2. Probes Rikard Harr January 2011

3. © Rikard Harr 20113 Outline The beginning An example of a Probe procedure Strengths and shortcomings of the approach Probes for informing design Further development of Probes (Bernhaupt et. al, 2008) Technology Probes (Hutchinson et. al, 2003) “Misuse” of Probes (Boehner et. al, 2007) Managing relations Group task or discussion

4. © Rikard Harr 20114 The beginning What is a cultural Probe? “A probe is an instrument that is deployed to find out about the unknown – to hopefully return with useful or interesting data” (Hutchinson et. al 2003) “[…] designed objects, physical packets containing open- ended, provocative and oblique tasks to support early participants engagement with the design process” (Boehner et. al 2007) Motivation Need for new methods for new use contexts Research on technologies reflects dubious stereotypes Understanding local culture is important (Gaver et al. 1999) Wanted to capture needs and desires of tomorrow (Gaver et al 1999) User-testing involves expression and interpretation, instead of concealing it, Probes embrace it (Gaver et al. 2004)

5. © Rikard Harr 20115 A Probes procedure Hand out Probe packages –Make general use of oblique wording and evocative images to open a space of possibilities (Gaver et al 1999) –Provocation of users for getting inspiration Postcards –Images on front, questions on back e.g. “What place does art have in your life?” –Sent to researchers every now and then Maps –With an inquiry to explore the elders attitude to their environment, e.g. “where have you been in the world?” Camera –With listed picture requests on the back e.g. “what will you wear today?” Photo album and media diary –Photo album; “use 6 to 10 pictures to tell us your story” –Media diary; asked to take notes on what, with whom and when they were watching TV/ listening to radio and incoming/outgoing calls

6. © Rikard Harr 20116 Probe packages Camera Postcards Maps Friends and family map A dream recorder

7. © Rikard Harr 20117 Strength of the approach Unbiased, honest and in-situ data Gives a deep sense of familiarity with the people that might use the designs ”It is puposefully designed to inspire, reveal, and capture the forces that shape an individual and his or her life at home, work or on the move” (Harper 2003, cited in Bernhaupt et al 2008) Probe returns help designers verbalize design issues Instead of lists of facts we get stories about participants To understand these stories we need to interpret them, we need to see the volunteers through ourselves Voilá, new perspectives are provided

8. © Rikard Harr 20118 Shortcomings of the approach Difficult to compare or analyze returns –E.g. Two photographs of the spiritual centre of the home –What is the truth? Ethnography through mail Do not easily inform concrete designs The result is inspiration, not comprehensive information Low levels of Probe returns

9. © Rikard Harr 20119 Informing design Sometimes straightforward Often, returns are only one influence of many Seldom give clear guidance to the design process –”In the Bijlmer, our ideas respond to the paradox of a strong community in a dangerous area: We have proposed building a network of computer displays with which the elderly could help inhabitants communicate their values and attitudes about the culture” (Gaver et al 1999)

10. © Rikard Harr 201110 Bernhaupt et al (2008) Trends in the Living Room and Beyond Aim: to inform new kinds of iTV services and interaction concepts Method: Investigate current trends in the living room and beyond Outcome: Developed new interaction concepts and techniques Developed and tested two variations of the cultural probes method Creative cultural probing (CCP) –Provides creative stimuli to users, creative cards Playful cultural probing (PCP) –Uses playful elements to develop games in order to investigate certain research topics –Modified a card game by including research-related query cards –Also added modeling clay to help answer design-oriented questions

11. © Rikard Harr 201111 Hutchinson et al 2003 Technology probes: Inspiring Design for and with Families Aim: to design and understand the potential for new technologies that support communication among diverse, distributed, multi-generational families (Hutchinson et al 2003) Method: Implement technology and see how it is used and then reflect on this use for getting inspiration for future designs Combining the social science goal of collecting information about use in a real-world setting, the engineering goal of field-testing the technology, and the design goal of inspiring users and designers to think of new kinds of technology to support their needs Conducted ethnographic interviews before and after implementation, automatic data-gathering, workshops

12. © Rikard Harr 201112 Hutchinson et al 2003 Tech ProbePrototype FunctionalityAs simple as possibleMay have many layers of functionality FlexibilityShould be very flexible so that users can shape their own use More focused use UsabilityNot about usability, faults can be used Primary concern and design is expected to change LoggingFrequent collection of data Not a primary goal Design phaseIntroduced earlyAppear later in the process and are improved iteratively

13. © Rikard Harr 201113 “Misuse” of Probes Some use of Probes have been criticized by Gaver et al (2004) “Taking full advantage of the Probes’ potential” Distinction between intended use and real use A method with different characteristics from one case to another => a reproducible method The open-ended and provocative nature => modified for getting more expected results Instead of gathering input for reflection, inspiration etc. => data collection approach Instead of supporting an on-going design conversation => direct move from data gathering to design Is this a problem?

14. © Rikard Harr 201114 Managing relations Gaver et al (1999) used postcards ”because of their connotations as an informal, friendly mode of communication” ”Using official-looking questionnaires or formal meetings seemed likely to cast us in the role of doctors, diagnosing user problems and prescribing technological cures” (Gaver et al 1999) Designing the Probes in a suitable way, not to classy Various forms of distances and gaps –Officialdom –Geographical –Cultural –Age

15. © Rikard Harr 201115 Group task Use the experience that you have from gathering data, the litterature that you have read on this course and outside it for discussing how to create fruitful relations with respondents Create a list of five principles that a researcher should follow when conducting a specific AUR-approach or in general for creating a beneficial relation with respondents

16. © Rikard Harr 201116 Outline The beginning An example of a Probe procedure Strengths and shortcomings of the approach Probes for informing design Further development of Probes (Bernhaupt et. al, 2008) Technology Probes (Hutchinson et. al, 2003) Misuse of Probes Managing relations Group task or discussion