Design Research Methods Course

Class #6 Pulling Insights & Coding

2007-03-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Since Last Week: Car Culture
+ Research conducted: 2 recruits
+ High level insights
+ Use of equipment; interview / camera
techniques
+ What worked / didn’t work?
POST-FIELDWORK
Today we will cover:
+ Pulling insights from the interview
+ Coding your research
+ Discussion of the final

PULLING INSIGHTS

3 Levels of Insights

1. Debrief: top 3-5 things (go w/ your gut)
(A person does this...)

2. Note the Patterns
(2-3 people do this...)

3. Formulate Discrete Categories
(People do this...)

+ AFTER EACH: Debrief top 3-5 things you
learned (go with your gut)
+ AFTER A FEW: Note the patterns
+ UPON COMPLETION: Formulate the
categories

DEBRIEF
+ Ideally, you will debrief with the client who has
joined you
+ It's best to debrief with others; different
perspectives enhance the conversation
+ If alone, you should still take the time to
capture a few thoughts.
+ Once captured the main observations, force
yourself to name the top 2-3 learnings.
+ Make it visual: provide a synopsis of the
participants

THINGS TO CAPTURE IN A DEBRIEF
+ characterizations in response to main sections in the discussion
guide
+ common patterns or behaviors
+ an anomaly
+ behaviors/attitudes/motivations related to emerging themes
+ emerging themes/categories/opportunity areas
+ answers to hypothesis or new hypothesis
+ activity/process diagrams
+ an unmet need
+ unanswered questions that emerge--which could be a follow
up question or things to probe in the next interview

force only 2-3 things; get rid of redundancies

EX participant synopsis:
Name:
We talk about...
3 pts / behaviors

technique: print contact sheets of photos; label insights with post-its

CODING
Why do we code interviews?
Communication: So you can pull together
clips to communicate your findings.
Structure: So you can start to find patterns
and categories in the behavior of the
participant.
Efficiency: So you have a searchable record
of the to easily find parts.

CODING
Good coding:
+ Includes participant name, what they said, time
stamp, category, date, location
+ Should take you 1.5 – 2x the duration of the
interview
+ Should be done in excel
+ Should have 3-4 sentences per row
+ Should cluster participant ideas / themes

EXCEL SETUP:
+ participant
+ importance (check mark to flag important stuff)
+ activity
+ time stamp
+ verbatim what they say
+ interpretation / implication
+ primary keyword
+ search keyword
+ tape number
+ order (1,2,3,4,.... helpful after sorting things around)

EX framework: TV for samsung. Project: How can we imporve buying experience.

5 drivers: confidence, compelling experience, choice, control, cache

Workshop: phrased opportunities -> create possibilities and define direction

EX insight list:

Locked Content
People feel like content is locked to the components....

Component Clutter
People are overloaded with entertainment components.....

Divergent Media
People are....

(reworked phrasing many times)

ASSIGNMENT FOR 4/11
+ Code one of your interviews
+ Create a participant overview and grab the best image
of them
+ Write down a list of the most important observations
+ Narrow down your list to the top 3 most important
insights
+ Find clips in the interview that embodies the 3 top
insights
+ Create categories for patterns you saw (you may want
to meet review other’s tapes for this)

+ Excel coding sheet
+ Image of participant and overview
+ List of important observations
+ Top 3 insights
+ 3 Clips you can share with the class
+ List of patterns across interviews

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
You will each choose one of the two research assignments given in my class and use tools learned
in Tim's class to create a final presentation / pdf of learnings and analysis,.
The format will be as follows:
+ Title slide
+ Project / research overview
+ Insights learned from research
+ Analytic research framework
Bonus:
+ Illustrated product / service concepts
+ Research methodology
You will use the tools learned in Tim's class to address:
+ Slide layout / template design
+ Treatment of research images (photoshop) Quality of research images Illustrated research
framework (line art in illustrator)

Class #5 - conducting fieldwork

2007-03-24T02:22:00.000-07:00

CONDUCTING FIELDWORK
Today we will cover:
+ Interviewing Best Practices
+ Camera / Camcorder Usage
+ Taking Notes

SET THE TONE
Develop rapport
+ Put the participant at ease
+ Convince the participant you're listening, that you understand and are
interested in them.
+ Humor always works
WAYS TO SET PARTICIPANT AT EASE
(If they are overly nervous...)
+ Remark on something in their home to show you're interested in them
+ Reassure them we are nerds and get excited even about the tiniest
details.
(If they are at a loss for what to do...)
+ Be specific about what you need (a place to set up...)
(If they offer you water…)
+ Don't be afraid to take it.

STARTING AN INTERVIEW
Introduce yourself & colleague, give business card
Thank participant for their time
Establish a home base to set up equipment and explain
what's happening
Confirm time frame & do not go beyond the set end time.
Explain scope briefly
If they ask about the client, describe the industry, but not
the client's name
Encourage show & tell
Expert for a day: This is a casual conversation.
Explain recording as a way of taking notes.
Check with camera person to see if they're ready to roll

Thank profusely. Act like you're not paying them.
Explain the scope and time schedule.
EX: 20m on couch, 30 m in car, then 10m....

"this is an extremely informal conversation"
"you're the expert...we just wanna learn"

INTERVIEWING
Be interested & engaged
Make eye contact
Actively listen
Repeat the participants' phrases
Don't argue another point of view or convince them of your
hypothesis.
Silence is your friend, Ask the question and stop.
Give them time to consider your question.
Quietly affirm, Respond with facial expressions:
+ raised brow with round, open mouth means "surprising, say
more,"
+ furrowed brow means "I'm confused, explain further,"
+ a node or smile says, "I hear you and I'm interested."

usually people wanna launch right in; let them go till their done, then pull it back: "what do you do for fun?"

INTERVIEWING
Balance the anticipated with the unexpected
Internalize your objectives (know DG by heart, it's a checklist)
+ Have a clear understanding of the research goals
+ Keep your attention on the participant, rather than the
discussion guide
+ Use your guide to check that you've covered what is
needed, rather than as a script.
Emphasis will differ across interviews
With each interview, you should cover the 3 same main
topics

INTERVIEWING
Warm up question
+ "Tell me about your company. What do you guys do?"
+ "What brought you to the store today?“
Grand tour question
+ "Take me on a tour of your workspace. What things are here
and how do you use them?"
+ "Describe a typical week in terms of your TV viewing.“
"Show me..." prompt
"Tell me (more) about..." prompt
Pointed question (leave the leading to the end)

INTERVIEWING
Repeat the participant's words
+ Participant: "I exfoliate on my Day of Beauty."
+ Interviewer: "Day of Beauty?"
Ask for use rather than meaning
+ "Describe a situation when you would exfoliate?“
+ Not "What do you mean by exfoliate?“
"Why?" asks for justification
+ A better phrase to use is "Say more about...sharing pictures
with your family,“
Don't assume you understand

repeat their phrases -> develop and articulate thought

ask a question and stop (they understood you)

INTERVIEWING
Notice workarounds
+ Take note of things that appear out of place
Look for adjacencies
+ Be aware of surrounding objects and activities
Note the contradictions
+ What people say vs. what people do
+ Understanding both sides of the contradiction

cover top lines, e.g. connectivity, mobility

describe use vs. describe meaning
"say more about..." is better than "why?"

NOTICE WORKAROUND (where product opps lie) - take note of things that appear out of place

NOTICE CONTRADICTIONS - saying vs. doing

CAMCORDER USE
Monopods / Stability
Talk to the Camera
Rule of Thirds
Leading Looks
Leading Action
Leading Lines
Angles
Know Your Light Source
B-Roll (filler)
Label and lock your tape!

DIGITAL CAMERA USE
Know your Flash
Snap Often
Okay to have them repeat
Download between interviews

TAKING NOTES
REFERENCE, NOT RECORD
CAPTURE INSIGHTS!
NOTE THE TIME

Car Culture
PROJECT #2
For the next two sessions, you are going to
interview someone who spends a lot of
time in their car. People who travel a lot for
work, soccer moms, commuters, etc.

Car Culture
ASSIGNMENT #4
For next class (3/7), you will plan out your research.
• Choose a type of person you want to research for the assignment.
• Write a research plan of who you want to talk to, what you want to
understand, and how you will accomplish this.
• Pick one or more methods that you will use for the research (hint:
choose a method you want to experiment with and design a plan
from this).
• Write a recruiting screener to find the type of person you want to
interview based on the variables you have chosen.
• Write a discussion guide that is a tool for the time you will spend
with your participant (topics / subtopics, org. of time, research
specifics)

Car Culture
ASSIGNMENT #5
For the class after next (3/28), you will execute and analyze your
research.
• Recruit 2 participants for your research (depending on the type of
methods you choose).
• Schedule the research. You will need to pay your participant $25 for
up to 2 hours of their time.
• You will work in teams of 2 for the research; one will lead the
research, one will record it.

research release form

2007-03-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

Research Receipt and Release

Name Date
Address
City State

Research Topic Amount

Charge to Account # Total

By signing this receipt and accepting this stipend money, you give
permission to _____ and its clients to use any portion of
today's video for internal review, duplication, or in ___________
marketing materials.

Received by

Plan, Screener, Discussion Guide

2007-03-05T16:25:00.003-08:00

User Profile

People who use their vehicles as a "working or living environment" for carrying out day-to-day tasks. They actively use car time and space.

(i) actively/productively uses time in vehicle
e.g. organizing, scheduling, eating, writing, interacting with people etc.

(ii) stores and interacts with many objects in the vehicle
e.g. phone, pda, notebooks, pens, books, documents, clothes, food, etc.

2 sub-profiles

I. car as office

+ commutes to/ from or during work
+ keeps work items in vehicle
+ completes work tasks while driving

II. car as home

+ frequently running household errands in vehicle
+ kids and other family are often together in vehicle
+ eating, sleeping, talking in the vehicle

Objectives

1. learn about what activities and objects are used in the vehicle and why

2. study the relationship between "real home" and "vehicle home" or "real office" and "vehicle office"

3. determine ways to

+ better support current "mobile tasks"
+ better integrate real and mobile environments
+ uncover other opportunities

Execution Plan Overview

1. post screener to craigslist
2. follow-up / schedule by phone
3. interview
+ inventory
+ walk-through

Screener

screener outline

I. ownership or access to vehicle

II. primary function of vehicle (work or home)

III. typical uses
(i) passengers (friends, kids, family, clients, coworkers)
(ii) activities (planning, managing, relaxing, conversing)
(iii) objects (phone, pda, documents)
(iv) destinations (work, store, home, meeting)

IV. lifestyle and personality

V. demographics

I. OWNERSHIP AND ACCESS ******************************

Do you have primary access to a car?
Do you own a car? Lease? Company car?

II. Primary function of vehicle ****************

On average, how much time do you spend each week in your car?

On average, how much time do you spend in your car each week for e

commuting from home to work, and back
commuting in your vehicle during work
daily errands
traveling , visiting friends, going out, vacationing

The primarily importance of my vehicle is

commuting to and from work
commuting during work
daily errands
traveling , visiting friends, going out, vacationing
other ______

III. Typical Uses ***************************

Briefly describe how you'd use your vehicle in a typical day.

Who else is typically in the car with you (check all that apply)

coworkers
clients
children
spouse
other family members
friends
pet

Which best describes you.

I typically drive by myself
I typically drive with other family members
I typically drive with other business related people

List some important things you tend to bring with you when you drive? (e.g. cell phone, briefcase with work documents)

List some important things you tend to leave in your car? (e.g. books, clothes, food, electronics)

Choose one the following.

I tend keep a lot of things in my car.
I tend to not keep a lot of things in my car.

Choose one of the following.

When driving, I tend to travel light.
When driving, I tend to travel with lots of stuff.

Choose one of the following.

Most of the things I keep in my car are very important for my daily activities.
Many of the things I keep in my car are not of central important to my daily activities.

For each item, check all that apply.

I frequently drive with this on my persons

mp3 player
cell-phone
food
laptop
clothes
pda
blackberry
books
notebook, papers or documents
briefcase, bag or purse

I frequently leave this item in my vehicle
mp3 player
cell-phone
food
laptop
clothes
pda
blackberry
books
notebook, papers or documents
briefcase, bag or purse

Briefly describe some activities you do while driving that are not central to driving.
For example, you might

always listen to music
frequently call people to schedule meetings
occasionally talk to friends on the phone
often plan your day in your head

Describe how often you do each of the following while in your vehicle.

(i frequently, often, rarely, never)

listening to music
listening to audio books
work related cellphone calls
non-work related cellphone calls
writing notes
reading or sorting
planning
interacting with children in the vehicle
interacting with clients or coworkers in the vehicle
interacting with friends or family in the vehicle

Which of the following best describes you.

I'm typically driving other people places.
I'm typically just driving myself places.

Briefly describe where might you drive during a typical day?

In a typical day, I drive myself to (check all that apply)

school
work
meetings
appointments
shopping
other________

In a typical day, I drive other people to (check all that apply)

school
work
meetings
appointment
shopping
other_______

Pick one.

I'm a very busy person.
I'm busy, but not super busy.
I'm not a busy person at all.

What is your gender?
Male
Female

How old are you?
1) under 18
2) 18-21
3) 21-25
4) 25-30
5) 30-40
6)40-50
7) 50 or older

What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Some high school
High school graduate
Some college
College graduate
Post graduate courses or degree

Which of the following best describes your total annual household income?
under $30,000
between $30,000 and $50,000
between $50,000 and $100,000
between $100,000 and $200,000
$200,000 or more

What is your current employment status? Are you . . .
A full-time homemaker
A full-time student
Employed part time
Employed full time
Retired
Currently seeking employment

What is your current occupation?

First and Last Name (open)

Email Address (open)

Primary Phone (open)

Other Phone (optional)

Where do you live?
Within the city of Chicago
In the suburbs of Chicago
Outside of Chicago
Another city altogether

What is your zip code? (open)

Intro

1. hi, thanks
2. this is informal
3. show and tell, no right/wrong answers
4. record
5. any questions?

Warm Up

So, here’s what I’m here to study… commuting OR running errands in your car

First I'll have you show me some of things you travel with and keep in your car.
Then we'll talk about driving...

But first, tell me about yourself, what do you do, for fun?
Where do you work?

(briefly) Tell me about what you do in a typical day?

Inventory (done later, during walk-thru)

Lay out all the things you carry with you when you drive
Which do you use in the car?
Which stay in the car?
Which never leave the car?

What is this? Tell me about this. Why do you have it? How do you use it? Why is it important?

Driving Walk-Through

(have them walk-through their routines, using the parked car to simulate driving)

Preparing to leave
> What are doing before you leave?
> What sort of things are you taking with you?

Moving to car
> what do you do after you leave the door?
> what do you do when you get into the car?

Driving
> Inventory
> describe what it's like driving to ____
> any non-driving activities that you do?
> distractibility
> cell-phones
> radio, cd, mp3
> working while driving
> traffic
> what sorts of things are you thinking about?
> what do you like about driving? what don't you like?
> what are some challenges

Moving from car to destination
> what do you do when you get to _____
> what do you when you leave the car

Stationary Use
> using car for storage
> do you access your car throughout the day? why?

Wrap-Up

1. questions
2. stipend
3. signature (ask Lucas for release form)

Putting it all together (a template for combining research methods)

2007-02-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

Intro

1. hi, thanks
2. this is informal
3. show and tell, no right/wrong answers
4. recording, "I take awful notes"
5. any questions?

Methods

insert various combinations of methods here

EX:
1. inventory
2. general use interview
3. obstacle course

Wrap-Up

1. questions
2. stipend
3. signature

Class 4. Methods & Field Equipment

2007-02-26T13:49:00.002-08:00

Since Last Week: Cooking Fieldwork

How did it go?
+ How effective was RECRUITING?
+ How did the Discussion Guide go for the TYPE
OF PERSON you were seeking?
+ What would you do BETTER?

Top Line Learnings: On the car-ride home from interview, discuss and record TOP LINE LEARNINGS; what were the most amazing things?

Stop-Watch Coding: Record start time of interview in notebook (syn with video). Star important things in notebook and record time.

Other Tips:
+ constantly ask "what are you doing?", "what are you thinking?", etc.
+ try and lead the person somewhere during the interview, e.g. durability
+ never interrupt and coordinate question strategies with fellow interviewers
+ there's always a threshold (usually 5-8 interviews) where you've seen enough
+ if the person is uneasy about the interview, it may help to make everything seem official, e.g. by sending confirmation emails.
+ when scheduling, follow-up and have back-ups (don't be afraid to leave in the person isn't qualified when you get there)

RESEARCH METHODS
A guiding framework or set of activities
used as a means to gather specific types
of information from and about people

IN-HOME INTERVIEW
In-context interview in participant’s home
~1-2 hours
+ Good for in-depth conversation in the context of
how people live
+ Good opportunities for “show & tell”
+ Very general; depend on well structured
discussion guide
+ Good as a general framework with smaller
research activities included

IN-STORE INTERCEPT
Approaching shoppers in a retail environment
~ 10-20 minutes; quick data collection
+ Good for interviewing a broad array of people
about their shopping habits, specific product /
retail feedback
+ Bad for higher level needs learning
+ EXAMPLE: Sam’s Club intercepts
+ good for getting some numbers (quantitative)
+ NOT good for higher level needs

Planning and Implementation:
0. develop criteria, e.g. wait till they pick up a product, or look at it for a long time
1. explain what yer doing
2. explain why yer pointing a camera ("I take lousy notes")
3. get to the $$$ (5-10 minutes for $20, give low estimate on time)

SHOP ALONG
Interview while shopping for a specific product
~30–60 minutes
+ Good to understand how people learn about
and choose products
+ Great to gauge first reactions to new products /
retail experiences
+ Challenging to record well, often needs to be
discreet
+ usually do along with an interview, first
+ EXAMPLE: LCD TV Shop Along in Circuit City

SHADOWING
Accompanying a participant while they engage in
some sort of activity
~ Time varies
+ Good for witnessing an activity / process and
having the ability to ask follow up questions
+ You experience it like the user
+ Difficult to remain a fly on the wall
+ EXAMPLE: Laundry research

DISPOSABLE CAMERA STUDY
The participant takes photos according to some sort of
pre-determined set of instructions
+ general purpose is to review the photos and notes with the person
+ Time varies
+ Good for getting a glimpse of somebody’s life nonintrusively,
over a period of time
+ Excellent source material for interviews
+ Not a lot of control over what photos are taken or how
+ Also called “day in the life study” or “beeper study”
+ EXAMPLE: India cooking process, audio research

CARD SORT
People put cards representing various concepts or
items in prescribed piles and describe them
~30-40 minutes
+ Good to understand how people associate
things differently
+ Need to use the same method across several
users
+ gets at "what do people value?"
+ use the same activity for several different users, so you start to see trends, e.g. 20-40 people
+ EXAMPLE: Premium Trend Research
make two piles, e.g. "It just has to be functional" and "It offers some kind of special or emotional benefit".
then have them place cards on either pile, e.g. "vactions","laundry","TV", etc.

INVENTORY
Participant pulls out and comments on an
inventory of items
~ 20–40 minutes
+ Good for documenting an ecosystem of
products
+ Good to introduce products to ask more indepth
questions about later
+ EXAMPLE: UMPC research

FIELD EQUIPMENT
How prepared were you with field equipment?

The basic checklist:
+ Digital camera
+ Camcorder
+ Spare Batteries
+ Spare Tapes
+ Monopod / Tripod
+ Cell Phone
+ Notebook
+ Pens
+ Discussion Guide
+ Bag
+ Water
+ Stipend /
Agreement

Car Culture
PROJECT #2
For the next two sessions, you are going to
interview someone who spends a lot of
time in their car. People who travel a lot for
work, soccer moms, commuters, etc.

ASSIGNMENT #4
For next class (3/7), you will plan out your research.
• Choose a type of person you want to research for the assignment.
• Write a research plan of who you want to talk to, what you want to
understand, and how you will accomplish this.
• Pick one or more methods that you will use for the research (hint:
choose a method you want to experiment with and design a plan
from this).
• Write a recruiting screener to find the type of person you want to
interview based on the variables you have chosen.
• Write a discussion guide that is a tool for the time you will spend
with your participant (topics / subtopics, org. of time, research
specifics)

ASSIGNMENT #5
For the class after next (3/28), you will execute and analyze your
research.
• Recruit 2 participants for your research (depending on the type of
methods you choose).
• Schedule the research. You will need to pay your participant $50 for
up to 2 hours of their time.
• You will work in teams of 2 for the research; one will lead the
research, one will record it.

jordan's notes

2007-02-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Pre-communications (to set up the interview)
Introductions and secondary screening
Warm up discussion
Broad, grand tour opening
Topics and probes for clarification
Summary
Post-communications

three types of questions

descriptive - tell me how
structural - what are the steps
contrast - how is this different than that

Discussion Guide (v2)

2007-02-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

General

Why?
Show me...
What does _____ mean to you?
Story or Example
Repeat or Rephrase
Generalize
Summarize and state conclusion

Warm Up

Thanks, here’s what I’m here to study…
This is how we’re going to do this…
But first, tell me about yourself, what do you do, for fun? You like Chicago?
So let’s talk about cooking; what's your favorite food? How often do you cook?

(make a natural transition into the kitchen)

Background and Experience

Planning
>where do you shop?
>tell me how you plan your meals?
>what types of food?
>what challenges to face (in planning, shopping this way?)
>what sacrifices do you make?
>what factors go into deciding which meals you'll eat for the week?

Storing
>what do you do with your groceries when you get home?
>show me how you store your food
>what are some challenges you face with storing and organizing food?
> do you have problems remembering where things are? forgetting about foods?
> what about food spoiling?

Preparing
>describe some typical meals
>>>show make how you make this meal
>are you doing any other tasks while you are preparing the meal?
>does anyone else help with preparing?
>what are some of the biggest challenges with preparing a meal?

Eating
> show me where you eat?

Cleaning and Restoring
>what do you do when you are done eating?
> show me how you clean up
> do you always put __ away? do you ever leave things out? for later?

---------------------------------------------------

Health
>how important is eating healthy? why?
> what types of healthy foods do you buy? low-fat? carb? vitamin and nutrient enhanced? enhanced with drugs or other things?
> do you find it difficult to eat healthy?
> what are some of the things you do to make sure you eat healthy?
> what sacrifices do you have to make?
> in what ways does this cause you to change your shopping? meals? cooking?
> what are the biggest challenges with eating this way? give me an example of a problem this causes?
> does this ever cause social conflicts? at your home? at a restaurant? a friend's house? a party
in what was is eating healthy satisfying to you?
> in what ways is eating healthy fun? enjoyable? pleasurable?

Taste and Quality
> how important is the taste of your food? why is this important?
> in what ways does this cause you to change your shopping? meals? cooking?
> what types of quality foods do you buy?
> what are some other steps you take to make sure you eat quality food?
> what are the biggest challenges with eating this way? give me an example of a problem this causes?
> does this ever cause social conflicts? at your home? at a restaurant? a friend's house? a party?
> in what was is eating quality food satisfying to you?
> in what ways is eating quality foods fun? enjoyable? pleasurable?

Environmental and Social
> are environmental and social issues important to you w.r.t. the food you eat? what? why?
> specifically, what kinds of food do you eat? organic? locally grown? vegetarian?
> in what ways does this cause you to change your shopping? meals? cooking?
> what are some other steps you take to make sure you eat (this way)?
> what are the biggest challenges with eating this way? give me an example of a problem this causes?
> does this ever cause social conflicts? at your home? at a restaurant? a friend's house? a party?
> in what was is eating (this way) satisfying to you?
> in what ways is eating (this way) fun? enjoyable? pleasurable?

Quick and Instant Foods
> do you ever eat instant meals? (like microwave dinners, or meals from a box)
> under what circumstances would you eat instant meals?
> does it save you time? how much time do you save?
> what sacrifices do you make (w.r.t. health, values, taste, ___) ?

Time
> is time an issue? in what ways is time an issue?
> are you busy? are you ever too busy to cook? why? how do you deal with this?
> do you ever sacrifice ___ to save time?

Money
> is money an issue? in what ways is money an issue?
> do you ever sacrifice ____ to save money?

Shopping and Planning Experience
> how do you feel about shopping?
> what do you like about shopping? what don't you like?
> explain how you plan meals?
> why do you do it this way? what's good about this method? what's bad?

Cooking Experience
> how do you feel about cooking? do you like it or not like it? why? what's fun or enjoyable about it? what's frustrating or annoying about it?

(Social) Eating Experience
> do you eat with other people? what's that like?
> how do you feel about eating with other people - do you like it or not like it? why?
> what do you like about it? what don't you like about it?
> are you doing other things besides eating when you are with other people?
> do you ever have guests over and serve food? for what occasions?
> what kind of food to you serve?
> do you alter your meals to accommodate your guests? in what ways?

(Individual) Eating Experience
> do you every eat alone? what's that like?
> how do you feel about eating alone - do you like it or not?
> what do you like about it? what don't you like about it?
> are you doing other things besides eating when eating alone?

Learning
> where did you learn to cook?
> do you every learn to make new recipes? new cooking tips?
> ever try new foods at the store?
> ever try new things in the kitchen? experiment with new dishes?
> ever share recipes or cooking tips?
> cook with other people?

Cooking Tools
> what are some of the important kitchen tools you use? why?
> what are your favorite tools? why?
> what tools are frustrating to use? why?
> are there any cooking tools that are special to you?

Eating Outside the Home
> how often do you go out to eat?
> do you eat this way when you go out?
> can you tell me a story about a time when this caused a problem?

Misc. Profile Specific Topics (based on research on characteristics of person picked)

vegan, culture, gourmet, medical,...

screener (v2)

2007-02-09T12:46:00.002-08:00

Intro -

Compare how much you go out to how much you eat at home?

1) most of the time
2) a lot of the time
3) every once in a while
4) I go out a lot /

About how long does it take to make a typical meal?

1) less than 5 minutes (CLOSE)
2) 5-10 minutes (CLOSE)
3) 10-20 minutes
4) 20-30 minutes
5) more than 30 minutes

How much preparation is involved in a typical meal?

1) hardly any prep (CLOSE)
2) not very much prep (CLOSE)
3) some prep
4) lots of prep

What type of foods do you eat in a typical meal?

1) mostly instant meals
2) mostly from a box or can
4) mostly fresh ingredients

How do feel about cooking?

1) I hate cooking
2) I don't mind cooking
3) I frequently like cooking
4) I love cooking

// drop if they haven't scored high enough

Where do you shop for food?

1) large discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target
Bulk food stores like Costco and Sam’s Club
2) grocery stores like Jewel or Dominick's
3) small family owned grocery stores
4) health food stores
5) organic food stores like Whole Foods
6) local markets, such as a farmer's market
7) online food services
8) other______

on a scale of 1-5, rate what you find most important to least important about your food (no answer can be rated the same)
Quality
Speed
Health
Cost
Ethical Concerns

Select the types of food you eat:
Fish
Meat
Vegetables
Fruits
Dairy
Grains

Name 3 meals you’ve cooked in the past month that you might consider “gourmet”:

Do you have any medical conditions that affect your eating habits?

What is your gender?
Male
Female

How old are you?
1) under 18
2) 18-21
3) 21-25
4) 25-30
5) 30-40
6)40-50
7) 50 or older

What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Some high school
High school graduate
Some college
College graduate
Post graduate courses or degree

Which of the following best describes your total annual household income?
under $30,000
between $30,000 and $50,000
between $50,000 and $100,000
between $100,000 and $200,000
$200,000 or more

What is your current employment status? Are you . . .
A full-time homemaker
A full-time student
Employed part time
Employed full time
Retired
Currently seeking employment

First and Last Name (open)

Email Address (open)

Primary Phone (open)

Other Phone (optional)

Where do you live?
Within the city of Chicago
In the suburbs of Chicago
Outside of Chicago
Another city altogether

What is your zip code? (open)

Assignment 2: Plan, Screener and Discussion Guide

2007-02-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

Questions

1. screener - how to get honest answers (not ask leading questions, sifting out research junkies and liars

2, discussion guide template? heuristics?
3. how to do a proper warm-up

4. discussion questions -specific phrasing of questions?
> let's talk about.... time, money, cooking
> telling me about time, money, cooking?
> is time an issue? is cooking an issue?
> how do you feel about cooking?

general v. specific?
> how do you feel about time?
> can you give me an example of when time affected your meal?
> can you give me an example of when lack of time caused you to rush through a meal?

Research Plan

Profile(s)

I'm interested in people who are very particular about what they eat (what's in it and how it's made). These people go to great effort to obtain and prepare the food they want. In particular, I'll be looking for someone who is motivated by at least one of these factors: (i)personal health, (ii) environmental & social concerns, (iii) taste & quality.

Objectives

In general, I want to understand their motivations and process (planning, shopping, preparing, eating, cleaning, restoring). In particular, I want to know the specific sacrifices these people make, difficulties they encounter and how they overcome them, with regards to planning, buying, cooking and eating the way they want. I'm especially interested in sacrifices with time, money and social relationships that these people make.

Execution

Screening
I'll screen candidates by posting links on craigslist.com to a screener survey on surveymonkey.com . I may additionally post links to surveys at school or local grocery stores.

Selecting
I'll choose several candidates from the survey results to conduct follow-up phone (or email) interviews. The purpose of these follow-ups are to make sure the person fits the profile, is interesting, and accessible, and to arrange a date for the interview.

Interviewing
The interviews will be video taped and photographed Tony or Kerry. I'll lead the interview with my discussion guide. After selecting the interviewee, I may do some additional research to learn more about particular characteristics of the interviewee and then add some new topics to the discussion guide.

Screener Outline

--------------general profile

looking for: cooks a lot; avoids instant, pre-made meals;

How often do you prepare your own meals? (cooks -Or- doesn't)
How long does it take? (5m -Or- 30 m)
How "processed" are your ingredients? (from a box -Or- farmer's market)
How much prep is involved? (instant -Or- from scratch)

------------------specific profiles

In what ways are you picky? (organic, vegan, fresh, healthy, env.)

Why ?

(1) personal health
(2) social and environmental concerns
(3) taste and quality

-----------------unique characteristics
just how picky are you?

vegan/ vegetarian, medical issue, organic, local, low-fat/ low carb, exotic/specialty, gourmet, ethnic/cultural, religious, other_____

-----------demographics

age
living situation

---------- availability and personality

willingness to answer questions? and cook a meal? and be a good participant?
creative?
available weekends? for 2 hours?

Screener

1. How often do you prepare your own meals?

1) most of the time
2) a lot of the time
3) every once in a while
4) rarely

About how long does it take to make a typical meal?

1) less than 5 minutes
2) 5-10 minutes
3) 10-20 minutes
4) 20-30 minutes
5) more than 30 minutes

Do you cook for yourself or others?

How much preparation is involved in a typical meal?

1) hardly any prep
2) not very much prep
3) some prep
4) lots of prep

What type of foods to you eat in a typical meal?

1) mostly instant meals
2) mostly from a box or can
3) some fresh ingredients
4) mostly fresh ingredients

How do feel about cooking?

1) I hate cooking
2) I don't mind cooking
3) I frequently like cooking
4) I love cooking

// drop if they haven't scored high enough

Where do you shop for food?

1) large discount stores like Wal-Mart and Sam's Club
2) grocery stores like Jewel or Dominick's
3) small family owned grocery stores
4) health food stores
5) organic food stores like Whole Foods
6) local markets, such as a farmer's market
7) online food services
8) other______

How important is the taste and quality of the foods you buy and prepare?

1) most important
2) very important
3) moderately important
4) not very important

How important is personal health to the foods you buy and prepare?

1) most important
2) very important
3) moderately important
4) not very important

How important are environmental and social impacts on your food and cooking habits?

1) most important
2) very important
3) moderately important
4) not very important

Check all that apply:

I make an effort to buy
_organic foods
_locally grown foods
_low-fat or low carb-foods
_vegetarian or vegan foods
_gourmet foods

I prepare a lot of
_gourmet meals
_ethnic meals
_large meals for several people

Do you have any medical conditions that affect your eating habits?

How old are you?

1) under 18
2) 18-21
3) 21-25
4) 25-30
5) 30-40
6)40-50
7) 50 or older

Do you live in Chicago?

Do you live in a suburb of Chicago? Which suburb?

What part of the City do you live in?

-------details about this will work

Discussion Guide

General Discussion Strategies

Why?
Show me...
What does _____ mean to you?
Story or Example
Repeat or Rephrase
Generalize
Summarize and state conclusion

Warm Up
(ask Lucas - be sure to spend enough time getting person comfy )

Good day! How do you do?

What's your favorite food?

Background and Experience

Process

Planning
>where do you shop?
>tell me how you plan your meals?
>what types of food?
>what challenges to face (in planning, shopping this way?)
>what sacrifices do you make?
>what factors go into deciding which meals you'll eat for the week?

Storing
>what do you do with your groceries when you get home?
>show me how you store your food
>what are some challenges you face with storing and organizing food?
> do you have problems remembering where things are? forgetting about foods?
> what about food spoiling?

Preparing
>describe some typical meals
>show make how you make this meal
>are you doing any other tasks while you are preparing the meal?
>does anyone else help with preparing?
>what are some of the biggest challenges with preparing a meal?

Eating
> show me where you eat?

Cleaning and Restoring
>what do you do when you are done eating?
> show me how you clean up
> do you always put __ away? do you ever leave things out? for later?

Goals, Values and Experience

Health
>how important is eating healthy? why?
> what types of healthy foods do you buy? low-fat? carb? vitamin and nutrient enhanced? enhanced with drugs or other things?
> do you find it difficult to eat healthy?
> what are some of the things you do to make sure you eat healthy?
> what sacrifices do you have to make?
> in what ways does this cause you to change your shopping? meals? cooking?
> what are the biggest challenges with eating this way? give me an example of a problem this causes?
> does this ever cause social conflicts? at your home? at a restaurant? a friend's house? a party
in what was is eating healthy satisfying to you?
> in what ways is eating healthy fun? enjoyable? pleasurable?

Taste and Quality
> how important is the taste of your food? why is this important?
> in what ways does this cause you to change your shopping? meals? cooking?
> what types of quality foods do you buy?
> what are some other steps you take to make sure you eat quality food?
> what are the biggest challenges with eating this way? give me an example of a problem this causes?
> does this ever cause social conflicts? at your home? at a restaurant? a friend's house? a party?
> in what was is eating quality food satisfying to you?
> in what ways is eating quality foods fun? enjoyable? pleasurable?

Environmental and Social
> are environmental and social issues important to you w.r.t. the food you eat? what? why?
> specifically, what kinds of food do you eat? organic? locally grown? vegetarian?
> in what ways does this cause you to change your shopping? meals? cooking?
> what are some other steps you take to make sure you eat (this way)?
> what are the biggest challenges with eating this way? give me an example of a problem this causes?
> does this ever cause social conflicts? at your home? at a restaurant? a friend's house? a party?
> in what was is eating (this way) satisfying to you?
> in what ways is eating (this way) fun? enjoyable? pleasurable?

Quick and Instant Foods
> do you ever eat instant meals? (like microwave dinners, or meals from a box)
> under what circumstances would you eat instant meals?
> does it save you time? how much time do you save?
> what sacrifices do you make (w.r.t. health, values, taste, ___) ?

Time
> is time an issue? in what ways is time an issue?
> are you busy? are you ever too busy to cook? why? how do you deal with this?
> do you ever sacrifice ___ to save time?

Money
> is money an issue? in what ways is money an issue?
> do you ever sacrifice ____ to save money?

Shopping and Planning Experience
> how do you feel about shopping?
> what do you like about shopping? what don't you like?
> explain how you plan meals?
> why do you do it this way? what's good about this method? what's bad?

Cooking Experience
> how do you feel about cooking? do you like it or not like it? why? what's fun or enjoyable about it? what's frustrating or annoying about it?

(Social) Eating Experience
> do you eat with other people? what's that like?
> how do you feel about eating with other people - do you like it or not like it? why?
> what do you like about it? what don't you like about it?
> are you doing other things besides eating when you are with other people?
> do you ever have guests over and serve food? for what occasions?
> what kind of food to you serve?
> do you alter your meals to accommodate your guests? in what ways?

(Individual) Eating Experience
> do you every eat alone? what's that like?
> how do you feel about eating alone - do you like it or not?
> what do you like about it? what don't you like about it?
> are you doing other things besides eating when eating alone?

Learning
> where did you learn to cook?
> do you every learn to make new recipes? new cooking tips?
> ever try new foods at the store?
> ever try new things in the kitchen? experiment with new dishes?
> ever share recipes or cooking tips?
> cook with other people?

Cooking Tools
> what are some of the important kitchen tools you use? why?
> what are your favorite tools? why?
> what tools are frustrating to use? why?
> are there any cooking tools that are special to you?

Eating Outside the Home
> how often do you go out to eat?
> do you eat this way when you go out?
> can you tell me a story about a time when this caused a problem?

Misc. Profile Specific Topics (based on research on characteristics of person picked)

vegan, culture, gourmet, medical,...

Class 2. Finding the Right People

2007-01-28T15:03:00.002-08:00

STEP 1 – MAKE A PLAN

+ What do we want to know about?
+ How will we know this?
+ Who will we talk to know this?
The goal is to identify the person we want to talk
to in the field, and know what we are going to
ask them about

STEP 2 – RECRUIT PEOPLE

Everyone is different in a thousand ways, so since
we have limited time and limited resources to
talk to a limited group of people, the research
has to be high impact

Market Segmentation
Often, we start with a sense from the client of
who we ought to talk to.
In market research, this is called a segmentation,
or market segmentation. It is made up of
several types of variables.

GEOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
+ Region of the world or country: East, West,
South, North, Central, coastal, hilly, etc.
+ Country size/country size: Metropolitian Cities,
small cities, towns.
+ Density of Area: Urban, Semi-urban, Rural.
+ Climate: Hot, Cold, Humid, Rainy.

DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
+ Age
+ Gender: Male and Female
+ Sexual orientation
+ Family size
+ Family life cycle
+ Education: Primary, High School, Secondary, College, Universities.
+ Income
+ Occupation
+ Education
+ Socioeconomic status
+ Religion
+ Nationality/race
+ Language

PSYCHOGRAPHIC VARIABLES (AIO)
+ Personality
+ Life style
+ Value
+ Attitude

BEHAVIORAL VARIABLES (product level)
+ Benefit sought
+ Product usage rate
+ Brand loyalty
+ Product end use
+ Readiness-to-buy stage
+ Decision making unit

User Profile
Sometimes, we define this based on what we
know intuitively, or what we’ve gleaned from
the field
So, based on your assignment, what type of user
would you research?
Once they are identified, how do we find them?

Screener
A questionnaire or survey that attempts to find a very
specific type of person based on a series of
predetermined variables.
In addition to the specifics of the project, we have to
wary of a few things:
+ People who work in market research
+ Research junkies
+ People that aren’t exciting or interesting
This is an art form and something that some people
spend all of their time doing

How does one screen research participants?
1. Use a recruiting firm
+ Advantage: Large pool of participants
+ Disadvantage: Control, Quotas
2. Online DIY
+ Advantage: Full control
+ Disadvantage: Lots of the same people

STEP 3 – DISCUSSION GUIDE

What is it?
+ A checklist
+ A prompt
+ A series of probes on topics & subtopics
2 flavors of discussion guides at Gravity Tank
+ Pre made booklet
+ Flip out notebook

PROJECT #1 - Understanding Cooking

For the next two sessions, you are going to
document somebody cooking dinner. You have
to understand the whole process, from end to
end… planning to storage to clean up, etc.
You will need to focus on a specific type of person,
someone that you will think will shed an
interesting perspective on the process.

ASSIGNMENT #2
For next class (2/7), you will plan out your research.
• Choose a type of person you want to research for the
assignment (we can do this in class).
• Write a research plan of who you want to talk to, what
you want to understand, and how you will accomplish
this.
• Write a recruiting screener that will find this type of
person based on the variables you have chosen.
• Research ways of screening potential participants
• Write a discussion guide that is a tool for the time you
will spend with your participant (topics / subtopics, org. of
time, research specifics)

ASSIGNMENT #3
For the class after next (2/21), you will execute and analyze
your research.
• Recruit 1 participant for your research.
• Schedule the research. You will need to pay your
participant $50 for up to 2 hours of their time.
• You will work in teams of 2 for the research; one will lead
the research, one will record it.
• You may go outside the home for this research
(shopping, e.g.).
• Meet as a group and create an activity diagram based on
your collective analyses of the research.

Class 1. Intro to Design Research

2007-01-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

We will focus on Generative, Qualitative, Ethnographic Research (rather than Evaluative, Quantitative or Market Research).

Research in the REAL WORLD

+ On people’s terms: CONTEXT
+ Working in a budget: TIME
+ We are not ETHNOGRAPHERS,
+ We are APPLIED RESEARCHERS working in a
SPECIFIC CONTEXT with LIMITED TIME & BUDGET
+ We have to become experts, FAST

Quick & Dirty Research

+ Friends and Family Interviews
+ Store Visits
+ Photo Scans
+ Play w/ Stuff
+ Obstacle Course

What Quick & Dirty Research?
+ Help us understand a CATEGORY
+ Help us know what we DON’T KNOW
+ Help us understand WHO TO TALK TO
+ Help us PLAN RESEARCH
Why?
+ Fieldwork is expensive and resource intensive

ASSIGNMENT #1
For next week, you will work as a team of 3 and build an “obstacle course” of a
tool, run 3 users through it, record it, and present 3 major insights from your
work.
• Pick a tool that is easy and accessible, but requires some amount of human
interface (coffee maker, alarm clock, cell phone, etc). Get 3 to 4 of these for
the research.
• Design an obstacle course of specific activities that all of your users will do.
• Each of you will run one person through the obstacle course as the
“moderator” with your own discussion guide. Each course should last
between 15-20 minutes.
• Have someone on your team record the research
• As a group, present the top 3 insights from the research
• Be prepared to talk through the process, your methods, and your thoughts

Tim's syllabus

2007-01-23T07:35:00.001-08:00

ID 498-051
Human Centered Design Works
Instructors: Lucas Daniel & Tim Haley
Spring 2007
Visualization Strategies
Over the next 8 class sessions, assignments, and a final presentation of the semester’s work, you
will learn the tools and visualization strategies that designers use in an everyday work
environment. Learning these tools and strategies is essential to communicating ideas and stories.
Each week you will learn the basics of these tools as well as how to use certain ones in more
depth. Your grade is based on the execution of weekly assignments (35%), a final presentation
(35%), attendance (15%) and class participation (15%). You will be required to load certain
programs onto your computer in order to complete in class activities as well as out of class
assignments.
01.17 Class 1: CHOOSING IMAGES WISELY AND FINDING THEM QUICKLY
+ Where to go for an abundance of good quality images
+ What to look for when choosing your image
+ Image grab assignment
01.31 Class 2: ILLUSTRATOR/PHOTOSHOP/ACROBAT BASICS
02.14 Class 3: CAMERA WORK
02.28 Class 4: ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES
03.21 Class 5: INTRO TO RHINO – QUICK VISUALIZATION TOOLS
04.4 Class 6: INTRO TO PHOTOSHOP SHADING
04.11 Class 7: PUTTING TOGETHER A PORTFOLIO
04.25 Class 8: CLASS REVIEW
Assignment 1: CHOOSING IMAGES WISELY AND FINDING THEM QUICKLY (week 1)
For Jan 31
st
, you will need to familiarize yourself with grabbing high quality and a high quantity of
images from sites such as Google Image Search and Flickr.
Details:
+ From Lucas’s assignment, pick a tool that is easy and accessible, but requires some amount
of human interface (coffee maker, alarm clock, cell phone, etc). Get 3 to 4 of these for the
image grabs.
+ Using Google, Flickr, etc, find 10 images for each tool that are of high quality (resolution and
communication).
+ Be sure to capture the selected tools in use as well as being static.
+ Maximum efficiency is key here so keep track of how long it takes to find the images.

Lucas' syllabus

2007-01-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

ID 498-051
Human Centered Design Workshop
Instructors: Lucas Daniel & Tim Haley
Spring 2007

Context Research Deep Dive
Over the course of 8 class sessions, assignments, and a final presentation of the semester’s work, this class will have you explore, in-depth, up front context research as it relates to the design process. You will engage in all the activities that a professional context researcher does. Each week will explore a different aspect of context research, following its role on a typical design project. Your grade is based on the execution of weekly assignments (35%), a final presentation (35%), attendance (15%) and class participation (15%). You will be required to find people to research and give them incentives for their time (in lieu of text books or software purchases).

01.17 Class 1: RESEARCH IN THE “REAL WORLD”

+ Overview of different types of research in the design process
+ The “real world” of research
+ Quick and dirty research assignment

01.24 Class 2: FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

02.07 Class 3: DISSECTING AN ACTIVITY/PROCESS

02.21 Class 4: METHODS & FIELD EQUIPMENT

03.07 Class 5: CONDUCTING FIELDWORK

03.28 Class 6: PULLING INSIGHTS & CODING

04.11 Class 7: COMMUNICATING RESEARCH & FRAMEWORKS

04.25 Class 8: CLASS REVIEW

Assignment 1: QUICK AND DIRTY RESEARCH (1 week)
For next week, you will work as a team of 3 and build an “obstacle course” of a tool, run 3 users through it, record it, and present 3 major insights from your work.
Details:
 Pick a tool that is easy and accessible, but requires some amount of human interface (coffee maker, alarm clock, cell phone, etc). Get 3 to 4 of these for the research.
 Design an obstacle course of specific activities that all of your users will do.
 Each of you will run one person through the obstacle course as the “moderator” with your own discussion guide. Each course should last between 15-20 minutes.
 Have someone on your team record the research
 As a group, present the top 3 insights from the research
 Be prepared to talk through the process, your methods, and your thoughts