User Research Friday November 7, 2008 Research and Design Ships In The Night?

We help companies discover and act on new insights about their customers and themselves

Warning: Ideas are in their infancy

“ Design?” “Research?” – Not gonna go there!

Design without research?

1. Be very smart, very lucky, and…

1. Be very smart, very lucky, and…

1. Be very smart, very lucky, and…

1. Be very smart, very lucky, and…

1. Be very smart and very lucky

1. Be very smart and very lucky

2. Ask questions you know the answers to

3. Design for yourself

3. Design for yourself

4. If you can’t ask anything well, don’t ask anything at all

Research without design?

1. Design your research artifacts

1. Design your research artifacts Provide feedback Fewer steps isn’t easier Make the choices clear Provide information to support choices Number the steps Explain where the process will take them and how far along they are already

Provide feedback

Fewer steps isn’t easier

Make the choices clear

Provide information to support choices

Number the steps

Explain where the process will take them and how far along they are already

2. Prototype props, not development artifacts

Houde/Hill, What Do Prototypes Prototype?

3. Transform needs into solutions

Process?

Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research ->

Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research -> Design -> Research ->

Organizational Structure?

Design research is part of design/UX

Design research is part of design/UX Design research is part of marketing

Design research is part of design/UX Design research is part of marketing Design research is embedded in BUs

Design research is part of design/UX Design research is part of marketing Design research is embedded in BUs + +

Design researchers Industrial designers Interaction designers Engineering Marketing Product management

Conclusions?

Start drinking. Keep talking.

Thank you! Portigal Consulting www.portigal.com [email_address] +1-415-385-4171