1. innovation insight Peter H. Jones, Ph.D. Dayton, Toronto redesignresearch.com designdialogues.net A Bag of Tricks: What is the Right Mix of Methods?

2. From User Research Design User-Centered Design as process UCD often presented as a set of methods Research to Design is not plug-and-play 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?

3. User-Centered Design as a process 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

4. Consider User Research … No standard UX research approach Nor should there be … Driven by objectives & the questions

5. 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 Survey Contextual Inquiry

6. 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)

7. How do we turn field observations:

8. Into working models:

9. Information task flow model, by role (Jones, from Contextual Design diagram) Into deliverable models

10. 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

11. Personas Elsevier Health Sciences: Procedures Consult User Research

12. Patterns in a case lifecycle LexisNexis: Small Law User Needs Analysis – 2004

13. To Deliverables, Reports Presentations Communications Where do we actually design? - Wireframes >> Prototypes - Personas >> Shared user models - Scenarios Workflows >> Interaction models - Analytical Models >> Navigation & Integration

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

15. 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