3. Cultural probing –
a playful and innovative way of carrying out
qualitative research
Annette Böhmer, Senior Insights & Ideation Manager, Berlin, April 2013
.

4. Deutsche Telekom
Telekom Innovation Laboratories
Creation Center
Me

5. Creation Center:
A
pla&orm
for
crea-ng
ideas
based
on
human
needs.
3

6. Creation Center motto:
“Seeing
what
everyone
else
has
seen,
but
thinking
what
no
one
has
thought!”!

7. Process step 1: Research – It’s all about getting inspired.
Every
Crea-on
Center
process
starts
with
observing
the
everyday
life
of
people.
Based
on
what
we
see
in
the
research,
we
iden-fy
opportuni-es.
5

8. Therefore we give out homework.
These
“cultural
probes”
unveil
details
of
people’s
daily
life
–
secrets,
hidden
needs,
wishes,
frustra-ons…
6

9. What are cultural probes?
Hand-­‐made
self
observa-on
kits
that
help
to
collect
samples
from
people’s
lifes.
Origin:
Bill
Gaver,
Tony
Dunne,
Elena
Pacen-
introduced
this
technique
in
1999
in
the
magazine
„Interac-ons“.
Defini+on:
Cultural
probes
are
samples
from
other
people‘s
daily
lifes
–
vivid,
hap-c,
colourful,
playful,
individual
and
surprising.
To
get
them,
the
researcher
has
to
create
liRle
packages
,
“self-­‐observa-on
kits”.
7

10. Working with cultural probes:
We
are
inspiring
our
par-cipants
to
inspire
us.
8

11. Advantages of cultural probes:
Cultural
probes
are
authen-c,
tangible
and
s-cky.
Advantages:
• Authen-c
and
tangible
results
• Cost
&
-me
efficient
compared
to
home
visits
• Low
influence
of
researcher
• High
involvement
of
par-cipant
• Triggers
crea-vity
of
people
to
come
up
with
their
own
ideas
• We
are
close
to
people
without
being
there,
even
in
moments
when
people
want
to
be
leX
alone
• Helps
to
iden-fy
most
interes-ng
par-cipants
for
further
ethnographic
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deep-­‐dive
or
co-­‐crea-on
workshop

12. Downsides of cultural probes:
Cultural
probes
are
quite
-me
consuming,
you
have
to
be
crea-ve!
Downsides
• Requires
prepara-on
-me
• Needs
graphic
skills
• Might
overstrain
„normal
people“
10

13. Creating cultural probes:
Invest
as
much
effort
as
you
want
the
par-cipants
to
invest.
Rules:
• The
more
effort
you
put
into
crea-ng
the
self
observa-on
kits,
the
more
inspira-on
you
will
get
• Find
a
playful
and
unique
layout
• Speak
an
easy
to
understand
language
• Use
high
quality
material,
pens,
s-ckers,
etc
Guiding
Principle:
• Focus
the
topic
but
leave
space
for
surprises!
Recommended:
• Make
a
pretest
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• Explain
the
probes
face-­‐to-­‐face

14. Types of cultural probes:
Find
the
right
probe-­‐type
to
record
the
most
interes-ng
events.
Types
of
cultural
probes:
•
diaries
•
collec-on
bags/
jars
•
photo/
video
tasks
•
maps
•
tagging
of
objects
•
love-­‐/
hateleRers
•
issue
cards
•
screenshots
• …
12

15. Example 1: Maps.
How
can
we
enhance
community
interac-on
on
mobile
phones?
13

16. Example 2: Spontaneous videos.
A
strong
research
provides
us
with
personal,
spicy,
in-mate
and
undigested
stories.
We
sent
tasks
by
text
message
for
spontaneous
reac-ons.
14

17. Example 3: Video tasks.
It
provides
a
universal
language
that
is
understandable
for
all
involved
in
the
project.
15

18. Example 4: Collection jars.
Finds
from
people
tell
you
stories.
16

19. Example 4: Letters.
Let
people
write
leRers
–
they
contain
their
desires,
honest
opinions.
17

20. Return of Cultural Probes:
Use
the
cultural
probes
as
inspira-on
for
an
idea-on
workshop.
Co-­‐Crea+on:
• Get
the
probes
back
several
days
before
the
scheduled
workshop
• Invite
the
most
interes-ng
persons
• Let
the
par-cipants
present
their
probes
• Extract
interes-ng
insights
together
• Co-­‐create
solu-ons
• Have
fun!
18

21. Presentation of Cultural Probes:
Let
the
par-cipants
present
their
probes.
Presenta+on
Challenge:
• Select
the
most
interes-ng
probes
for
the
presenta-on
• All
selected
probes
should
get
an
addi-onal
reward
• Bonus
reward
if
someone
delivers
a
very
interes-ng
insight
• Have
fun!

22. Rewarding of Cultural Probes:
Transparent
rewarding
system
helps
to
enhance
the
quality
of
probes.
Par+cipants
get
inven+ve
depending
on
the
quality
of
their
probe:
• Put
„price
tags“
on
every
probe
• Give
an
example
of
a
probe
that
was
returned
by
somebody
else
• Make
transparent
that
only
complete
probes
will
be
rewarded
• Pay
10-­‐15€
per
hour
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23. More info about the Creation Center
Visit
our
homepage:
www.crea-on-­‐center.de
Check
out
our
book:
www.unternehmen-­‐idee.de
Like
us
on
facebook:
facebook/crea-oncenter
Thank You!
Annette.Boehmer@
telekom.de
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