the firma model

The Firma ModelSociomedia UXSF 2015 Summer by J Hobbs

eBoy (Shop.eboy.com)

http://robotechmacross.wikia.com/wiki/Robotech_(Macross)_Wiki

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/

MechWarrior:_The_BattleTech_Role_Playing_Game

http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/cruise/detail/029/index.html

http://where-is-frank.blogspot.hk/2013/06/lost-in-translation.html

http://betterologist.net/departures-score-1-against-sappy-emotionalism

Studio Ghibli - http://www.superbwallpapers.com/anime/studio-ghibli-characters-36913/

Murakami - http://flavorwire.com/newswire/haruki-murakami-to-

start-an-advice-column

http://www.roughguides.com/best-places/2015/top-10-cities/

http://travel.aarp.org/destinations/south-africa/johannesburg/

http://lonandsusan.blogspot.hk/2011/12/jacaranda-trees-are-beautiful-and-cover.html

http://mostbeautifulplacesintheworld.org/?p=3676

http://livemag.co.za/featured/style-diary-run-jhb/

http://anthonybila.tumblr.com/page/55

http://sartists.blogspot.hk/2012/09/johannesburg-street-style.html

Photo by Tegan Bristow

The need for a new information architecture

Information is all around us, in both physical and digital domains.

However the entry into the information age, and more importantly the information economy, has meant that what was previously hidden or in the background has become foregrounded.

And the world in general (not just business) is struggling to come to terms with this.

This is how I try explain it:

Pierre Bourdieu

Habitus…[the] lifestyle, the values, the dispositions and expectation of particular social groups that are acquired through the activities and experiences of everyday life…the habitus could be understood as a structure of the mind characterized by a set of acquired schemata, sensibilities, dispositions and taste. The particular contents of the habitus are a complex result of embodying social structures—such as the gender, race, and class discrimination […] - that are then reproduced through tastes, preferences, and actions for future embodiment…

Science, religion, history… all these contain the hidden information architectures of the Habitus.

Information architectures in the Habitus:

• Emerge as self-organising systems • Orient around areas of knowledge (or topics) • Provide nodes for exchange and the interpretation of information • Develop identity over time and facilitate shared practice and

collective learning • Develop bodies of knowledge and associated storage for this

knowledge over time • Apply social means of validating new knowledge for inclusion • Contain values important to the community • Intersect with other adjacent information architectures

http://picshype.com/quantum-physics-background-images

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/507850277529845760

And perhaps most importantly, they present themselves, when well established, as ‘reality’.

Three important points relate to our discussion today:

1. We understand these information architectures semantically2. We live in a time where these information architectures

interlock with adjacent architectures3. Such that we are presented by a world of fractured semantics

And businesses have their own information architectures that interlock with other architectures

Lastly,

When change, driven from shifts in the use of information effect our world, we tend to be unprepared.

Owusu-Ankomah (http://www.theroot.com/photos/2011/07/london_african_art_scene_photos.html)

Unless you have a trained eye, its very hard to see this stuff.

And therefore it’s hard to understand what’s going on, how to respond to change and how to make choices.

What does this mean for design?

USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN OR

USER CENTERED DESIGN

USER CENTERED DESIGNOR

HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN

DT SD UX

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Susan Sontag (http://www.jameslomax.com/words/399/susan-sontag)

Annie Liebowitz (https://heseesfashion.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/annie-leibovitz/)

You will get the answers you want from the questions you ask.

DT SD UX

How do people make payments

online?

DT SD UX

How do people make payments?


online?

DT SD UX

How (and why) do people bank?

How do people make payments?


online?

…because users don’t make the distinctions between digital and non

(and many others things) in the way that we do.

ASSUMPTIVE DESIGN

The limits to HCD

Complexity arises when we adopt a humanistic approach (that situates design problems in society) and when we start to remove assumption.

This complexity is an important challenge to address in contemporary design practice.

We lack

…tools to assist in initial problem framing

We lack

…tools to assist in initial problem framing…‘big picture’ models that appreciate unexpected stakeholders

We lack

…tools to assist in initial problem framing…‘big picture’ models that appreciate unexpected stakeholders…tools for a broad critique of design

We lack

…tools to assist in initial problem framing…‘big picture’ models that appreciate unexpected stakeholders…tools for a broad critique of design…and models to assist in tracing design solutions back to problem framing

Without models to assist us with this complexity we are at risk.

1. A faulty framing will result in a faulty solution2. This can result in lengthy, and costly iteration, as we stumble

blindly for the solution3. HCD (and UCD) emphasise the user, the business and the

context of use however other stakeholders exist that can impact framings and solutions

4. Critique without a broad view, suffers the same challenges as the previous points

RESEARCH IDEATION PROTOTYPING

RESEARCH IDEATION PROTOTYPING

A MODEL FOR RESEARCH A MODEL FOR CHANGE A MODEL FOR CRITIQUE

The Firma Model: A meta-framework

Common areas of exploration:

The userThe businessThe marketplaceThe context of use (environment)

Foreground

Middle ground

Background

The userThe businessThe marketplace

Context of use (environment)

Areas of concern

Areas of concern

Immediate areas of concernContextual areas of concern

Paradigmatic areas of concern

Areas of concern

Immediate areas of concernThe organisation, users, the marketplace and legacy

Contextual areas of concernThe environment (physical and technological) and society

Paradigmatic areas of concernEconomy, politics, culture and history

The userThe businessThe marketplaceLegacy

EnvironmentSociety

PoliticsEconomicsCultureHistory

IMMEDIATE AREAS OF CONCERN

CONTEXTUAL AREAS OF CONCERN

PARADIGMATIC AREAS OF CONCERN

TOP DOWN INFLUENCE

WHERE IMMEDIATE AND PARADIGMATIC FACTORS PLAY OUT I.E. IN THE SPACES WHERE SOCIETY EXISTS

BOTTOM UP INFLUENCE

USERS, ORGANISATION, MARKETPLACE,

LEGACY

ENVIRONMENT &

SOCIETY

POLITICS, ECONOMICS, CULTURE& HISTORY


LEGACY

ENVIRONMENT &

SOCIETY


IMMEDIATE CONCERNS

CONTEXTUALCONCERNS

PARADIGMATIC CONCERNS

}


LEGACY

ENVIRONMENT &

SOCIETY


NARROW AND DEEP INFLUENCE

MEDIUM INFLUENCE

BROAD AND SHALLOW INFLUENCE

The model for research

The model for research

This provides the information architecture of

the problem-ecology:

- Build a relational logic between factors to

‘tell the story’ of the problem

- Acknowledges assumption

- We look for paradox, conflict and

contradiction

The model for strategy

The model for strategy

This provides the information architecture of

the solution-ecology:

- Why is the problem a problem? And for

whom?

- It is the ‘theory for change’

- It is synthetic, not analytical in nature

- It provides the framing for ideation

The model for critique

The model for critique

- Knowing which areas are of concern focuses

where we should look for impact

- Conventional methods for assessing impact

and measuring change can be used in

conjunction

- We seek UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

It provides traceability, sustainability and accountability

Thank you

www.firma-design.com

Artist: Marc Erusmas

the firma model

Design