1. Observation Veal Chapter 7

3. The nature of observation Observation involves looking! Generally no involvement with the observed (who may not even be aware that they are being observed) Observation can also be structured observation methods

4. Spatial or functional Outdore: Entrances Parking areas People often locate themselves along ”edges” – such as walls, fences, banks, areas of trees The pattern of use of a site

5. Spatial or functional Built up areas: Shopping malls Buildings Museums Another example is ”space management” in the supermarket

7. Designing areas In reality people do not behave as the designers thougth they would do! Some spaces are under-used and some are over crowded Or spaces are used for other activities The patterne of movement in an exhibition can affect the information absorbed

8. Observations: Use of a Park

9. Categories

10. System of Coding

11. Finding user profiles Often preliminary observations can be used to identify features of a user profile Makes it easier to pose the right questions in a questionaire or an interview

12. Leisure on the margins Recreational drugs Grafitti and vandalism Various types of sexual activity Gambling Crowd behavior

13. Main elements 10-step model for structured observation  Site  Observation point  Time-periods  Sampling  Frequency  Zones  Etc.

14. Step 1 and 2 Make an inspection of the site at first to Choose the the site to observe Obervation points and Siutable conditions for the observation

15. Step 3, 4 and 5 Step 3: Important  Variations in use of facilities Step 4: Continuos or sampling?  Ressources available  The nature of the site  Overall design of the project Step 5: Count frequency  Depending on the rate of change in the use of the site

16. Step 6 Step 6: What to observe?  People and their positions  Different types of activities  Visitor characteristics  Visitors movements Flows in general Routes of visitors

17. Step 7 Step 7: Division of site into zones Focus on each zone to decide activities etc. Zones should be determined by management concerns Ideally zones:  Can be observed from one spot and are  Demarcared by natural (or other) features

18. Step 8 Step 8: Recording observational information Make a structured counting sheet  Makes data ready for analysis, presentation and spread sheets Copies of maps Free form notes

19. Step 9 Conducting the observation Structured observations  The main danger can be boredom  Important to vary work Unstructured observations  The observer is required to observe and describe what is going on and at the same time  Determine what to observe

20. Step 10 Step 10: Analysing data Structured observations:  Visual presentations  Usage patterns  Spot count data  Weighting Unstructured observations:  Readable notes  Transcripts