Experiment with a research method
One of the goals for design thinking is gather feedback on how a design performs and/or the gap or need for action. We employ research methods to gather feedback, gather empirical data, gather evidence, to learn about needs, goals and how a design performs.
A small scale study conducted in order to develop a design brief.
The approach taken with this class is that each student chooses one or more research methods to apply to their own empirical investigation (the research project). Rather than presenting standard versions of the very many research methods available, each student is expected to identify and independently search for method-relevant research articles to inform their understanding, inspire their own devised research method structure, and apply their chosen method to their own project. In summary: choose a method; devise a protocol (informed by investigating the literature on the method); apply the method to investigate user interaction in the world; gather data and insights to inform future design interventions to address needs and issues.
Scope
You can select from the lists offered below (The Methods Finder, The IDEO Methods Cards, The NN/g Nielsen Norman Group UX Research Methods library, or a research methods book from the UCD library).
- Protocol: Devise some steps and instructions to apply the research method to the scenario.
- Evidence: Gather some data - test the protocol by applying your instructions to an example scenario.
- Results: 1 (one) page write-up to present your findings and analysis.
Seek inspiration for your chosen research method using:ororor
A research method to be the holistic approach taken to gather data, an overall approach taken to gather data. Interviews, observation studies, etc. are research methods. You can of course employ more than one research method to gather data.
The protocol/recipe for a method sets out the steps you've followed, the method description, a recipe as such. The protocol describes the chosen research method sufficient that someone else could follow the same steps and end up generating much the same data and analysing it in much the same way.
For example an observation study will involve steps like gathering evidence (photographic, text, or audio or something else) perhaps writing contemporaneous field notes; saving, transcribing and preparing the data in some way (anonymising it, or removing duplicates, etc.); analysis (selecting important elements, counting things, etc.).
Context/Scenario:
Identify a scenario - using some tech or object to attain a goal.Possible examples might be:
- Parcel drop services + returning a parcel
- Anything with a touchscreen + e.g. pay for transaction
- UCD directional maps online and on-campus + e.g. go from bus stop to the sports centre
- Dublin Bus website + arrival time of the next 46A
- ATM machine + make a deposit
- Train/LUAs ticketing + pick up a pre-paid ticket
- Supermarket Self-service checkout machines + apply discount coupon
- Copier machines at the Copi-Print system + print a colour A3 poster
- UCard Top-up + find balance
- Printer + print an email
- Kindle or other E-reader + purchase a book
- Brightspace (from student’s perspective) + submit an assignment
- Alarm System + review the alarm log
- Airport Self-service Checkin + checkin online and checkin bag at tag and drop
- Online Shopping website + search for a specific size shoe
- UCD Library catalogue + find a book by <name>
- Stairs + fire drill
- Doorways + enter/leave the building using a wheelchair
- Queuing in a café + order and payment activities
- Anywhere with a queue + maintaining Covid social distance
Evaluation:
Discussion of findings.
Comment on usefulness of method.
Comment on the form of the data.
Comment on ways to analyse the data.
Comment on how to interpret the data.
Suggest ways of scaling or improving the protocol.
Note method-relevant research articles for the protocol.
