Designing Interactions / Experiences: Lecture #02

por Itamar Medeiros
@designative
http://www.linkedin.com/in/designative
Designing Interactions 2013-2:
DISCOVERY MODE

{ Designing Interactions: Discovery “Mode” }
Youareat: Introduction » Learning Objectives and Outline
Designing Interactions:
Discovery “Mode”
Learning Outcomes
§  You will understand all the preparation necessary
to conduct user research;
§  You will understand the basics of conducting
Contextual Inquiry Studies
Class Outline
§  Understand the Design Challenge
§  Define Your Audience
§  Prepare for Research
§  Contextual Inquiry

Introduction:
Collect / Create / Relate / Donate
Collect
Learn from previous
experiences
!
Relate
Consult with peers
and mentors
"
#
$
Create
Explore, compose,
and evaluate
possible solutions
Donate
Disseminating
results
Shneiderman, B. (February 1999), Creating Creativity for Everyone: User Interfaces for
Supporting Innovation, ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction 7, 1 (March 2000),
114-138.
Youareat: Introduction » Collect / Create / Relate / Donate

IDEO (2011), Design Thinking Process in Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators, retrieved
September 1st , 2011 from http://www.designthinkingforeducators.com/

Youareat: Collect » Discovery
Discovery builds a solid foundation for your ideas,
opening up to new opportunities, and getting
inspired to create new ideas.
Discovery

Sharon, T., (2014), “Tools for Entrepreneurs: Flying Cars, UX Research,
Attitude and Behavior” in Google for Entrepreneurs, retrieved on April 4th,
2014 from http://www.google.com/entrepreneurs/onlinelearning/

Tomer, S., (2012),
It's Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for User Experience
Research Projects, Morgan Kaufmann; 1 edition (April 2, 2012)

Let’s review what we’ve go so far:
§  A Design Challenge
§  A Definition of Your Audience
§  A list of Assumptions
§  A list of Research Questions
Youareat: Relate » Discovery » Prepare for Research
Discovery:
Prepare for Research

Youareat: Collect » Ethnography » Definitions
Ethnography (from Greek ἔθνος ethnos = folk/people
and γράφω grapho = to write) is
the science of contextualization
Ethnography:
Definitions
Greenhouse, Carol (2009). Ethnographies of Neoliberalism. Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press. p. 2. ISBN 9780812241921.

It is often employed for gathering empirical data on
human societies and cultures. Data collection is
often done through participant observation,
interviews, questionnaires, etc.
Ethnography:
Definitions
Wikipedia (2011), Ethnography, retrieved on September 13th, 2011 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnography

A qualitative description of the human social
condition, based on fieldwork and observation.
Ethnography:
Definitions
Kolko, J. (2008), INF385T | Information Design Studio, Lecture 4: Ethnography, Contextual
Inquiry, and Contextual Design, UT Austin: School of Information

Youareat: Collect » Ethnography » How we know what to design
Ethnography:
How we know what to design?
All ethnographic techniques attempt to understand
and document user behavior:
What People Do?
Why they Do it?

Kolko, J., (2011), Thoughts on Interaction Design, Second Edition,
Morgan Kaufmann; 2nd edition (February 8,2011)

Youareat: Collect » Ethnography » What can it do and what it cannot
Ethnography:
What can it do and what it cannot
Ethnography is good for:
§  Understanding problems
within existing designs;
§  Understanding how
people work, play and live;
§  Understanding why
people do the things they
do with a service, product
or system;
Ethnography is bad for:
§  Determining if someone
would buy a certain
product or service;
§  Identifying how much
someone would pay for a
certain product or service;
§  Understanding what color,
texture, material, size, or
shape to make a certain
product;

Young, Indi. 2008. User Research Types Matrix in
Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior. New York:
Rosenfeld Media.

Youareat: Collect » Ethnography » Tools & Techniques
Ethnography:
Tools & Techniques
1.  Contextual Inquiry
Context, Partnership,
Interpretation &
Focus.
2.  Interviews
No context for
observation.
3.  Passive Observation
Anthropological:
become invisible and
simply watch.
4.  Evaluative Ethnography
Introduce a new object
in the environment to
understand its effects
5.  Kinesics
Understanding the
non-verbal behavior
related to the human
movement.

Portigal, S., (2013), Interviewing Users, Rosenfeld Media;
1st edition (May 2, 2013)

Beyer, H., Holtzblatt, K., (1997),
Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems, Morgan
Kaufmann; 1st edition (September 15, 1997)

Youareat: Collect » Ethnography » Contextual Inquiry
Ethnography:
Contextual Inquiry
Contextual inquiry defines four principles to guide
the interaction with users:
§  Context
Interviews are
conducted in the
user’s actual
workplace.
§  Partnership
User and researcher
collaborate to
understand the user’s
work.
§  Interpretation
The researcher shares
their interpretations
and insights with the
user during the
interview
§  Focus
The researcher steers
the interaction
towards topics which
are relevant to the
team’s scope.

Youareat: Collect » Contextual Inquiry » Advantages
Contextual Inquiry:
Advantages
Contextual inquiry offers the following advantages
over other customer research methods:
§  Reveals tacit knowledge
§  Produces highly reliable information
§  Produces highly detailed information
§  It is a very flexible technique

Youareat: Collect » Contextual Inquiry » The Context
Contextual Inquiry:
The Context
The researcher watches users do their own work
tasks and discusses any artifacts they generate or
use with them. In addition, the researcher gathers
detailed re-tellings of specific past events when they
are relevant to the project focus
Wikipedia (2011), Contextual Inquiry, retrieved on September 13th, 2011 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contextual_inquiry

Medeiros, I., (2010), People, Tools, Process & Artifacts in User Research
retrieved 5 November 2013 from
http://designative.info/project/user-research/

Youareat: Collect » The Context » People and Culture are Incredibly Complex
The Context:
People and Culture are Incredibly Complex
Ethnography offers a way to make sense of this
complexity. It lets us see beyond our preconceptions
and immerse ourselves in the world of others. Most
importantly, it allows us to see patterns of behavior
in a real world context—patterns that we can
understand both rationally and intuitively.
AIGA (2011), An Ethnography Primer, retrieved on September 13th, 2011 from
http://www.aiga.org/ethnography-primer/

TED Conferences, LLC, 2011, “Jan Chipchase on our mobile phones”,
in TED2007, retrieved on July 5th, 2011,
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/190

Youareat: Collect » The Context » Gather Inspiration
The Context:
Gather Inspiration
With a curious mindset, inspiration and new
perspectives can be found in many places […]
Sharpen your skills in observing the world around
you.

Medeiros, I. (2009), Living in China: Shanghai’s Pajamas Sightings in
{ design@tive } thoughts on Design, Technology & Culture, retrieved September 1st , 2011
from http://designative.info/2010/03/25/living-in-china-shanghais-pajamas-sightings/

Medeiros, I. (2010), Blind-dating in China: parents "setting their kids up”, retrieved
September 1st , 2011 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/designative/3957914152/

Medeiros, I. (2010), Blind-dating in China: "tall handsome guy looking for love... or for
somebody with 2 masters degrees”, retrieved September 1st , 2011 from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designative/3957600785/

Medeiros, I. (2012), Untitled [Photograph; The Dubai Mall Courtesy Policy Notice,
Dubai (UAE).]

Medeiros, I. (2009), Untitled in Trips: Hong Kong 2009-2010, retrieved September 1st , 2011
from http://www.flickr.com/photos/designative/9203967056/

Medeiros, I. (2010), Untitled in Trips: Japan 2010, retrieved September 1st , 2011 from

Medeiros, I. (2010), Untitled in Trips: Seoul 2010, retrieved September 1st , 2011 from

Medeiros, I. (2012), Untitled in Itamar Medeiros's Photos, retrieved October 31st , 2013
from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151118302052493&l=e97dd0dd46

Medeiros, I. (2012), Untitled [Photograph; Pedestrian Crossing Button, Bonn (Germany).]

Medeiros, I. (2012), Untitled [Photograph; Pedestrian Crossing Button, Dubai (UAE).]

Medeiros, I. (2012), Untitled [Photograph; Pedestrian Crossing Button, Atlanta GA (USA).]

Youareat: Collect » The Context » Plan your Observations
The Context:
Plan your Observations
Think of certain aspects of your experience you want
to capture, such as:
§  What emotions do you
experience? Surprise?
Frustration? Motivation?
Decision making factors?
And why?
§  What interactions do
you observe, and how
do they feel?
§  What is the mood of
the room? What is the
lighting like? What is
the temperature? How
is it affecting
everyone?
IDEO (2011), Design Thinking Process in Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators,
retrieved September 1st , 2011 from http://www.designthinkingforeducators.com/

Youareat: Collect » Plan your Observations » Build a Questionnaire
Plan your Observations:
Build a Questionnaire
Having a good conversation with a stranger is not
always easy. When speaking with research
participants, you have to both build trust and help
them feel comfortable while collecting relevant
information. Carefully prepare for your
conversations in order to manage this delicate
balance.

Youareat: Collect » Plan your Observations » Build a Questionnaire
1.  Identify Topics
What do you need to learn
about your challenge? What
are you hoping to
understand about people’s
motivations and
frustrations? What do you
want to learn about their
activities?
2.  Develop Questions
Formulate open-ended
questions that explore these
topics, such as:
» “Tell me about an experience...”
» “What are the best/worst parts
about…?”
» “Can you help me understand
more about…?”
3. Organize Your Questions
Use the following structure:
» Start with specifics: ask
questions your participants
are comfortable answering
» Go broad: ask more
profound questions about
hopes, fears and ambitions.
» Probe deep: explore your
challenge or any interesting
theme. Consider prompting
thoughts with “what if”
scenarios.

Youareat: Collect » Plan your Observations » Be Prepared
Be Prepared!

Austin Center for Design (2009-2011), Design Research Tools in
Design Research Toolkit, retrieved September 1st , 2011 from
http://www.ac4d.com/2010/12/06/design-research-toolkit/

Youareat: Collect » Plan your Observations » Explore and Take Notes
Explore and Take Notes
Try to blend in with everyone else during your
observation.
§  Find a spot that’s
out of the way.
§  Take notes and
photos. Capture
interesting quotes.
§  Draw sketches,
plans and layouts.

Youareat: Collect » Plan your Observations » Explore and Take Notes
Explore and Take Notes
Being a good “apprentice”:
§  Be a keen observer
§  Don’t be afraid to ask questions
§  Maintain an attitude of inquiry and learning
§  Admire the Master as an expert in his/her work
§  Aspire to see the World as they do
Beyer, H., Holtzblatt, K., (1997), Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems,
Morgan Kaufmann; 1st edition (September 15, 1997)

Kuniavsky, M. (2003), Observing the User Experience, Morgan Kaufmann;
1 edition (April 22, 2003)

Youareat: Collect » Explore and Take Notes » What to Collect
Explore and Take Notes:
What to Collect
The tools they use. Note whether the tools are be
used as they’re designed or repurposed. How do the
tools interact? What are the brands? What kind of
Post-its they have around their monitor/desk?
Kuniavsky, M. (2003), Observing the User Experience, Morgan Kaufmann; 1 edition
(April 22, 2003)

What to Collect
The sequences in which actions occur. The order of
action is important in terms of their understanding
about the task. Is there a set order that’s dictated by
the tools or by office culture? When does the order
matter?
(April 22, 2003)

Informatics@Northwestern (2012), IKEA Instructions
in My checklist for deploying mission critical web apps, retrieved 5 November 2013
from http://informatics.northwestern.edu/blog/tag/step-by-step-instructions/

Copyright status: Unknown (pending investigation).
Retrieved November 27th 2013 from
http://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/contextual_design.html

Kolko, J. (2008), Workflow Model of Getting a Tattoo in INF385T | Methods
of Design Synthesis, Lecture 2: Ethnography, Contextual Inquiry, and Work
Flow Modeling, UT Austin: School of Information

Medeiros, I. (2007-2013), Swimlane Diagrams in Data Visualization,
retrieved November 27th, 2013 from
http://designative.info/project/data-visualization/#Swimlane_Diagrams

What to Collect
Their methods of organization. People cluster some
information for convenience and some out of
necessity. The clustering my be shared between
people, or it may be unique to the individual being
observed. How do they organize the information
elements they use?
(April 22, 2003)

Murray, K. (2010), The Pit and the Password Pendulum
in Kevin’s Security Scrapbook retrieved 5 November 2013 from
http://spybusters.blogspot.de/2010_09_01_archive.html

Contextual Inquiries
Costumer Visit at an Electric Distribution Utility Company to understand the
artifacts produced by Electric Distribution Designers in the Utility Design domain.

What to Collect
Artifacts. The non-digital tools people user to help
them accomplish the tasks they’re trying to do.
Documenting and collecting people’s artifacts can be
enlightening.
(April 22, 2003)

Huang, K. H., & Deng, Y. S. (2008). Chinese Tradition of Tea Drinking Artifact
Model in Social interaction design in cultural context: A case study of a
traditional social activity. International Journal of Design, 2(2), 81-96.

Holtzblatt, K., (2001). Artifact Model of a Car in Beyond the Tower of Babel.,
retrieved September 21st, 2011 from
http://incontextdesign.com/articles/beyond-the-tower-of-babel/

Youareat: Collect » Explore and Take Notes » What to Look for
What to Look for
§  Workarounds
§  Mismatch between what people say and do
§  Offhand, under the breath comments
§  Sighs
§  Rolling of eyes
§  Confessions

§  Workarounds
§  Mismatch between what people say and do
§  Offhand, under the breath comments
§  Sighs
§  Rolling of eyes
§  Confessions
§  Wants, Needs, Goals,
Motivations
§  Touch Points
§  Sequences
§  Workarounds
§  Pain / Break Points
§  Feelings

Youareat: Collect » Explore and Take Notes » Capture What You’ve Seen
Capture What You’ve Seen
Things you must do immediately after your
observation:
§  Take some time to
capture the things
you found most
interesting.
§  Write them on Post-it
Notes (or any re-
sortable media) so you
will be able to
reorganize them later.

Young, Indi. 2008. Contextual Inquiry notes in
Rosenfeld Media.

Young, Indi. 2008. Affinity Diagrams in
Rosenfeld Media.

Youareat: Create » Plan your Observations » Exercise
Exercise #1
Let’s finalize the preparation of our research.
The output of this exercise should be:
§  A refined Design Challenge
§  A clear Definition of Your Audience
§  A questionnaire to guide you through the
contextual inquiry interviews

Exercise #2
Once all that is defined, let’s plan our Pilot Interview.
The output of this exercise should be:
§  Audio/Video Records;
§  A list of “Labeled Facts” or post-it notes
§  An updated questionnaire
Youareat: Create » Plan your Observations » Exercise

Go to the KISD Space for this course and share with
the group:
1.  Any updates to Design Challenge
2.  Any updates to definition of Your Audience
3.  The questionnaire that will guide you through
the contextual inquiry interviews
Itamar Medeiros
http://designative.info/
http://twitter.com/designative
itamar.medeiros@designative.info
Youareat: Donate » Disseminating Results
Donate:
Disseminating Results

Go to the KISD Space for this course and share with
the group:
4.  Audio/Video Records of your Pilot interview;
5.  A list of “Labeled Facts” or post-it notes of your
Pilot interview;
6.  An updated questionnaire
Itamar Medeiros
http://designative.info/
http://twitter.com/designative
itamar.medeiros@designative.info
Youareat: Donate » Disseminating Results
Donate:
Disseminating Results

Designing Interactions / Experiences: Lecture #02

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