Design

ê  Stakeholder Influence

ê  Team Member Engagement and Observation

ê  Time & Budget

ê  Access to Participants

Don’t Forget: Business Realities

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User-Centered Design

Research Inspired Design

“Genius” Design

Research Approach

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Design Studio

Experience Visioning

Research

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ICE BREAKING What do we do with the research?

ê  Personas include a narrative, but sometimes we need more detail than a snapshot can show

ê  Journey models help us write and illustrate a story of interactions and relationships

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ICE BREAKING Bringing the audience to life

ê  Paradigm shift from systems of transaction to systems of engagement

ê  It’s easy to get lost in data, but we can’t forget about the human elements

span numerous channels.

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ICE BREAKING What is a journey model?

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ICE BREAKING What is a journey model?

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ICE BREAKING What is a journey model?

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ICE BREAKING What is a journey model?

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ICE BREAKING

Source: Andrea Resmini & Dan Willis

ê  How it could be (happy path)

ê  How it really is (more realistic path)

Potential vs. Reality

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ICE BREAKING How are journey models used?

ê  Create strategic vision prior to detailed design

ê  Build consensus with stakeholders, showing opportunities across the ecosystem

ê  Identify key interactions to prototype and test

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ICE BREAKING How do you make a journey model?

ê  Identify the patients or users

ê  Craft realistic scenarios

ê  Develop the best template type

ê  Review research & fill gaps

ê  Create the journey map or model

ê  Share and iterate (ongoing)

ê  Don’t forget to use them!

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ICE BREAKING What do you include in a journey?

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ê  Goals

ê  Timeline

ê  Emotions

ê  Touch Points

ê  Actions

ê  Opportunities

ê  Perceptions

ê  Motives

ê  Expectations

ê  Audio

ê  Video

Photo: Alinea Restaurant

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ICE BREAKING Telling the story and keeping the journey alive

ê  Shout from the rooftops!

ê  Display prominently in common work areas

ê  Invite the personas and their journey models to meetings

ê  When new research is done, update the journey model

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Photo: Daniel A. Norman

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Design Studio

Experience Visioning

Research

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Synthesize

Create / Refine

Observe / Evaluate

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Synthesize

Create / Refine

Observe / Evaluate

Solution Solution Solution

Solution

Solution Solution

Solution

Solution Solution

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ê  Getting consensus from stakeholders and team members on which concepts to eliminate, which should be refined and eventually choosing one, can take a very long time

ê  Never enough time and money to fully flesh out and evaluate every idea with users

ê  As projects progress, new requirements and constraints often emerge

Challenges…

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Design Studio = +

Synthesize

Create / Refine

Observe / Evaluate Solution Solution

Solution

Solution

Solution Solution Solution

Solution Solution

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Sketch Present Critique

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Sketch Present Critique

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Sketch Present Critique

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Sketch Present Critique

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The Setup

http://www.john.do/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mouse-trap-1.jpg

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ê  Personas

ê  Scenarios

ê  Business Goals

ê  Design Principles

Materials

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ê  A timer

ê  Paper

ê  Black markers

ê  Tape/drafting dots

ê  Butcher paper (optional)

ê  Red & green markers (optional)

More Materials

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Sketch, Present, Critique

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ê  Focus on how/why a design does or doesn’t satisfy a goal or user need.

ê  Ask questions when necessary.

ê  Presenters should clarify aspects of their design when necessary, and avoid getting defensive.

ê  Don’t get stuck on avoiding “I like...” and “I don’t like…”. Just bring it back to the scenario, personas and goals

ê  Avoid problem solving.

Notes on Critique

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2 more rounds

ê  Individuals focus on a single solution (of their choosing)

ê  Groups collaborate and define a single solution together

And now back to sketching…

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The Aftermath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bPNyK7XTy6o

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ê  Good ideas can come from anywhere

ê  Builds a shared understanding of the problem space and the different perspectives individual team members have of it

ê  Speeds up the design timeline in a project

ê  Builds a shared sense of ownership and collaboration in the creation of the solution

ê  Gives non-designers an opportunity to understand the ramifications that various decisions have on aspects of the design

Additional Benefits…

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