Lecture notes:
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DESIGN RESEARCH: ( lecture. first day of class):
design research,
.justify your approach because of research
.research is not to be substituted for own personal judgement
.helps broaden ideas: and design projects.
ETHNOGRAPHY:
social scientists who look at current human behavior:
study of people,
anthropology + scienc
observer, analyze, theorize, publish
qualitative (subjective) vs. quantitative (...?)
:
a designer must use the research to make sure that they can find the best way to effectively communicate to their audience - through factual knowledge
WHO:
the designer communicates to/for the audience:
-audience observes, USER interacts with design, and participant interacts and gives feedback (offer a co-creation with diesigner).
-sub-cultures: no one design fits all. research offers diversity and accuracy = effective design. (an interpretive commnunity that shares characteristics (ie values, identity, commitment, perpose for being in subculture, what is their goal, their philosophy, communication mode, verbal language, Visual language, style, shares preferred media, etc)
-practitioner titles: there are different titles for dif designers who focus on certain things (ie...?) but really if you consider this DESIGN RESEARCH you should cover all of that.
- collaborative
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1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES (note: be prepared when you go to do real research - plan).
choose one of these***:
-Observe: shadow (see and not have to interact and so you get an honest example of what they do), behavioral mapping, guided tour, gain trust, still photo survey (offers visual, photographic evidence), artifact mining (take a personal inventory of stuff - see all the things that are important in their environment).
-Question:
}interview (***required) - be prepared with questions - a script
}survey + questionnaires - avoid questions that end with yes or no. get a story. record with notes (or video or audio). get time.
}why? + what if?
give a leave behind. carefully designed. contact info.
-Prompt: (choose one***)
}camera journals - photo ethnogrophy: ask them to do the photo. describe and write in a journal - they document the journal for you - so you get more perspective. so DESIGN A JOURNAL for them.
}drawing/maping prompt - get them to visualize through mapping their stuff. ask them to draw their own inventory.
}collage - ask them to make a collage. words, or images. thrown together. then ask them to explain. (notes).
}culture probes: self contained kit. ie a game or a map - to look for connections - open ended.
-Supplement:
}secondary research. look at already published research. (as appose to the primary research above^)
}properly cited.
get started on the probes today.
(remember examples)
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-ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
personas - insightful understanding of a subculture. - summarize the subculture. a profile that includes visual and textual information that describes the person and their roles. something that designers use to guide their design interventions. especially useful in interactive and product design.
}picture, name, quote, tagline
}goals
}basic demographies/ ergonomicts (age range, status, etc)
}expert+ novice:
-not a real person (hypothetical). - YOU NEED ONE OF EACH ***
visual/verbal audit - get a verbal and visual idea of their environment.
}physical manifestations: where do they live. what music do they like, visual symbols, style.
}graphic landscape.
}media channels - THIS WILL EFFECT YOUR CHANNEL
}language - learn to speak their language. get as close as you can. pay attention to HOW THEY TALK. how they ask and answer questions. are they emotional people, happy sad,
}coded references - there is terminology that are in subcultures that other people might get. visual and verbal codes.
ask analysis- understand points of intervention. map out tasks (get desicion points) (or experience diagram)
} diagram descriptor - map out decision points of your subject, critcal moments, problems, (so that you can solve that obstacle as a designer, AND: players - points of interaction, obstacles.
affinity diagram - look at values.
}values, goals, needs - motinvatoins. - think communication models.
}cluster concepts - gruoping things that go together, (Visually. pam out how the subculture work togehter becasue of common intereest.
}overlapping social concerns - identify ANY overlapping broad concerns that identify with the subculture.
...sometimes people dont know what they need.
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do the 3 readings. short.
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The intro of the first passage that we were to read talks about the importance of current design. It use to be easier for designers and the commercial world when there were fewer outlets and a more basic philosophy in regards to selling an idea or product to a wide audience. Over the more recent decades, a great number of diverse subcultures have emerged, and the all have their own specific demands. Therefore the current designer must be prepared to cater to whomever and whatever, wherever. That's why a designer must now be very savvy on their design research methodologies.
qualitative design research is a concentration on a targeted audience. A designer must consider all aspects of the audience to which he wants to sell an idea — their life style, personal preferences, methods of communication, etc. These things are learned by listening and observing the audience. Primary research is the key. Surprisingly this is a fairly new practice in graphic design — according to C. Ireland. He was one of the pioneers of this new design research methodology (around the '80s). He found that acquiring more specific information about the audience and what their expectations and preferences were for something were more valuable than the preferences of theoretical assumptions of the professional world. The researcher became part of the production team.
I'ts interesting to note that in the development process, the researcher would break away from simply discussing topics with the audience, and actually would have them create more artistic (and expressive) images, movies or musical pieces that would offer more insight.
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Ethnography could be seen as a sub-category of anthropology. It is a tool that has proved very useful to design. It is through ethnography that the designer is able to understand that design artifacts derive their meaning from the multiple ways people consumer and integrate those artifacts through interaction. The designer must design through the eyes and mind of his audience — thus making for a methodology that creates successful and effective design. We saw such committed methodologies first with anthropologist who even spent time living with indigenous people simply to get an accurate understanding of their culture. As scientists, anthropologists must have clear, scientific ways of conveying the information that they have acquired. Designers must also follow a similar methodology. Looking back in design history, such methodologies have been touched on even by the constructivist philosophies of the Bauhaus (Germany) and the Kunstgewerbeshule (Switzerland) which had begun to look at social and scientific based design.
The design research methodologies varied according to their originators. Written word was not good enough for conveying research — visual data and data conveyed by the subject also became important to anthropologists and contemporary designers. Later, research would be acquired by newer methodologies that utilized newer technology such as video and audio interviews, and online participation with the subject audience.
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"Designing for Interaction: Design Research (Dan Saffer)
Saffer's analogy of the zoo is a good one I think. It brings to light the dependency of Design on research. Despite that, Safer points out that not everyone appreciates the benefit of design research.
Saffer says, "It behooves designers to understand the emotional, cultural, and aesthetic context that the product or service will exist in. Only through research can designers find out". One does this through the fairly well established practice of design research. Laurel supports this statement: "
When users are invited in throughout the design process for research purposes (to help generate ideas, discuss concepts, and test prototypes), it is often called participatory design (PD)."
Design research is mostly qualitative as appose to quantitative. Qualitative design seems to be focused more on subjective aspects. It is,"is (arguably) more subjective, based on smaller, targeted sample sizes, and is concerned more withhow and why questions". (Saffer).
Designers often use their instincts on smaller projects, but are (or should be) required to do proper deisgn research on big projects where the stakes are high if the production of a product proves to be in any way defective due to any oversight.
Design research may easily change the perspective even of a designer who is an 'intuitive genius'. There are too many things to be overseen. spending any amount of time with a person and getting their insight is invaluable. Discussion can often lead to unexpected inspiration.
I find this passage heartening. Especially the bold sentences:
"Full-blown ideas for great, innovative products do not come from research subjects. The designer need not fear that engaging in research means that one is the slave of their findings. Design research includes the careful analysis of findings, turning them this way and that, looking for patterns. At the end of the day, well-designed research findings can spark the imagination of the designer with outcomes that could not have been dreamt of by either the research subjects or even the designer herself. Good design research functions as a springboard for the designer's creativity and values."
It is important when researching that the designer discount any biases that may interfere with the accuracy of the research.
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HOW TO RESEARCH: (pg. 3)
Find your audience. Talk to them getting as much research, and record (write, record) and acquire as much data as possible. Secondary research is also important.
It is important to go to not rely on focus groups which give artificial and often unreliable results. The designer must go to the subject. your own primary research is important. It is also important to have a written record of you findings as well as some secondary method of recording. the more the better.
Ethically speaking, a researcher should respect the privacy and preferences of their subject. Gaining their trust will be beneficial to your research because the subject will be more comfortable and free with you.
When in whatever environment when researching, the designer must be able to not be distracted and focus on important aspects of their subject — namely, specific activities, the environment where activities take place, and the interactions among people that take place during activities.
Finding patterns (ie patterns of behavior, patterns in stories, patterns of responses to a question—any action or idea that keeps recurring) is important. When patterns have been discovered, then you can be sure that you are getting good research results.
When recording it is best to always have data in written form. Other ways of recording such as video recordings are good but should not be relied on. One should be as inconspicuous as possible.
Getting key phrases, and quotes is a good. Also, Sketches of the location, annotated with comments and detail, and the history, steps, and context of any activities.
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The designer should always have a different piece of paper on which he can put separate ideas. All data accrued should be on a professional level as the information may be shared with colleges.
