exploratory design research

EXPLORATORY DESIGN RESEARCHInteraction Design South America 2011

Elizabeth Goodman, University of California, Berkeley

SCHEDULE Introductions The nature of exploratory

research Our project for today Asking initial questions Method 1: “Walking tour” Lunch Discussion Method 2: Probes Method 3: Co-creation Method 4: Games

INTRODUCTIONS What’s your first name? What is your job? What would you like

to learn at this workshop?

ABOUT ME

Community garden studies

Urban exploration interfaces and games

geolocated chatting

User research handbook

Ethnography of interaction design

THE NATURE OF EXPLORATORY DESIGN RESEARCH

What’sresearch?

What’sexploratory?

The researcher uses these methods

not to answer precisely framed questions,

but in order to generate the questions themselves,

in directions he or she does not control:

in order to find the blind spots.

“Mapping the Experiential Context of Product Use”Pieter Jan Stappers, Froukje Sleeswijk Visser, and Ianus Keller

DIMENSIONS of EXPLORATIONinspiration

information

behavior

meaning

“Art”

“Engineering”

DESK RESEARCH

Make things Read a lot Talk to many experts Question assumptions

Photo: Lalo de Almeida for The New York Times

!!!

CLUES TO A GOOD PROJECTJargon/slang

Evocative imagery

Absolutes

Group definition and exclusion

Accusations of insanity or stupidity

“Doing my I’s and O’s”

“That’s not punk rock”

“We never do that here”

“He’s a troll”

Basics of Qualitative Research Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin

Tricks of the TradeHoward Becker

“Skydiving is crazy”

LOOKING FOR RELATIONSHIPSBetween people, places, and objects

From User-Centered to Participatory Design ApproachesElizabeth Sanders, 2002

SayThink

DoUse

KnowFeel

Dream

LOOKING FOR RELATIONSHIPSBetween people, places, and objects

From User-Centered to Participatory Design ApproachesElizabeth Sanders, 2002

SayThink

DoUse

KnowFeel

Dream

SayDoMake

LOOKING FOR RELATIONSHIPSBetween people, places, and objects

“From User-Centered to Participatory Design Approaches”Elizabeth Sanders

SayThink

DoUse

KnowFeel

Dream

SayDoMake

SurveysInterviews

DiariesObservationProbes/games

Co-creation

LOOKING FOR RELATIONSHIPSBetween people, places, and objects

From User-Centered to Participatory Design ApproachesElizabeth Sanders

SayThink

DoUse

KnowFeel

Dream

SayDoMake

SurveysInterviews

DiariesObservationProbes/games

Co-creation

Thoughtless Acts? Observations on Intuitive DesignJane Fulton Suri and IDEO

The key is looking carefully at what people actually do in various situations and asking ourselves questions such as these… Why has someone placed this object here? What are those people doing and why are they grouped like that? Why is it that people apparently avoid being here? Curiosity will reveal meaning behind these nonspectacular interactions that take place around us all the time.

OBSERVATION FRAMEWORKActivities: What are people doing?

Environments: Where is the action happening?

Interactions: What operations are being carried out?

Objects: What things are being put to use?

Users: Which people are involved? “Ethnography in the field of design”Christina Wasson (Doblin)

EXPERIENTIAL ENCOUNTERSTraces

Workarounds

Paths

Feelings

Territories

Goals

Talk

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loxea/4045627675/in/pool-thoughtlessacts

OBSERVATION: TO MAKE/KEEP Notes

Photos/Drawings

Maps

Souvenirs

OBSERVATION Belo Horizonte

Lunch

Pick a spot as a group Inside or outside hotelStay there for at least 15

minutes

• Don’t hide, but try not to stand out – especially if you are taking photographs

• If anyone asks, you’re “doing this for a class assignment”

• If people ask you to leave, move along. • Even if it’s boring – especially if it’s boring —

stay in the place you chose for at least 15 minutes. Ask yourself: why do you think this boring? What’s happening during the “boring parts”?

OBSERVATION Discussion

In your groups, pick 3 of your most interesting or surprising observations. Pick one person to present your 3 observations. You have 10 minutes.

Tell us about them! Each group has 3 minutes.

As other people talk, write down: what PEOPLE, ACTIVITIES, or TOOLS would be interesting to explore further?

OUR PROJECT FOR TODAYImagine that you have been asked to explore tourism in Belo Horizonte in order to design a new product or service. Where would you start?

CULTURAL PROBESEncourage imaginative personal reflection through structured, but playful, activities

Image: Mena Design Research

About CULTURAL PROBES

Photos: J Deruna/Flickr

Making a CULTURAL PROBE

ASK PEOPLE TO IMAGINE possibilities, dreams,

nightmares CONNECT emotions and

memories to places and products

INVITE fantasy, humor, whimsy

ACTIVITIES Photography Drawing Mapping Listing Collecting

Photo: GCBB/Flickr

ON THEIR OWN, USING A KIT YOU GIVE THEM

Stickers MapsPostcardVoice recorder

CULTURAL PROBE Tasks

“Write a letter to your future self about your life now.”

“Put a red dot on things you dislike and take a photo.”

“Tell us about your dreams as soon as you wake up.”

“Draw your path to school. Where do you feel safest?”

“Cultural Probes”Bill Gaver, Tony Dunne, and Elena Pacenti

Photo: J Deruna/Flickr

StickersMaps

PostcardCamera

Postcards Stickers Maps Cameras Voice recorders Card decks… et cetera!

TOOLS FOR CULTURAL PROBESPhoto: GCBB/Flickr

CULTURAL PROBES HOW-TO

1.Design the probe kit2.Give it to people3.Wait for them to return it4.Interpret for inspiration!

PROBES are not DIARIES

CULTURAL PROBE EXERCISE

In your groups, invent 3 activities for a cultural probe of tourism in Belo Horizonte.

– Who is the audience for your probe?

You have 15 minutes.

CULTURAL PROBE DISCUSSION

Each group has 3 minutes to present their ideas, with 3 minutes for group comments.

CULTURAL PROBE TIPS

Embrace personal interpretations

Schedule follow-up interviews to discuss with participants

Promise design inspiration, not informational recommendations

“Cultural Probes and Uncertainty”Bill Gaver, Andrew Boucher, Sarah Pennington, and Brendan Walker.

CO-CREATION with participants

Photos: Felipe Sarmiento

Generative techniques that allow people to tell stories about their experiences using creative play with objects

Activities that involve

non-designers in the design process

What is CO-CREATION?

Diabetes journey map: Gloria Murillo

CO-CREATION TOOLKIT Image collection

different subjects and styles, some more literally related, some more figurative or poetic

Cut-outs of paper, fabric, foam in geometric shapes

Scissors and glue Colored markers

Stickers from Wayne Chung

CO-CREATION PRINCIPLES Prompt discussion about

dreams, fears, beliefs Ask people to express

thoughts and emotions Support creativity

with ambiguous prompts Focus on describing

experiences rather than identifying features

Don’t reward polish or demand artistic skill

ACTIVITIES “Day in the life” Timelines/cycles Autobiographies Spatial maps Mood

boards/collages Sticker-placing Model-making

CO-CREATION EXERCISEMake a timeline of your Belo Horizonte trip thus far.

Then, discuss it with a partner.

CO-CREATION EXERCISE Part 11. Take a sheet from the big pad and draw a

horizontal line across it. This is your journey to BH.

2. Now, take a look at the objects we have given you. Take any of them that seem to represent those steps and start gluing them along the line. You don’t have to use all the shapes – just use what makes sense to you. Use the pens to add any explanations or details that will complete the picture of your journey. Feel free to use the scissors to cut new shapes if you like.

You have 10 minutes.

CO-CREATION EXERCISE Part 21. Ask your partner to explain their journey map

to you. You might ask: – What does each shape mean?– Why did you pick that shape?– What did you learn about your journey in making this

map?… or anything else.

2. After 5 minutes, it will be your partner’s turn to ask questions.

Each person will have 5 minutes to talk.

CO-CREATION TIPSSchedule as a group

workshop or as part of interviews

Using the same people to evaluate prototypes later gives consistency

Can be taken literally,

for information, or as a source of inspiration.

Works well with cultural probes

Spatial map of a kitchen activityFroukje Sleesjwik Visser

BREAK – 15 MINUTES

GAMES and PLAY

WHAT MAKES A GAME?Defined Constraints + Defined Objectives (Points

optional)

Rules of PlayKatie Salen and Eric Zimmerman

Urban transportation roleplaying game by Alideh Ghanpour

Homo LudensJohan Huizinga

Man, Play and GamesRoger Caillois

GAMES are not GAMIFICATION

USING GAMES TO ASK QUESTIONS

PATTERNS What-if Role-playing Buying and selling Matching/

grouping Collecting Races… et cetera

TACTICSMake a new gameUse an existing gameModify a research

activity to make it more game-like

“Participatory Design: The Third Space in HCI”Michael Muller

“Design Games”Donna Spencer

Technique 1 FREELISTINGASKList all the words you can think of that describe…

Take as many photographs as you can of….

Constraints Under __ minutes In teams No points given for

words shared with other teams

Outcome The most items

receives a prize

Technique 2 THE MAGIC IFAskWhat would your day be like if…

How would you respond if…

Where would your life improve if…

Constraints Reversal of the usual Exaggeration of what

exists now Absence of something

you expect Presence of

something new

Technique 3 ROLEPLAY (Bodystorm)

TryAct out an activity that relates to your topic, using everyday objects as props.

How does your body feel? Where do you encounter an obstacle? What causes the obstacle? Consider how you could change the situation to remove it.

Constraints Under __ minutes In teams

Outcome Empathize with

potential users. Identify appropriate

sites for intervention.

Generate ideas for new interactions.

Technique 4 REFRAMINGAskMake a superhero for the situation. What are his/her special powers? Design the costume.

Pitch a TV show about the lives of the people you’re interested in. Is it a comedy? A drama? Give it a name and describe the major characters.

Constraints Under __ minutes In teams

Outcome Present the stories

to the group People vote for the

best idea

ACTING OUT Part 1Pick an activity relevant to tourism. Choose people to act out all the roles in the situation.

– If there are more people than roles, replay the scene with other people in the same roles. – If you need a prop, make one out of paper or use an available object as a substitute.

Choose one person to act as the note-taker.

ACTING OUT Part 2Now, act it out! Move your body as the people in the situation move, and say what you remember them saying. If you feel a problem, obstacle, or moment of joy in the role you are playing, say “FREEZE!” and tell the note-taker about it. Then keep going.

If you have time, try to solve the problems that you discovered while acting. You have 15 minutes to play.

EXPLORATORYANALYSISASK Where were/are the

blind spots in your approach?

What would change this situation for the better?

What other situations are relevant to this research?

Where are the digital tools? Do you care?

What other questions do you have now?

TOOLS WRITE Thick/rich description of

action IDENTIFY recurring problems

and responses MAP Cycles of activity Presence/absence FOLLOW linear processes,

growth LIST Ecologies of tools

METHODS SUMMARY

CONTACT WITH NON-DESIGNERS

QUESTIONING ASSUMPTIONS

PRODUCES DESIGN CONCEPTS

DESK RESEARCH NO SOMETIMES NO

OBSERVATION NO SOMETIMES NOCULTURAL PROBES YES YES SOMETIMES

CO-CREATION YES YES SOMETIMES

GAMES SOMETIMES YES SOMETIMES

FINAL DISCUSSIONIs there anything you’d like to

talk more about?Anything that I didn’t mention? Any thoughts you’d like to

share?

THANKS!More questions and comments?

egoodman@ischool.berkeley.edu@egoodman, +egoodmanwww.confectious.net

A complete list of references is at the end of this presentation. The presentation is available (for workshop members only, please) at: www.confectious.net/ixda-sa/exploratory-design-workshop.pptx

PROMPTS

PROMPTS

AEIOU HANDOUT

DESK RESEARCH SOURCES

Flickr memes: “Day in the Life”; “What’s in your bag”

Forums and blogs Read academic papers from the ACM:

portal.acm.org Non-fiction books, of course Textbooks and educational materials Memoirs and oral histories

REFERENCES Asking Questions

Tricks of the TradeHoward Becker

Basics of Qualitative ResearchAnselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin

REFERENCES Observation

Ethnography in the field of design. Christina Wasson Participant ObservationJames P Spradley

IDEO Thoughtless Acts Flickr Pool

REFERENCES Co-creation

Understanding anyone’s social network in 60 minutesPaul Adams

MaketoolsElizabeth Sanders

ID-StudioLab Delftinformation and many helpful publications

“Participatory Design: The Third Space in HCI”Michael Muller

REFERENCES Cultural probes

“Cultural Probes” Bill Gaver, Tony Dunne, and Elena Pacenti

“Cultural Probes and the value of uncertainty.”Bill Gaver, Andy Boucher, Sarah Pennington, and Brendan Walker

Flickr Design probes group

REFERENCES Games

Man, Play and GamesRoger Caillois

Homo LudensJohan Huizinga

40 Social Mechanics for Social GamesRaph Koster

“Participatory Design: The Third Space in HCI”Michael Muller

Rules of PlayKatie Salen and Eric Zimmerman

“Design Games”Donna Spencer