innovation insight

Peter H. Jones, Ph.D.

Dayton, Toronto

redesignresearch.com

designdialogues.net

A Bag of Tricks: What is the Right Mix of Methods?

From User Research Design

User-Centered Design as process

UCD often presented as a set of methodsUCD often presented as a set of methods

Research to Design is not plug-and-playResearch to Design is not plug-and-play

Real design work is not a structured process Real design work is not a structured process

User Research and using mixed methods

Good research is also not pre-fab

Different methods are needed to tease out answers

We end up with nice, clean deliverables

But what gets left on the table?

User-Centered Design as a User-Centered Design as a processprocess

User understanding

Work context studies

Contextual inquiry

User needs analysis

Pre-Product User Understanding

Concept proto testing

Field concept studies

Contextual Design

Early Product (Concept)

Requirements validation

Usability evaluation

Post-release testing

Product Definition

Consider User Research …No standard UX research approach

Nor should there be …

Driven by objectives & the questions

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 PositivistInterpretive

Inductive

Experimental

Behavioral measures

Contextual Design

Usability testing

Ethnography

Hermeneutic Surveys

Web Analytics

Lead User Research

Deductive

A Mix of Methods

There are times to use one,& times to use several together.

Working from a few foundations:- Usability Evaluation - Field Research- Expert Reviews

Usability

SurveyContextual Inquiry

Ethnographic Field Research-Observing & interviewing users in context, and combining data collection methods such as:

- Unobtrusive observation (shadowing)- Participant observation (informed ethnographer)- Open & Semi-structured interview- Contextual interview of work episodes- Cognitive walkthrough of information tasks Elicitation methods: Freelisting, Card sorts, Checklists

- Other methods employed to fit field situation(e.g. Diaries, peripheral participant interviews)

How do we turn field observations:

Into working models:

Journals(Publishing)

LiteratureResources

(PubMed, Journals)

Principal Investigator

- Managing research projects for lab- Developing new grants for continuing research programs

- Conducting individual research and leading specific experiments- Preparing and instructing medical school courses and seminars

- Planning and preparing article manuscripts for publication- Mentoring and collaborating with PhD candidates

- Teaching & preparing med school classes

Researcher

- Sets up and runs experiments- Contributes details and references to manuscripts

- Pursues independent thesis research in lab- Develops research ideas,

conducts independent research

RNA CenterInformation Flow Model

RNA Journal

CWRU MedicalSchool

Reviews lit & new studies.Shares articles w/ PI

Reviews & shares exp resultsWorks with PI on interpreting data

Searchesrelated to issue

Checks otherauthors & terms

Identifies emerging issues.Presents issues as discovered.

Discusses data & guides next steps

Phone callsEmail

Phone, Email,Papers, Responses

Finds areas of common interest;Through articles, conferences, etc.

Review of exps, papers, grants

F2F Conversation

Faculty, Teaching

Article submission,Article review

Editing ofjournal

Doctoral, Post-doc, RA

Center Director

- Establishes overall research agenda- Develops research funding, leads grant writing

- Reviews & contributes to experimental work- Writes & contributes to research articles

- Edits & leads RNA Journal- Editorial reviewer for top journals

- Study section reviewer for NIH & NSF

GrantingAgencies(NIH, NSF)

Research Collaborators

- Conducts related independent research- Provides complementary skills, projects- Provides access to equipment or tools- Contributes details and references to

manuscripts

Grant proposals

Grant review,Study section

RNA Molecular BiologyScientific Community

Competing proposals

PotentialCollabs

Articles, Review

RNA Center & Staff

Articles, Review

Information task flow model, by role (Jones, from Contextual Design diagram)

Into deliverable models

Artifacts Analysis

Identification & analysis of (physical) cognitive artifacts adapted for performing tasks of interest. Cognitive memory & task aids useful for design.

Elsevier Health Sciences: Nursing Information Needs Field Study

PersonasElsevier Health Sciences: Procedures Consult User Research

Patterns in a case lifecycle

Initialresearch onlocal & staterules

3 motionsfiled

Research toanalyzeresponse

Oppositionresponsereviewed

Initial review andidentifying issues

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Courthearings

Research for responsesto opposing motions

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CourtrequestedMemos ofLaw

Internalmemoto partner

Appeal brief

Developingarguments inMemorandum

Comprehensiveargument developed for

Appellate BriefResearch for 3

motions, 6 courtdocuments filed

Courtdecidesin favor -Appeal filed

Motions todismiss

Other issuesremaining

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June 03

Also win Appeal, butother issues remain

LexisNexis: Small Law User Needs Analysis – 2004

To Deliverables,

ReportsPresentationsCommunications

Where do we actually design?

- Wireframes >> Prototypes - Personas >> Shared user models- Scenarios Workflows >> Interaction models- Analytical Models >> Navigation & Integration

After a series of iterations with product, developers, visual design …

Research to Design is the “fuzzy back-end”

- Less process than it appears- Negotiation among multiple

POVs- Transforms data to

interpretations to models to pictures to

decisions- A collaborative decision

making process