This document discusses design research practices and provides "tips" on how to misrepresent research findings. Some of the tips include:
1) Skewing research subjects to favor desired outcomes and avoiding diversity.
2) Using leading questions to influence responses and only presenting data that supports preconceived ideas.
3) Deliberately misrepresenting data through misleading visualizations and cherry-picking findings while ignoring inconvenient results.
4) Making claims seem credible by making numbers more specific, even if they are fabricated.
The document is meant as satire to critique practices that compromise the integrity of design research.
Visual and Creative Thinking:What We Learned From Peter Pan and Willy WonkaKelsey Ruger
Presentation on Visual and Creative Thinking. The presentation explores how professional in all fields can apply creative and visual thinking skills to their work as well as why people ignore the talents that made them naturally creative as children. He will discuss the myths that people hold about creativity, why they exist and how you can overcome them.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the biggest global award show in brand communications and an annual gathering of creative industry professionals. Landor is excited to have had the opportunity to share its insights at Cannes with some of the world’s top creative minds.
The lies that we tell ourselves for our beloved Startups.
We’re all too ashamed to admit it, of course, but at one point everybody who is starting up a business thought at least one of the following. Don't we?
We know creative development research can sometimes feel like a way to kill great ideas. And we think that sucks. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t ever happen to you (again). Read on to learn how!
This 36 pages free eBook is a collection of 17 practical exercises for artists. I have learnt some of them over the years and designed some to fulfil my own needs. I am a painter, so most of these exercises are visual ones. However, many of them do not require specific artistic skills and are suitable for anyone regardless of their age or level of artistic ability.
These exercises are varied and you probably already own most of the required materials.
You can use them as warm-up before you start a new project or as a way to explore new avenues. I also hope teachers will use these exercises in their classes as they are great fun.
Visual and Creative Thinking:What We Learned From Peter Pan and Willy WonkaKelsey Ruger
Presentation on Visual and Creative Thinking. The presentation explores how professional in all fields can apply creative and visual thinking skills to their work as well as why people ignore the talents that made them naturally creative as children. He will discuss the myths that people hold about creativity, why they exist and how you can overcome them.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the biggest global award show in brand communications and an annual gathering of creative industry professionals. Landor is excited to have had the opportunity to share its insights at Cannes with some of the world’s top creative minds.
The lies that we tell ourselves for our beloved Startups.
We’re all too ashamed to admit it, of course, but at one point everybody who is starting up a business thought at least one of the following. Don't we?
We know creative development research can sometimes feel like a way to kill great ideas. And we think that sucks. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t ever happen to you (again). Read on to learn how!
This 36 pages free eBook is a collection of 17 practical exercises for artists. I have learnt some of them over the years and designed some to fulfil my own needs. I am a painter, so most of these exercises are visual ones. However, many of them do not require specific artistic skills and are suitable for anyone regardless of their age or level of artistic ability.
These exercises are varied and you probably already own most of the required materials.
You can use them as warm-up before you start a new project or as a way to explore new avenues. I also hope teachers will use these exercises in their classes as they are great fun.
Drawing Out Your Users: Using Sketch Techniques for User ResearchBennett King
Workshop Presentation from UX Speakeasy's Sketchcamp San Diego on October 6th, 2012.
This presentation centers on using sketching techniques as another form of data collection for user research. The presentation covers the reasons for using sketching, some background behind origins in Psychology, and three activities which can be used during research.
To be good user experience folks, we need to crack open some psych 101 textbooks, learn what motivates people and then bake these ideas into our designs.
The Referable Seven outlines and describes the seven universal factors/reasons why people refer business and professional to others. It provides case examples and questions to help you think of ways you can get more referrals now.
In school we learn to write as a fundamental building block for communication, and drawing is shunted away to “art class.” But scientists like Darwin and Marie Curie, presidents from Jefferson to Obama, and mathematicians, choreographers, and composers all have used sketching to give form to their ideas. Words are abstract and ambiguous, and can lead to miscommunication. We say a picture is worth a thousand words, so why do we discard this critical tool?
Drawing is not just for so-called creatives. Drawing allows you to ideate, communicate, and collaborate with your team. Stop talking around your vision, and get it on the whiteboard where your team can see it! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an engineer, or a product manager, drawing will make you better at your job. In this workshop, you will go from “can’t draw a straight line” to visually representing complex ideas. First, we’ll demystify the act of sketching. Through a series of activities and exercises, we’ll cover the fundamental building blocks of visual communication. You’ll learn easy ways to draw the most common images, from people to interfaces. Next, we’ll tackle making storyboards, product flows, and interfaces. We’ll finish by working with charts, mental models, and canvases. This is a hands-on workshop, so come with paper, pencils, and pens, and be ready to make your mark.
Is your website losing you customers? Suffolk Chamber of Commerce talk by Cra...Crafted
Online, first impressions count. When landing on your website, customers take just seconds to decide whether to look around or hit the ‘back’ button, returning to the search engine and jumping to your competitor’s site. If your website is badly designed, poorly worded or just plain confusing, it could be losing you money.
This short seminar will help you to make your website work harder for your business. User experience expert, Barnie Mills from Crafted will explore what makes a successful website, helping you to boost enquiries and improve online sales. Looking at design and content , the session will outline helpful tweaks to boost the performance of your existing site and the considerations for creating one from scratch.
The Great State of Design with CSS Grid Layout and FriendsStacy Kvernmo
For far too long we've been forced to reuse layout patterns that have worked in the past, creating a web full of sites that all look the same. Narrow timelines, browser support restrictions and lack of a true grid system have led us to create work that is "good enough".
I've spent years exploring how we can make the web a more unique space. With some of the newer CSS techniques available, we can start to make more creative designs. CSS Grid Layout is on the horizon and will play a major role in the design of our sites. Finally having a true, 2 dimensional grid will give our layouts much more flexibility and it is on us to explore the possibilities.
This talk was presented at CSS Day 2016.
Creating great decks: The Origins, the "Why", and 12 Tips to Make Yours Better.Digital Surgeons
A big part of what we do is in the story we tell and how it’s presented. You’re probably thinking… decks, decks, and more decks. We hate em’, yet we love the good ones. There’s a certain formula that is used for every impactful story, speech, slide, and keynote. In this presentation we take a step back and really try to look at the elements of an impactful presentation. We've codified all of what goes into making a great deck, starting with the origins, the why, and ending with few tips to help elevate yours for whatever purposes they serve.
Whiteboard Warrior at the Stanford d.school 2/14/15Molly Wilson
Notebook Neophyte to Whiteboard Warrior is a d.school pop-up class on the fundamentals of visual communication. @katerutter and I teach it. More info at http://whiteboardwarrior.org.
In this lecture, I changed the format and invited my class to learn form playing games and exercises to boost creativity. The students loved these games, and participated enthusiastically in this format of learning!
Design methodology presentation - Cloneography by Antonisia SchroderAntonisia Schroder
A description of the design methodology behind an art project combining design principles and scientific thinking.
For an MA being studied for at the University of East London.
Drawing Out Your Users: Using Sketch Techniques for User ResearchBennett King
Workshop Presentation from UX Speakeasy's Sketchcamp San Diego on October 6th, 2012.
This presentation centers on using sketching techniques as another form of data collection for user research. The presentation covers the reasons for using sketching, some background behind origins in Psychology, and three activities which can be used during research.
To be good user experience folks, we need to crack open some psych 101 textbooks, learn what motivates people and then bake these ideas into our designs.
The Referable Seven outlines and describes the seven universal factors/reasons why people refer business and professional to others. It provides case examples and questions to help you think of ways you can get more referrals now.
In school we learn to write as a fundamental building block for communication, and drawing is shunted away to “art class.” But scientists like Darwin and Marie Curie, presidents from Jefferson to Obama, and mathematicians, choreographers, and composers all have used sketching to give form to their ideas. Words are abstract and ambiguous, and can lead to miscommunication. We say a picture is worth a thousand words, so why do we discard this critical tool?
Drawing is not just for so-called creatives. Drawing allows you to ideate, communicate, and collaborate with your team. Stop talking around your vision, and get it on the whiteboard where your team can see it! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an engineer, or a product manager, drawing will make you better at your job. In this workshop, you will go from “can’t draw a straight line” to visually representing complex ideas. First, we’ll demystify the act of sketching. Through a series of activities and exercises, we’ll cover the fundamental building blocks of visual communication. You’ll learn easy ways to draw the most common images, from people to interfaces. Next, we’ll tackle making storyboards, product flows, and interfaces. We’ll finish by working with charts, mental models, and canvases. This is a hands-on workshop, so come with paper, pencils, and pens, and be ready to make your mark.
Is your website losing you customers? Suffolk Chamber of Commerce talk by Cra...Crafted
Online, first impressions count. When landing on your website, customers take just seconds to decide whether to look around or hit the ‘back’ button, returning to the search engine and jumping to your competitor’s site. If your website is badly designed, poorly worded or just plain confusing, it could be losing you money.
This short seminar will help you to make your website work harder for your business. User experience expert, Barnie Mills from Crafted will explore what makes a successful website, helping you to boost enquiries and improve online sales. Looking at design and content , the session will outline helpful tweaks to boost the performance of your existing site and the considerations for creating one from scratch.
The Great State of Design with CSS Grid Layout and FriendsStacy Kvernmo
For far too long we've been forced to reuse layout patterns that have worked in the past, creating a web full of sites that all look the same. Narrow timelines, browser support restrictions and lack of a true grid system have led us to create work that is "good enough".
I've spent years exploring how we can make the web a more unique space. With some of the newer CSS techniques available, we can start to make more creative designs. CSS Grid Layout is on the horizon and will play a major role in the design of our sites. Finally having a true, 2 dimensional grid will give our layouts much more flexibility and it is on us to explore the possibilities.
This talk was presented at CSS Day 2016.
Creating great decks: The Origins, the "Why", and 12 Tips to Make Yours Better.Digital Surgeons
A big part of what we do is in the story we tell and how it’s presented. You’re probably thinking… decks, decks, and more decks. We hate em’, yet we love the good ones. There’s a certain formula that is used for every impactful story, speech, slide, and keynote. In this presentation we take a step back and really try to look at the elements of an impactful presentation. We've codified all of what goes into making a great deck, starting with the origins, the why, and ending with few tips to help elevate yours for whatever purposes they serve.
Whiteboard Warrior at the Stanford d.school 2/14/15Molly Wilson
Notebook Neophyte to Whiteboard Warrior is a d.school pop-up class on the fundamentals of visual communication. @katerutter and I teach it. More info at http://whiteboardwarrior.org.
In this lecture, I changed the format and invited my class to learn form playing games and exercises to boost creativity. The students loved these games, and participated enthusiastically in this format of learning!
Design methodology presentation - Cloneography by Antonisia SchroderAntonisia Schroder
A description of the design methodology behind an art project combining design principles and scientific thinking.
For an MA being studied for at the University of East London.
A talk given at Adaptive Path's MX Conference in March 2010. Don't bother downloading or viewing the slides--they don't make sense without the audio. You have to do the Slidecast. C'mon, it's only 5 minutes!
Unfortunately, you can't hear the gasp from the audience when we got to slide 12.
Talk given at Voices That Matter: Web Design in 2009. Although the examples are from web, it is equally (if not more) applicable to desktop, device, and mobile applications as well.
A talk on the challenges facing market research, especially qualitative research, in an era of ROI.
Is qual actually helping us make better decisions? Or has it failed to keep up with the world around it?
A few of my top-of-mind takeaways from this year's Planningness event. Be sure to check out my original piece for more context and details: bit.ly/1sbEu6n
The communications industry is in a period of massive change. It is a time when more than ever, we need to be grounded in an understanding of people’s evolving behaviour and needs. But at this moment of opportunity the industry is waking up to the fact that instead of leading the way, a lot of qualitative research is based on faulty assumptions, has not kept up with cultural change or scientific learning about how the brain works, and may actually be hindering success. This is not the fault of researchers: most companies use market research poorly and don’t ask for innovation in research. But this situation runs the risk of damaging qualitative research’s value and credibility at a time when it is most needed; and researchers, clients, and agencies need to work together to win that credibility back.
Ian Pierpoint has worked in Marketing, Research and Planning for 30 years. To celebrate he posted 30 lessons on Linkedin over 30 days and people seemed to like it.
Ringling College of Art & Design: Content and Social MediaAutumn Sullivan
Had a wonderful conversation with students from Ringling College of Art & Design. What is, and what isn't, content, tips on strategy and creation, and how social media marketing works (and how it doesn't).
How to Rock a Presentation by Cynthia Hartwig at Two PensCynthia Hartwig
Cynthia Hartwig shares hard won presentation experience gained over 30 years of advertising and business communication pitches in How to Rock a Presentation. Learn how to make blended presentations, get away from being enslaved by PowerPoint, and figure out how to tell stories that make an audience connect with you.
"The Subtle Art of Getting Noticed" - 2012 CCCU PR/Comm ConferenceThe Image Group
Presented by:
Layne Fuller
Jason Kehrer
Ed Van Poolen
Good communication tells your story in a way that speaks to your audiences and stands out from the other college advertising. It is important that your messages are relevant and that your creative is really, really good. In this session we will help you understand how to build on research and strategy, and start to think critically about creativity and communication. We will break down keys to creative communication and provide tips for finding insights.
Use 3FE, The Critical Thinker's Tool for Motivational Empowerment in order to Lock The Job and claim your career, courtesy of BDPA Atlanta President, UNITE Founder, author, speaker, and inventor, D.S. Brown
How to Pitch Your Shareholders Like the Media (and get support for your ideas) Terri Trespicio
How do you get someone to listen to, let alone buy into, your ideas? Whether you're pitching external clients, internal clients, your boss, or your boss's boss, you need to understand how people listen (and why they tune out).
In this keynote address, given at Brand Experience Magazine's 2018 BXPLive event, branding pro Terri Trespicio, former editor at Martha Stewart and co-creator of Lights Camera Expert, gives you a new model and mindset for pitching your ideas.
Find out how to position your pitch and approach everyone from clients to the C-Suite using tools that experts and authors use to get media attention—so that you're in a better position to attract resources, recognition, and support for your efforts.
Skye Residences | Extended Stay Residences Near Toronto Airportmarketingjdass
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RMD24 | Retail media: hoe zet je dit in als je geen AH of Unilever bent? Heid...BBPMedia1
Grote partijen zijn al een tijdje onderweg met retail media. Ondertussen worden in dit domein ook de kansen zichtbaar voor andere spelers in de markt. Maar met die kansen ontstaan ook vragen: Zelf retail media worden of erop adverteren? In welke fase van de funnel past het en hoe integreer je het in een mediaplan? Wat is nu precies het verschil met marketplaces en Programmatic ads? In dit half uur beslechten we de dilemma's en krijg je antwoorden op wanneer het voor jou tijd is om de volgende stap te zetten.
Premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions for Modern BusinessesSynapseIndia
Stay ahead of the curve with our premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions. Our expert developers utilize MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js to create modern and responsive web applications. Trust us for cutting-edge solutions that drive your business growth and success.
Know more: https://www.synapseindia.com/technology/mean-stack-development-company.html
LA HUG - Video Testimonials with Chynna Morgan - June 2024Lital Barkan
Have you ever heard that user-generated content or video testimonials can take your brand to the next level? We will explore how you can effectively use video testimonials to leverage and boost your sales, content strategy, and increase your CRM data.🤯
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1. How to capture video testimonials that convert from your audience 🎥
2. How to leverage your testimonials to boost your sales 💲
3. How you can capture more CRM data to understand your audience better through video testimonials. 📊
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This insightful presentation is designed to equip entrepreneurs with the essential knowledge and tools needed to accurately value their businesses. Understanding business valuation is crucial for making informed decisions, whether you're seeking investment, planning to sell, or simply want to gauge your company's worth.
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This Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit was created by ex-McKinsey, Deloitte and BCG Management Consultants, after more than 5,000 hours of work. It is considered the world's best & most comprehensive Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit. It includes all the Frameworks, Best Practices & Templates required to successfully undertake the Digital Transformation of your organization and define a robust IT Strategy.
Editable Toolkit to help you reuse our content: 700 Powerpoint slides | 35 Excel sheets | 84 minutes of Video training
This PowerPoint presentation is only a small preview of our Toolkits. For more details, visit www.domontconsulting.com
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Discover the innovative and creative projects that highlight my journey through Full Sail University. Below, you’ll find a collection of my work showcasing my skills and expertise in digital marketing, event planning, and media production.
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The Tata Group, a titan of Indian industry, is making waves with its advanced talks with Taiwanese chipmakers Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) and UMC Group. The goal? Establishing a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication unit (fab) in Dholera, Gujarat. This isn’t just any project; it’s a potential game changer for India’s chipmaking aspirations and a boon for investors seeking promising residential projects in dholera sir.
Visit : https://www.avirahi.com/blog/tata-group-dials-taiwan-for-its-chipmaking-ambition-in-gujarats-dholera/
Improving profitability for small businessBen Wann
In this comprehensive presentation, we will explore strategies and practical tips for enhancing profitability in small businesses. Tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by small enterprises, this session covers various aspects that directly impact the bottom line. Attendees will learn how to optimize operational efficiency, manage expenses, and increase revenue through innovative marketing and customer engagement techniques.
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Kyiv PMDay 2024 Summer
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How to Lie with Design Research
1. Osaka, Japan
Several years ago, I did a research project in Japan for a major retailer who wanted to expand
overseas to Japan. We went to Osaka in order to understand shopping.
9. Design Principles
Use colorful iconography to attract and
comfort customers.
The street and store interiors are not as
heavily separated in Japan as they are
in the US. Bring the street into the store.
Display space should reflect those of a street
market, with items tightly pressed together
to create impressions of bounty and variety.
Here are several design principles we came up with.
10. 1. Don’t do any design research. Make it all up.
You just got your first lesson and rule #1. All the images you just saw, I collected off Flickr in one
afternoon. Voila, saved myself a trip to Osaka. I’ve never even been to Japan.
11. How to Lie
with Design Research
Dan Saffer
If you are reading this note and you aren’t me, please understand that this presentation is meant to
be delivered Stephen-Colbert style, as deadpan comedy. Please treat the following as entirely
tongue in cheek.
12. TIP: Don’t go into the field unless you have to.
Why do research when you don't really need to? Most of the time companies are just looking to have their
ideas validated. Why not give them what they want using carefully chosen photos and quot;storiesquot; from the
internet.
13. TIP: Wacky cultural practices always impress.
For quot;internationalquot; research, be sure to throw in a couple of unexpected cultural practices to make
people feel that they've really taken the time to consider diverse perspectives.
14. The Jayson Blair Method
Named after the New York Times reporter who did his on-site reporting from his apartment in
Brooklyn. I don’t recommend this method. Why?
15. TIP: Don’t lie about the easily (dis)provable.
Why? Because like Mr. Blair, you are eventually going to get caught! There are better--although not
EASIER ways of lying with research. A really good lie is one that is untraceable and cannot be pinned
on you or easily disproved.
But let’s back up a minute.
16. Why you’re really here
I know why you all came to this fine conference with such fantastic speakers like myself. It’s really a
privilege for all of you, isn’t it? But even though I’m sure you sold this to your boss as “helping
users” or “making better products” or even “user experience” (whatever that is), it’s really all about
money isn’t it? It’s ok, you can admit it. You came because you wanted to jump on the design
research bandwagon before we’re found out and it rolls away. And I’m here to help you do that.
Lying makes it easier to cash in! We got paid 500 grand for that Osaka study!
17. Why would you ever lie about research?
Now I know some of you are saying, Why would I ever lie about design research? People lie for the
same reason they design--to turn an undesirable situation into a better one. I have an idea I want
you to act on. I don’t want to be uncomfortable or embarrassed or feel stupid. I want you to think
that I really like that shirt. I want you to think that I’m really smart. I want you to do this project.
18. Research gives your ideas more credibility.
Suppose I have an idea for this cool hypnotic lamp. Wouldn’t it be great if I had some research that
said, “Users want to be hypnotized at their desks?” That’s not really lying, is it? Distorting perhaps.
But I bet right now, you are thinking, Dan, how (theoretically) might one go about doing that?
19. Let’s assume you have a good reason for lying.
But I’m not here to judge, but to teach and heal. I’m a uniter.
20. 2. Skew the research subjects in your favor.
Rule Number 2. In design research, your data is only as good as your participants. Choose subjects
that are going to bolster your case. The smaller and more alike the sample size, the better!
21. TIP: Diversity is overrated.
Research people who aren’t diverse. Diversity is overrated when stacking the deck in your favor. If
you are making a website for an automobile manufacturer, why not interview all auto enthusiasts?
Then you can say, without lying, “Everyone we talked to said they have spent hours online looking
at car sites!”
Get bonus points for calling this not diverse group an “Unfocus Group.”
22. TIP: Make unconscious bias, conscious.
We do this anyway, right? If we have two people to choose from, we often unconsciously choose the
person that we think is going to be the most cooperative, and astonishingly, that person often looks
just like us! If we’re talking to people, why in the world would we even want to talk to people who
are different from us?
23. What Would Johnny Do?
Pick your research subjects like the late defense attorney Johnny Cochrane picked juries. You want
the right mix of people who are going to give you the outcome you want. No wild cards. Subjects
who are going to give you the results that you want when you ask them for their stories and ideas.
24. 3. Don’t be objective.
Rule number 3. Leave the objectivity to the scientists and reporters. We’re designers. Why is there
this veneer that we need to be objective in our research? We’re not out there in our lab coats like
some pinhead trying to discover a cure for cancer. Who is lying to who now?
25. My concept:leading questions. great?
Ask really great or just
If we’re not objective, we can ask leading questions. [CLICK] Then you can put in your research
findings that “Subject X thought this was a great concept.” It’s not lying if they said it, right?
26. TIP: Use carefully considered wording to lead.
“Wasn’t that a confusing experience?”
“Isn’t this a great conference?”
Remember that your research subjects are people in the unfamiliar situation of being interviewed
and observed. They want to give you what you want and are looking to you for cues. Thus, you can
easily influence their responses through the phrasing of your questions.
27. 4. Toss out data you don’t like.
Don’t let a research subject ruin your design idea. When it comes time to analyze the data, it is
essentially about culling your data, separating the wheat from the chaff. You have to use some
criteria to make those calls. Some people use things like prevalence or, on the other hand,
uniqueness. Why not use your own preferences? Don't make the mistake of letting rigor or a quest
for objectivity lead you to keep data with implications you don't want to deal with.
28. TIP: Having data doesn’t mean using it.
Why do you have to use all the data? I mean, if you didn’t ask that question or if you weren’t sitting
there observing, you might not know that piece of data at all, right? Just because something is
known, doesn’t mean we have to use it!
29. quot;[A]s we know, there are known knowns; there are
things we know we know. We also know there are
known unknowns; that is to say we know there are
some things we do not know. But there are also
unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we
don't know.quot; —Donald Rumsfeld
All you need to do is turn a known known in a known unknown. Simple enough.
30. TIP: See only what you want to see.
One way to avoid having to toss out data is to never observe it at all. Or at least not write it down.
Only look in the places you think you are going to get the data you want.
31. 5. Deliberately misrepresent the data.
Ok, once you have data, from one place or another, it’s time to present it. And it’s here that the
best lies can be told all in the name of “storytelling.” Your charts, graphs, and other visualizations
are just ways of telling a story about some data that was collected. Make sure it is YOUR story, not
the story of your subjects or the story of the data!
32. 100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2006 2007
How about this graph? Interest in adding a new feature that you want to add only went up 5 percent
over a year. It’s informative, yes. Perhaps too informative. Different approaches allow you to
highlight different aspects of the data. Don't miss this opportunity to emphasize how you were right
and suppress evidence that you weren't.
33. 100
90
55
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2006 2007
Once you chop the top and bottom and the pesky numbers off of it, now we’re talking. That looks
much better. The old saying, “A difference is only a difference if it makes a difference” doesn’t mean
anything to me.
34. TIP: Bring the zazz!
Now this graph showing why people join record clubs has a little more zazz to it. If you make your
charts colorful and fun, you pull attention away from the actual data. That way, you can spin it
however you want!
[Graph courtesy of The Onion.]
35. TIP: Make the data appear meaningful even if it isn’t.
Prove your points through nifty diagrams that mean very little but sure look awesome. We’re
designers! We’re good at making something pretty.
36. TIP: More specific = More credible
$311,294,070,513
The more specific the number you quote is, the more people think it must be correct. Anyone know
what this number is? [Click] It’s the exact amount down to the dollar Jakob Nielsen said the whole
world would save by implementing his usability recommendations. I’m surprised he didn’t put cents
in there as well. Most businesses can’t get their budgets down to dollars, but here he does it for the
entire world! Just masterful. My hat is off to you, sir.
37. ☛TIP: Make the viewer feel good.
http://www.odannyboy.com ☚
This is from Jakob Nielsen again, from his article about how everyone should write essays, not blog
posts. Very insightful, a must-read. I found it on a blog. But he says the bloggers on the left are
bozos, and those on the right are clever. Wow, he must be reading MY blog. [CLICK]
38. TIP: Trend lines going up make for good drama.
If you can show everything is moving up, up, up you’ll make your clients feel better and you’ll
probably get more work out of it! It doesn’t matter if you can’t really prove it. It’s the future, so no
one knows what is going to happen!
39. 6. Willfully confuse correlation and cause.
Rule number 6. Just because something happens in a sequence or is connected doesn’t mean the
one thing causes the other. It might be a coincidence. But coincidences don’t make for good
research presentations, do they?
40. Pick the reason you like the most.
If there are several reasonable explanations for a phenomenon, pick the one that suits you the
most.
41. TIP: With a small sample, correlations are easy!
If there are several reasonable explanations for a phenomenon, pick the one that suits you the
most. With a small enough sample, you can make a correlation between just about anything. In this
case, more cars that are blue are hit by rocks every year.
42. 7. Deliberately misinterpret data.
As anyone who has analyzed research data knows, you can take the exact same data and draw from
it multiple conclusions. This is even more true with the qualitative research that designers most
often do. Look at this image, taken on a research trip. You could look at this sign and say, Wow, the
subway really cares about its passengers, giving them this helpful sign. You could also look at this
and say, Wow, only two trips from this platform. Why is the subway so poorly marked it needs this
sign to let us know this information??? It all depends on how you want to spin the data.
43. TIP: Make unlike things seem alike in comparisons.
Death rate in Chicago, 2006: 20 per 1000
Death rate in Iraq, 2006: 10 per 1000
Thus, Chicago is more dangerous than Iraq.
Now clearly, Chicago and Iraq aren’t quite the same, but by comparing apples to oranges, I can get
you to believe that they are AND skew the data.
Oh, And I made those figures up, so don’t bother checking them.
44. “I really love using this product.”
If you divorce words from their context, they are ripe for misinterpretation. There is a big difference
between this [CLICK] and this. But you can say, “Customers said they love using this product.”
45. “The“The subjects this task task nearly impossible.”
subjects said said this was was difficult.”
Language is great for distorting data. Note the subtle difference. Makes it much more impactful,
doesn’t it?
46. 8. Answer questions you weren’t asked.
When you go out into the field (if you bother to go) you are likely to bump into something interesting but
unrelated to the business problem. When that happens, simply change the scope of the research. If you
can’t find what you are looking for, change the scope and then find what you need.
47. TIP: Call them“Emergent Patterns.”
If you can, call it an quot;emergent
pattern.quot;
48. TIP: Don’t get caught.
Amateurs like James Frey get caught because their lies are too obvious and too easily disproved. Be
sure you follow my rules for distorting your research in your favor.
49. “It’s a subjective art!”
And if you do get caught, simply explain, Hey, it’s a subjective art! It’s a magic phrase that will get
out out of all kinds of trouble and it is impossible to argue about.
50. It’s better to be a winner than to tell the truth.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is...
51. How to Lie
Thanks.
with Design Research
Dan Saffer
http://www.odannyboy.com
dan@odannyboy.com
Thanks to Flickr photographers for the images and to Darrell
Huff’s classic book How to Lie with Statistics for inspiration.
Special thanks to the staff of Adaptive Path and especially Todd Wilkens and Brandon Schauer for
their insights and contributions to this talk.