This week in 501 we looked at research methods.
All of our projects will begin with research. This research will determine the outcome of our design and it is vital that it is taken seriously as it could harm in end result.
Daniel took us through a very intuitive presentation on research methods and how to begin. If we have an idea for our projects, the first thing we need to ask ourselves is, does this need to exist? If not, then what is the real point in designing it?
There are several ways that we can justify an idea and that is mainly through user research. We need to find out from people if our idea will serve a real purpose. The main methods that I am familiar with are user interviews, customer reviews (mainly for improving an existing product/ service), and surveys. It will all depend on what the project is about in terms of which of these is most effective but for me, I am trying to improve on an existing service, so I can use all of these to gather existing data and analytics on customers.
From what I’ve learned, when customer research isn’t carried out, and the start of project isn’t justified by any real data, it can be damaging on a business financially. This is why the research is the most important stage of the design process.
Daniel gave us a bit of a refresh on the different types of research there is: Qualitative and Quantitative. These two types of research must be used a certain stages of the research phase.
From what I’ve learned in Tuesdays class, Qualitative research is best used at the beginning of the research phase as it gives for more broad insights. You can gather more information on the wider subject and allow customers give their opinions.
Quantitative research is more factual and structured, where you would have a specific need. The questions in an interview and surveys would be more geared towards a specific objective. This type of research is best used further on in the research phase when you know more about your target audience and you want to find out more granular information.
Another really interesting piece of material that Daniel shared with us on Tuesday was this diagram below. This digram shows research methods, categorised to show how they are carried out and what type of research fall under. This will come in handy as I progress through my research.
Another useful diagram that Daniel shared was this one below. Highlighting the importance of constant research throughout the project. This will help justify the design consistently and ensure that I am meeting my user’s needs.
I found the following image very interesting as it outlines the research phase on a high level. For my project, I will need to define my primary user groups, pick appropriate techniques for involving users in some qualitative research methods and after I have conducted my research, I’ll need to validate and analyse my findings so that I can create concrete user requirements. When I have these requirements, I’ll then be able to structure more specific questions for my users.
Validating an analysing my findings can be done in several ways. Card sorting is my preference when organising and prioritising information. Affinity maps enable me to combine all of my user research and categories it based on different things such as interface and usability. From this, I can see trends and patterns in my research. This will give an idea of the direction I should take in terms of a solution.
On Tuesday, we were also set a research task to help us understand how we should tackle research for our own projects.
The objective of the task was to structure a research plan for a blended learning tool. This could be to upgrade an existing tool or develop a brand new tool. Our group decided to upgrade Blackboard as it has some clear issues associated with it’s navigation and complexity.