1 day agoMember-onlyConceptual ClassificationsThis is part of the Data Stories Series. Researchers do this all the time. Children do, too. Just watch any toddler in some fancy Montessori school — or the one on the carpet in your living room — and you’ll notice. A bright blue cube in the chubby hand. A…Design Research3 min readDesign Research3 min read
3 days agoMember-onlyResearchers as CuratorsThis is Part of the Data Stories Series A special thank you to Kenneth D. Bailey’s work on typologies and taxonomies, for having inspired this Data Story. *** What really mattered, in that data? Was it their demographic profile? Was it their job? The fact they were on good terms…Qualitative Research2 min readQualitative Research2 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyWhy we categorizeThis is part of the Data Stories Series. I was looking through the data set, sifting through for any preliminary clues. The screening interviews were scheduled for the following week. I was writing the screener questionnaire. The classification work had begun. The initial data mining had not revealed any obvious…User Research2 min readUser Research2 min read
Published in UX Collective·Mar 4, 2022Where data falls shortRationale, trust and blind spots in quantitative user research. — In our line of work, we — design researchers — often get challenged on the reliability of our methods. And as someone who has been on both sides of the data science and qualitative research fence, I can appreciate this concern. In reality, quantitative and qualitative data can and does…Qualitative Research4 min readQualitative Research4 min read
Published in #DesignResearch From the Field·Nov 10, 2020Member-onlyFlexibility meets reliability.The dilemmas we face when running interviews in the field. One of the biggest questions we face in the field pertains to bias. In every interview we construct, we — design researchers- strive for consistency. If the conditions of the experiment are identical, the results will be void of bias. …Design Research2 min readDesign Research2 min read
Published in #DesignResearch From the Field·Aug 17, 2020Member-onlyOur brand is Trust.Why design researchers need to think about processes, too. Design researchers have a tough job. In what could be considered a record time, they must build rapport — ethically and sincerely — with individuals about to disclose highly personal, sensitive stories. …Design Research2 min readDesign Research2 min read
Published in Designing for Society·Jun 5, 2020Member-onlyService Blueprints as Planification & Alignment ToolsHow designers can bring clarity to decision-makers — Service Blueprints are notorious for improving the user experience. In the case of a larger-scale project, this tool can act as a map for alignment and coordination between various initiatives. This is a function few tools currently provide for decision-makers. In this article, we first discuss how the service blueprint…Service Design4 min readService Design4 min read
Published in Design Research & Facilitation Resources·Jun 5, 2020Member-onlyVirtual Spaces inspired by Design StudiosWith remote design research work also comes challenges when it comes to setting up an environment that can truly inspire dialogue and engagement with participants. Collaborative workspaces such as Mural have cleverly reproduced the concept of rooms and boards, which mimic real-life spaces. As we were thinking through a series…Research Methods4 min readResearch Methods4 min read
Published in Mixed Methods Design Research Constructs·Jun 4, 2020Member-onlyCaring for your Interviewees Makes for Better InterviewsSimple ways to help build trust, connection and presence — For participants, the whole process of interviews can be a jumble of excitement, curiosity and stress. There is a certain degree of self-disclosure required in the process which makes one vulnerable, as they share their struggles, hopes and realities with strangers. It is our job, therefore, as design researchers, to…Interview2 min readInterview2 min read
Published in Mixed Methods Design Research Constructs·May 31, 2020Member-onlyDemos, simulations and testing for process-heavy projectsA new way to identify, select and test scenarios — Complex Processes Anyone working with cases and scenarios for process-heavy projects knows the pain of keeping track of which to model, demo and test. Process-heavy projects typically have many decision-nodes branching off into the logic flow. For the team, this translates into the following issues. Product Owner & Analyst: “How do I…Simulation4 min readSimulation4 min read
