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Research and Development Methods

Parsons New School of Design

Design + Management

Fall 2011

Amanda Wirth

Strategy Consultant, DEGW

[email protected]

How to study people in order to design better.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Group Sessions

Group Sessions defined

• Social Studies

• observational studies of social groups and their dynamics, may

include intercept or in-context interviews

•

Conducting Group Sessions| Research and Development Methods | A. Wirth


• Social Studies



• Focus Group

• structured group interview or engagement that quickly gets at

people’s attitudes and perceptions or elicits their feedback and input

•



• Social Studies



• Focus Group

• structured group interview or engagement that quickly gets at

people’s attitudes and perceptions or elicits their feedback and input

• Stakeholder Engagements

• group engagements or working sessions held with project

stakeholders (project team, client, implementors, users)


Group Sessions - types of engagements


Engagement

Level

Stage in Process

Feet On

Hands On

Minds On

Training

Work Session

Safari

Deep Dive

Workshop /

Charrette

Jam Session

Simulation

Work-Out /

Thinkshop

Immersion

Any Clarify / Ideate Develop / Implement

Focus Group

Tom Mulhern, Gensler, 2010

Safari / Field Work


TRAINING

DURATION Hours

GROUP SIZE S M L XL XXL

STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

INTRODUCING

ETHNOGRAPHY

ETHNOGRAPHY

APPLIED

MINDSET

TOOLSET

SKILLSET

ACTIVITIESDe!ne objectivesIdentify skillsLectureTeachDiscussRe"ectDescribeModelWatchListenLearn

ENVIRONMENTSO#siteTraining spaceIn the !eld

INFORMATIONTraining materialReference materialClass-generated content

OBJECTSTraining materialsHands-on objectsWhiteboard/Flip ChartPost-itMarker LaptopTableChairStu# to write on/withProjector/ScreenPodium/Lectern

USERSTrainer/sTraineesInvited speaker


Work Session


WORK SESSION

ACTIVITIESReview progressListenLearnDiscussPerform tasks…review data …code data…sort information…generate ideas…develop ideas

DURATION Hours


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Days

STAGES

ENVIRONMENTSWork areaExhibitWall areaTable area

INFORMATIONProjected presentationWork material …notebook…photo …database…post-it…video…reference

OBJECTSTableChairPost-itMarker LaptopStu! to write on/withWhiteboard/Flip ChartProjector/ScreenConference phonePodium/LecternFood/DrinkDigital display

USERSPresenterClient/SponsorClient teamInternal teamInvited guestsFacilitator

3

T

Somewhere between a meeting and a workshop lies the work session. The goals are more bounded, less exploratory. The setting is less formally chosen and con!gured. The work may be more prosaic. But this too is a venue to build trust through shared goals.


Jam Session / Crowdsource


JAM SESSION/CROWDSOURCE

DURATION Days


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

ACTIVITIESGenerate ideasDiscuss (online)Discuss (in person)Read others’ ideas

ENVIRONMENTSOnline “area”Gathering place (physical)

INFORMATIONInstructionsStimulusIdeas

OBJECTSComputer/Keyboard/MouseExhibit

USERSParticipantConributor

Imagine a workshop spread out over continents or at least loctions. Imagine if you could draw on the ideas and passions of thousands of people. This is Jam – invented by Keith Yamashita for IBM – but replicated in many ways by others since. And by the way, that Avatar belongs to Sam Palmisano of IBM.


Workshop / Charrette


WORKSHOP/ CHARRETTE

ACTIVITIESIntroducePresentListenLearnDiscussTeachPlayEatEngage …explore …create…brainstorm…make lists…envision…choose …express …shareEat/Drink

DURATION Hours


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Days

STAGES

ENVIRONMENTS“O! site”Meeting space Breakout spaceTable areaExhibit

INFORMATIONExhibitProjected informationHandoutGround rulesStimulus…research data…inspiration material…thought starterTool…pre-printed templates…form…reference …exercise instructions

OBJECTSTableChairPost-itMarkerWhiteboard/Flip ChartArt suppliesFood & DrinkProjector/ScreenConstructive toyCreative toyReference materialTechnology sampleWork tools

USERSPresenterClient/SponsorClient teamInternal teamInvited guestFacilitator

19STRATEGIC INTENTA ROADMAP FOR THE GOODYEAR AKRON WORKPLACE18

Goodyear’s Akron team can already feel how it will be to work There.

In workshops, surveys and conversations, Goodyear Akron associates have told us about and showed us the kind of workplace they envi-sion. Associate vision is well aligned with leadership intent.

Associates will think…

I feel welcome, respected, appreciated and safe.”

Partners will believe…

!ey’re really pushing the edges here.”

Visitors will feel…

I am at Goodyear. Only here could I see...”

Recruits will say…

!is is a world class innovative company.”

“

“

“

“

Workshops (ideas) and Charrettes (visualizations) guide conversation away from mere words and abstractions. They aim at real deliverables: a concrete concept, a great design. The shared tasks of a workshop help people connect to one another, not only to ideas.


Deep Dive


DEEP DIVE

DURATION Days


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

Confidential, for FedEx, Steelcase and MBI use only

FedEx IME Deep Dive Process

42

PROTOTYPE WORKSTATION

ACTIVITIESFind needsTell storiesExplore technologyDicussListenLearnEducate BrainstormPrototypeTestEat/Drink

ENVIRONMENTSO!siteOutdoorsMeeting spaceFlip chart areaLabShop

INFORMATIONProjected presentationWork material …notebook…photo …database…post-it…video…referenceIdeas

OBJECTSWhiteboard/Flip ChartPost-itMarker LaptopTableChairStu! to write on/withProjector/ScreenPrototyping stu!Technology samplesFood/Drink

USERSExpertNon-expertCustomer/Consumer/UserDesignerClient teamInvited guestFacilitatorScribe

This is the signature product of IDEO. I think it’s success lies in its full-throttle embrace of the thrill of the creative process. The enthusiasm and crazy ambition of a Deep Dive takes people to a level of personal connection to the innovation process that few other engagements can match. But it’s crazy hard to sell.


Safari / Field Work


SAFARI/ FIELD WORK

DURATION Days


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

ACTIVITIESLearn methodsInterviewObserveDocumentRecordDiscussListenLearn

ENVIRONMENTS“The Field”…home…workplace…store…school…hospital…street…car

INFORMATIONField bookUser informationChecklistGuide book

OBJECTSCameraNotebookRecorderTemplate

USERSGuideCustomer/consumer/userResearch specialistInternal teamClient teamTechnician

DOBLIN GROUP CONFIDENTIAL — FOR ALAMO USE ONLY the rental process — variations and problems 15

Leave rental site

4.Frequently asked questions:

You need to see my paperwork again?Can the security person verify thisscratch was here before?How do I get out to the highway?There’s another line to get out?What if they tell me I forgot to dosomething and I have to go back?

At some sites customers can just drive out,but most require another paperwork check.

Last chance to clarify dings and scratchesCustomers think they’re almost free to go butsometimes more bureaucracy awaits.

First get luggage and car in the same placeThis man is loading his luggage in the exit lane,causing a major bottleneck because it is the onlylane open…

Get last-minute directions

While lots of applied ethnography practitioners do this, I always associate it most strongly with my friends at Jump. I think that the success of an innovation Safari is, like a regular safari, strongly dependent on the qualities of its Guide. The Guide does more than show...the guide helps you see.


Simulation


SIMULATION

DURATION Hours


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

ACTIVITIESListenLearnExplain rulesExplain materialsPass out materialsAnswer questionsFill out formsCross-present

ENVIRONMENTSMeeting areaBreakout space

INFORMATIONProjected infoRulesTemplate

OBJECTSSimulation materialsWhiteboard/Flip ChartPost-itMarker LaptopTableChairStu! to write on/withProjector/Screen

USERSFacilitatorInvited guestScribe Client teamClient/Sponsor

Real Estate Consolidation Analysis l Compression Calculators As organizations adjust staffing to the economy, they need to decide how to treat excess real estate. The options really aren’t as overwhelming as you may think, but the right answer isn’t always obvious. Gensler has developed a tool, Compression Calculators, to help Facilities teams model the options – in the end there are really only six, as shown in the chart below. To choose the right one, we have to model the impact to short-term expense, long-term structural cost, productivity and morale impact as well as long-range implications. How we use the Calculators… 1. Identify the organization’s most pressing

Issues (consolidation, growth, market position, etc).

2. Prioritize current and future goals such as: Portfolio Reduction Increased utilization Enhance space functionality Increased operating efficiency Cost efficiency Utilization of existing infrastructure Change business adjacencies Minimize disruptions Alternative Workplace Strategy Sustainability

Note, the rigorous way to do this may involve other Gensler Workplace Discovery tools and processes including the WPI, Observation, 4-1-Where. But it is also possible to proceed from conversation.

3. Gather other applicable guidelines, policies, procedures and information that may affect real estate, populating the Compression Worksheet with appropriate assumptions about rents, operating expenses and construction costs.

4. Identify areas of maximum opportunity for deeper study – in an Portfolio Analysis. A full-blown Portfolio Analysis, described on the next page, is a natural follow-on to the Compression Calculator.

For more on this tool, visit www.4-1-where.com/compressioncalculators

Simulations are true experiential learning. Rather than playing a game to get ideas (brainstorming), a simulation is a game that helps you build skills – critical thinking, decision-making, interpretation. It is a powerful way to help people build a strong sense for implementation challenges.


Work-Out / Thinkshop


WORK-OUT/ THINKSHOP

ACTIVITIESDe!ne objectivesLearn methodologyReview dataListenLearnDiscussPerform tasks…map process…root cause analysis…de!ne requirements…identify cost savings…brainstorm ideasEat/Drink

DURATION Days


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

ENVIRONMENTSO"siteWork areaWhite boardOpen spaceBreak out spaceFood areaRelaxation area

INFORMATIONProjected presentationWork material …notebook…photo …database…post-it…video…reference

OBJECTSWhiteboard/Flip ChartPost-itMarker LaptopTableChairStu" to write on/withProjector/ScreenConference phonePodium/LecternFood/DrinkDigital display

USERSPresenterClient/SponsorClient teamInternal teamInvited guestFacilitator

A special case of workshop is the work-out (GE term) or “thinkshop,” such as those produced by CapGemi-ni’s Accelerated Solutions Environment. These have tightly de!ned goals and very structured facilitation.


Immersion


IMMERSION

ACTIVITIESGet orientedWalk aroundTry outTouchInvestigateListenLearnDiscussParticipate

DURATION Minutes


STRUCTURE

ENGAGE MENT

PREP TIME Weeks

STAGES

ENVIRONMENTS“O! site”Exhibit space Individual exhibit areaEntry areaEngagement areaExit areaVirtual link

INFORMATIONExhibitOrientation to spaceProjected informationHand-outComputer-hosted infoParticipant-generatedFeedback mechanism

OBJECTSExhibit boardLightingDigital displayProjector/screenArtifact/PrototypeInformation kiosk

USERSGuideClient/SponsorClient teamInternal teamInvited guestOutside expert

SYP Johnson & Johnson

Great information immersions help people experience the thrill of discovering things they did not know. Immersions give people time to think. Yet they are also often quite static in their content and presentation, more like a walk- through presentation than a real experience.


Group Sessions - structure

• Target Audience — identify the right participants for your group

• Scope — understand the scope of your research and what can be

covered in a group session

• Topics — identify the topics that fall within your scope and are

appropriate for the target audience

• Activities — if the group session will include facilitated activities,

determine what might uncover insights related to your topics

• Schedule — create an agenda for the group session that will provide

structure and flexibility


Group Sessions - tips for structure

• Experience — add a sense of fun and humor

• Connection — display empathy and understanding

• Structure — have a plan and be flexible

• Novelty — do something different

• Guidance — facilitate the group and capture comments


Group Sessions - moderating

• Always in control — direct the discussion with subtle verbal cues and

body language

• Always moving forward — monitor the flow of the conversation and

introduce topics at appropriate times

• Nonjudgemental — act as a mediator, help participants express their

views without stifling theirs with your own

• Respectful — must show respect for participants at all times, even if

you do not agree with them

• Prepared — know enough about the topics to be able to follow-up on

participants’ statements with specific questions


Group Sessions - tips for moderating

• Spend some time with the group beforehand

• Stick to the guide, but be opportunistic

• Engage everyone in the discussion and activities

• Avoid introducing new terminology and concepts

• Restrict your body language

• Clarify comments and restate ideas

• Probe for alternative perspectives

• Don’t dominate the discussion

• Provide time to think

• Use humor when appropriate

• Keep the energy level high

• Give people a break


Group Sessions:example activites

Culture Cards


Day-in-Life


Jigsaw


Space Mix-n-Match


Sandbox


For more details on the topics discussed in today’s class

please reference:

• Design Research: Methods and Perspectives

• “Research Methods for Designing Effective Experiences”

Nathan Shedroff

• Observing the User Experience - Chapter 9: Focus Groups

Conducting Group Session| Research and Development Methods | A. Wirth

Research and Development Methods€¦ · Learn ENVIRONMENTS O# site Training space In the ! eld INFORMATION Training material Reference material Class-generated content OBJECTS Training

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