exploratory design research
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EXPLORATORY DESIGN RESEARCH. Interaction 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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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?
[email protected]@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