This document provides guidance on conducting research for design projects. It discusses creating a research plan with goals, teams, schedules and budgets. It recommends starting with secondary research like online sources to focus primary research, then using methods like immersion, observation, interviews and sorting to get close to the truth. Tips are provided on recruiting participants, asking open-ended questions, debriefing findings, and setting up a project space to capture insights. The overall goal is to have meaningful conversations to understand user needs beyond what is directly said.

1. Research
Design for the other 90%
Date: October 19, 2014
BOSTON . MILAN . SEOUL

2. Continuum master template
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What is a research plan:

4. What is a research plan
Goals Team Schedule Budget
Plan of attack!
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Methodology:

6. Methods: Primary vs. Secondary
Vs.
Primary Secondary
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7. Methods: Start with secondary
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Use secondary research to figure
out where to focus primary
research:
• Read blogs
• (www.travelblog.org)
• Find case studies
• Look for demographics
(www.gapminder.org)
• Gather general information about
your country

8. Methods: Dive deep with primary
How close can you get to the truth?
Immersion User interviews and
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triads Image, work, product sorts
Direct observation Expert interviews

9. Methods: Immersion
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10. Methods: Direct observation
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11. Methods: Expert Interviews
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12. Methods: User interviews
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13. Methods: Sorts
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14. Methods: assign homework
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15. How to get people to talk to you:
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16. How to get people to talk to you: The real world
Teens
(1 pair in each city)
recruiters screeners
incentives
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Young Adults
(2-3 in each location)
Family
(2-3 in each location)
Empty Nesters
(1-2 couple each
location)
Description • Juniors in highschool
• Age 16-18
• Mix of genders (across
locations)
• Age 22-30
• First job/first time
living on own
• OR just married, just
moved in together
• Age 25 - 50
• Young family that has
had a baby in the last
year (kids 0-6)
• OR established family
kids (10-16)
• Must own their home
• Age 45 - 65
• Last kid recently
moved out
• OR recently retired
• OR recently had first
grandchild arrive
Interview • Interview will be with
the teen and a friend
• For single young adults
– interview will be alone
• For couples, interview
should be with couple
• For young family –
interview should be with
Mom or both parents
• For established family –
interview should be with
Parents and 2 kids
• Couples
Look for • Shops on own, or with
friends
• Buying a car
(considering a hybrid)
• Buying a home
• Buying a car
(considering a hybrid)
• Recently relocated
• Buying a home
• Building or renovating
their home
• Buying a car (considering
a hybrid)
• Recently relocated
• Buying a home
• Building or renovating
their home
• Buying a car
(considering a hybrid)
Travel & Dispatch

17. How to get people to talk to you: In School
Use your network Take advantage of social networking sites
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Free online
Intercepts surveys

18. How to get people to talk to you: This week
Get creative Use the tools that you have
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Ambassador
Use your contacts

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What to ask:

20. What to ask: Quantitative vs. Qualitative
How do Do you shop at Target? you feel when you….?
Yes
No
X 1000’s X 7
Quantitative Qualitative
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21. Some background on qualitative research
Small base, high quality research
Why Qualitative?
Because not only do we not know the answer, we also do not know the
question. To learn we must engage in a conversation with each subject.
Sometimes the answer is not known, or cannot be articulated by the
subjects, and we must infer from close observation of their behavior.
Identifies well posed questions that can be checked quantitatively . Creates
a vocabulary.
Helps designers to develop a “feel” for an issue that incorporates more
complex tacit understanding than can be easily codified.
Number of Subjects
About 7. If segments are very different then 7 per segment.
If a phenomenon is important to many people it is unlikely that you are not
going to find it if you talk with or observe in depth 7 “typical” people.
Limitation of Qualitative
Cannot be used to infer proportions of the population. A mention of an
issue once, by one respondent, has equal weight with an issue consistently
mentioned by all respondents.
Newton
Remember, it took only one apple hitting Newton on the head for him to
have some pretty profound insights.
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22. What to ask:
• Start broad and narrow
• Ask open ended questions
• Be flexible, the protocol will change
frequently (especially in the beginning)
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How to debrief:

24. How to debrief:
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25. How to debrief:
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26. Name: Date:
What is the shopper’s general shopping habits/routine?
What this person's purchases say about him/her:
Did eco-awareness influence decisions? How?
When shopping _______ is the main thing in mind:
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Location:
Team on research:
q Young Adult
q Family
q Empty Nesters
insert picture of rankings here
What determined which products purchased were “Good for the Environment”?
Key Quotes:
What influenced shopping decisions?
Key reactions to environmental products that were pointed out:
This person determines that a product is environmentally friendly by:
What determined which products purchased were “Bad for the Environment”?
:
Key Learnings:
Debrief form

27. Why do I need a “project space”:
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28. Why do I need a project space?
Dwell Time Messy inspiration Visibility
Team focused
Offers Access
(while remaining secure)
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29. How to set it up?
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Ample pin up space
to capture the
needs, wants, and
values of your
users.
White Board
(with dig cam to
capture notes)
Posted
goals,
schedules,
plans, and
current
thinking
Phone for
conf. calls.
Internet
connection.
Monitor/
projector.
Index cards,
thumbtacks,
post-it notes
Markers
Inspirational
artifacts
Big table,
lots of chairs

30. What should we be doing today:
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31. What should we be doing today
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