audience research methods

kelly ludwig, assistant professor kcai graphic design department

audience research methods

1. Examine (setting goals)

2. Understand (researching)

1. gather information

2. interpret information

3. Ideate (prototyping)

4. Experiment (testing)

5. Distill (implementing)

design process

• Conduct audience research • Understand your research • Go deeper and find patterns

• Establish open questions to build on • This is the analytical phase

02 Understand

“We tend to project our own rationalizations & beliefs onto the actions & beliefs of others.” — Don Norman, cognitive psychologist and author of The Design of Everyday Things

Combat the desire to design for ourselves (or the client) rather than designing for the target audience

• How do designers operate in a world of perpetual change?

• What is the relationship between future speculation and today’s very real, very immediate challenges?

• And how might such conditions generate new practices in design?

design research > purpose

design research

The process is both iterative and cyclical • Solutions are proposed based on observable phenomena

related to the problem • then a design solution is agreed upon,

• followed by a prototype • then tested against the target audience

design research cycles

environment design/research knowledge base

people

organizational systems

technical systems

problems & opportunities

design products & design processes

relevance cycle building research

build design artifacts & processes

evaluate

design cycle between building design artifacts & building and evaluating research

scientific theories & methods

experience & expertise

rigor cycle evaluating research

After you have set your goals, the first step is found in the understanding/research phase. you then move into the ideate/prototyping phase, and you will be taking those prototypes back into the environment for more experimenting/testing. Once you bounce back and forth between research, prototyping and testing, you will distill and implement

3 stages of design research

• pre-design: evaluating the existing design or lack thereof.

• during-design: testing in-progress design with viewers. • post-design: validates the effectiveness of a final design.

Investigative techniques are used to add context and insight to the process • User research: done before or during the design phase

• Attempts to answer questions such as: “who will use this design” and “how does this concept work in the context of our audience’s needs”?

• User testing: after the initial design phase • “How effective is this design?”

design research

quantitative

Quantitative design research: building statistically significant data from a large pool (usually 100 or more people) • good for establishing large-scale

trends for simple issues (ex: 54% of people prefer chocolate)

• surveys (non-experimental design)

qualitative

Qualitative design research: learning about the audience by listening, watching or experiencing their lives firsthand. • allows designers to connect with

individuals and addresses needs in a more direct way • narratives • ethnographies • case studies

primary

Primary design research: collecting data that does not yet exist; creating new knowledge • the researcher is making direct

contact with subjects, or directly interacting with the subject matter

secondary

Secondary design research: collecting and synthesizing other people’s research • this includes any reading or

watching you may do ... internet or library

malleability

Design research is full of unanswered questions • How many people should we interview before we can

conclude their collective needs? • What kind of research should we conduct? • Should it be qualitative or quantitative?

No one approach is right or wrong

design research > analysis

The design team is responsible for the analysis of research • Analysis turns collected data during research into

actionable information • Personas • Mental models • Storyboards, etc.

research / design process

1. Gather information

2. Interpret information

3. Design connecting

• Enter the ideation/rapid prototyping phase

gather information

Identify potential users (ideally done during user research) • Recruit potential users • Create test guidelines • Schedule test sessions with potential users • Administer the test • Analyze the results

how is audience research done?

some info gathering tools

camera

note-taking

video camera

voice recorder

research methods

Several research methods can provide data upon which we can build user archetypes, including: • surveys • ethnographic research • interviews

surveys

• A combination of quantitative and qualitative data, depending on how we structure the questions.

• Their purpose is usually to generate a relatively large data set in an efficient manner.

• Survey responses can also be effectively meaningless—for example, when a respondent doesn't understand a question

ethnography = observation

A research approach that produces a detailed, in-depth observation of • people’s behavior • beliefs • customs and preferences by observing and interacting

with them in a natural environment

We get to see what people actually do, rather than what they say they do

ethnography = observation

The primary method of gathering qualitative information on an audience, and is primary research • researchers look at the actions and behaviors of

participants • they interpret what they see rather then asking

participants

“Ethnographic studies provide an excellent source of real insights into the audience for a product or service we’re designing.”

ethnography is human-centered

“Human-centered design research is a way of looking at a population with the intention of making a positive impact and addressing the needs expressed by that population.”

(from blux.la website)

what does ethnography look like?

• Watching, listening, talking

• Photos, notes, interviews, questionnaires

case study — art center “tween” research

• art center’s graduate-level “tweens” research

case study — art center “tween” research

In 2004, the media design program at Art Center College of Design was sponsored by HP to conduct research of tweens (11-14) in relation to technology, personal agency and engagement. The course focuses on the importance of conducting research as designers.

The focus was on the ability for media designers to bring unique insight into the different aspects of the world through design. Designers see the world differently and can communicate their ideas through visual representation. This enables us to capture and convey the emotional aspects of research, which are often difficult to glean when reading a more traditional type of research report.

Students were asked to photograph their rooms, inside their bags, friends, family and anything else important to them so researchers could learn more about them from their point of view

qualitative & narrative

case study — art center “tween” research

Designers then compiled research photos into a larger portrait of the subjects

The interview format allows some flexibility for researchers to explore ideas and motivations that are not accessible to an observer • asking potential or current audience members a series of

open or closed questions sits partway between surveys and ethnographic studies

• interviews are a good method for gaining insights into users’ opinions, thoughts, and ideas

interviews

non-directed interviews

Simply set up some rough guidelines and talk with your audience

• ask open-ended questions, avoid yes or no answers • frame questions that focus on experiences • be non-judgmental

survey

A word exercise with tweens. • circle words that describe

the future (blue) • circle words that describe

your future (red) • circle words that describe

your ability to influence your future (green)

• mark the most meaningful word in each color (black)

survey

A word exercise with tweens. • circle words that describe

the future (blue) • circle words that describe

your future (red) • circle words that describe

your ability to influence your future (green)

contextual inquiry

Observing what people do as they go about their day (not what they say they do)

boy’s sample bedroom

questionnaires

Invite people to say • Who they are • What they do • Where they go, etc

thoughts on interviewing

• Prepare beforehand • It’s not a dialogue, it’s about the interviewee • Ask open-ended questions (no “yes/no” questions) • Start with easy questions (background info, etc.) • Allow time to respond. silence is okay • Be ready to ask follow-up questions • Ask if there is anything else they’d like to add

interpret information

some interpretation tools

1. Audience persona(s)

2. Scenarios/storyboards

3. Reality maps/journey maps

4. Mental models

5. Influence maps

6. Infographics

Personas are fictional characters that represent patterns and clusters of traits based on real people • they are characters that embody the ideas of who the

audience is, including values, concerns, desires, priorities, preferences

personas

personas

Personas help designers: • determine what a product should do and how it should

behave. • communicate with stakeholders, developers, and other

designers. • build consensus and commitment to the design. • measure the design’s effectiveness. • contribute to other product-related efforts such as

marketing and sales plans.

personas

it is important to recognize that any audience is diverse and all people are unique individuals.

persona with technology layer

personas

psychological layer aspirational layer social layer

psychological layer aspirational layer social layer

personas

more in-depth research projects will build multiple personas to reflect more finely-tuned audience categories

social layer

social layer

personas

psychological layer technology layer aspirational layer

psychological layer, technology layer, aspirational layer

Scenarios are detailed illustrations of moments and activities that engages the audience.

scenarios/storyboards

Multiple moments can be combined together to form a meaningful narrative of what the audience member might experience in daily life.

Visualizations of the steps or stages of a significant experience for a person with additional details for each step.

• examples of experiences might be going to college, traveling for business, or having a child.

Reality/journey maps may include more discrete activities, locations, channels and emotions for each of the stages.

reality maps/journey maps

reality maps/journey maps

Realities are a distillation of research findings that map the key issues that define the audience’s lives.

They provide a conceptual framework thinking about the audience members .

reality maps/journey maps

Mental models are visualizations of task analysis. • they allow teams to align existing features, functions and

content with user activity. • because of the depth and detail of analysis, carefully

consider the commitment required to successfully create a full mental model.

• it can be very powerful, but often comes at a high cost in effort and expertise.

mental models

mental models

Simply put they are the models people have of themselves, others, their environment and the things that they interact with.

Indi Young’s Mental Models, published by Rosenfeld Media

Influence maps help to visualize who and what is impacting and shaping an audience member and in what ways

In most institutional change, there’s usually a handful of relationships that play a disproportionately large role in bringing those changes about.

influence maps

These particular influences are from more art center design research; this time into 6-year-old boys.

That’s part of the reason it’s hard to truly separate institutional change from personal change. Finding the key influencers will aid your project immensely. It can be a community leader in position or just on the block.

influence maps

influence maps

influence maps

influence maps

Infographics are detailed visual pictures that describe your findings. • they may be idea- or data-driven.

• idea-drive infographics use pictures to describe ideas like concepts, stories, processes and relationships.

• data-driven infographics visualize quantitative information.

ideas and data can be combined in the same infographic.

infographics

infographics

• Data-rich visualization of a story or thesis

• Tool to educate and inform • Build brand/cause awareness

20% is remembered after reading text

90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual 200% more images are liked on Facebook over text 87% read text on an infographic

First presentation: design concepting

1. Research summary & statement

2. Problem statement or question

3. Audience definition and characteristics

4. What social behavior you want to change

5. How will you measure the results of that change?

Include

relevant imagery

Include as much relevant imagery as possible and relevant. You are visual people, so make your presentation reflect that. Each group, will have 5 minutes to present, and will have up to ten minutes for feedback (15 minutes total).

(Here is a good example of a project proposal http://jjohnsrud.blogspot.com/2011/10/ivanhoe-project-proposal.html)

1. research summary

Fairly obvious - summarize the research that lead to your problem statement

2. problem statement or question

This is a concise statement of the issue you have researched and determined to be a problem.

It may be phrased as a statement of fact -- “too many teens are being bullied in the classroom”, or it may be phrased as a question to explore through your creative process -- “how can creative problem solving help eliminate bullying in the classroom?”

Either approach is acceptable.

3. audience definition & characteristics

• Include basic demographic info such as age range, ethnicity, etc, as is relevant to your issue.

• More importantly, include qualitative information that explains the “whys” and “hows” behind your issue.

• Ideally this is gleaned from your initial interviews and audience observations.

3. audience definition & characteristics

Explain their relationship to the problem, mentioning where they fall on the receptivity gradient as well as specific input you have received from your audience contacts. 

A few examples:

• the audience is apathetic (not ready to know) to the issue and distracted by xyz;

• the audience is interested (ready to know) in the issue but does not have the time to get involved.

4. what social behavior do you want to change?

Be as specific as possible here, framing it in terms of behavior and not in graphic design artifacts.

Example: “I want to eliminate bullying in the classroom by making potential bullies realize the emotional damage they inflict on others.”

idea receptivity gradient by David Rose

not ready to know

ready to know knows facts accepts ideas acts on the opinion

becomes anadvocate forthe cause

Moving audiences forward relies on utilizing appropriate rhetorical strategies that properly position the artifact or issue in the mind of the viewer.

Both the message content/structure and the rhetorical positioning of the message – how one says what they say – may change based on audience receptivity.

It is likely that multiple intersections of audience and message need to occur before there will be any change in behavior.

5. how will you measure the results?

List any ideas you have for how to evaluate the effectiveness of your creative work. How will we be able to tell your project did what you intended? Again, be as specific as possible.

Example: “at Westport High School 9th grade classes, the number of bullying incidents will decrease, as opposed to the increases from previous years.”

deliverables

Presentation • 5 minutes with 10 minutes for discussion • Keynote presentation (with presenter notes) posted to

your blog • Any printed materials used in your presentation turned

into me after the presentation.

• “Tweens: technology, personal agency, engagement” by media design program, Art Center College of Design. Faculty — Dr. Brenda Laurel, Lisa Nugent, Anne Burdick — http://www.designmattersatartcenter.org/projects/

• Complete Beginners Guide to Design Research — http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/complete-beginners-guide-to-design-research/

• Communicating Design — http://howtomakelightning.com/communicating-design

• A Three Cycle View of Design Research — http://community.mis.temple.edu/seminars/files/2009/10/hevner-sjis.pdf

• Mental Models by Indi Young http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-models/

sources