The document outlines a comprehensive agenda focusing on turning user research data into insights and actionable solutions. It includes observational fieldwork exercises, synthesis processes, ideation strategies, and collaborative discussions aimed at enhancing user experience and exploring design opportunities. Participants are encouraged to gather observations, identify themes, and develop strategies in a structured environment to address real-world challenges.

1. Working with user research data

2. Agenda10:00 – 12:00 Turning field data into insightsIntroduction 15 minutes Observation Process 15 minutes Fieldwork Exercise 60 minutesStorytelling 30 minutes Lunch!12:30 – 3:00 Turning insights into solutionsSynthesis Process 15 minutes Synthesis Exercise 45 minutes Ideation Process 10 minutes Ideation Exercise 65 minutes Wrap Up 15 minutes

3. Introduction

4. Typical development lifecycleWhat to make or doRefine & prototypeLaunchIterate & improve

5. Where we workTake a fresh look at peopleWhat to make or doRefine & prototypeLaunchIterate & improve

6. Where we workUse existing ideas as hypothesesWhat to make or doRefine & prototypeLaunchIterate & improve

7. Where we workIs it working like we hoped?What to make or doRefine & prototypeLaunchIterate & improve

8. Where we workWhat to make or doRefine & prototypeLaunchHistory provides context to explore new ideasIterate & improve

9. Synthesis & ideation processFieldworkSynthesisIdeationDevelopment

10. AnalysisSynthesisIdeationSolutionsStrategiesOpportunitiesDetailed solutionsInsightsSynthesis & ideation process

11. Cultural data from fieldworkCase study: iPod accessories

12. Observation

13. Homework Check-inYour mission: Dedicate at least half an hour to walking around and observing people in your neighborhoodWho was able to do the assignment?Was this anyone’s first experience doing observational fieldwork?Is there anyone who has not done user or observational research in the field?Props to Evi!

14. Methods & inputs (not today…)Generally we integrate methods, aka triangulationWe choose, mash-up, or create methods based on the problem. Today we’re doing an abbreviated version of observational fieldworkPortigalUnfinished Business14

15. ObservingNotice what… people, placesNotice how… processes, sequences, interactionsSuspend your point of viewAvoid conclusionsAllow confusionDo it “out loud”Steve, practicing his “noticing.” You can tell because he looks like he may be a little confused.

16. You’re observing people within their culture. Notice how cultural artifacts reflect and define the environment; and reveal what is “normal”Normal isn’t “right or wrong” – it’s the set of background rules that define much of what people choose or ignoreMediaProductsAdvertisementsStreet CultureTrends/FadsCultural contextWhat are they selling?

17. Cultural contextPortigalUnfinished Business17

18. Cultural contextPortigalUnfinished Business18

19. Cultural context

20. Synthesis naturally begins inthe fieldResist meaning (for now)Focus on observationsGet the detailCreate time to talk after each fieldwork experienceOver multiple sessions and participants, over timeWrite up real-timesummaries for the team, ASAPIn-field debriefing (not today…)Fieldwork highlights captured in the wild.

21. Your mission: Imagine you are working on a project for Gentrific8, looking for ideas to redevelop Dunbat/Alexandra Park.Form groups of 2 – 3. Mix it upWander and observe people, interactions and environmentsDo it out loud!Capture (photos, notes)What, who, where, when?Why, how?This is not a design audit of signage or merchandise displaysExercise: Explore! Image: Sanderson Public Library, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from stqcb'sphotostreamhttp://www.rapdict.org/Alexandra_Park

22. Neighborhood observations: Noe Valley, San FranPortigalUnfinished Business22

23. Neighborhood observations: Noe Valley, San FranPortigalUnfinished Business23

24. Neighborhood observations: Montara, CaliforniaPortigalUnfinished Business24

25. Be back by 11:30 to share some stories!Exercise: Explore!

26. What happened? What did you see? What did you feel?Tell stories

27. Synthesis

28. Sense-making through an iterative process of refining gathered dataEarly, Informaldata in your headFirst, process the experience you had collecting dataRefer to debriefs and conversationsArticulate and identify themesOutcome: Topline ReportProcess-based, Formalheavy liftingThen, process the data itselfIndividual and group analysisPattern-identification, clustering, models, frameworksOutcome: OpportunitiesWhat is synthesis?Review, Refine, Rinse, Repeat

29. After fieldwork, collate reflections and quickly externalize a starter set of 5 to 10 thematic areas based onPre-identified areas of inquiryRefer to debriefs and conversations from the fieldNew patterns that we observedIdentify interesting areas; acknowledge that you don’t understand details yet, identify questionsOutcome: Topline ReportThis sheds light on what excites the team and the stakeholders; brings focus to the next stage of synthesisAll right researchers… what did you see?Early, informal synthesis (data in your head)

30. Go back through your raw data very closely to move beyond the Topline Report Individually (heads-down) and collaboratively (heads-up) develop clusters, identify patterns, collate and refine findingsProcess maps, eco-systemsFrameworks, modelsDesign implicationsi.e.: What did other public announcements in the study look like? What are the layers of information and cultural context? What form factors are favored? Why?Process-based, formal synthesis (heavy lifting)

31. Heads down!Video

32. Photos, field artifacts

33. TranscriptsTranscript analysisMake marginal notes on patterns, quotes, or what seems interesting

34. Ask yourself questions; give labels; propose solutions

35. Don’t worry about implications, be descriptive and reactiveIndividual analysis (not today…)

36. If you can’t get transcripts, watch video (even sped-up) and in near real-time jot down the rough narrative of the sessionWhen you make an observation in your own voice, do something typographic to call it out (ALL CAPS, highlight, etc.)Individual analysis (not today…)

37. Heads up! Tell stories, narrate highlights, give each its due. Use notes, transcripts, and other artifacts Voice and document reactions, a-has, support and questionsClusteringWhite-board notesDevelop a new shared point-of-view, beyond “findings”Outcome: OpportunitiesNo discussion of the synthesis process would be complete without a reference to Post-It ® NotesCollaborative analysis

38. Opportunities are not A reporting of “interesting findings” A list of solutionsOpportunities areChange we can envision based on what we heard and observeAbout peopleIn the context of but reframing the business questionsGenerative, inviting many solutionsKeep the human touch in communicationAllow people to move seamlessly between placesAllow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systemsDeveloping opportunitiesWhat should we do?

39. Topline Collaborative Analysis Opportunities10 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutesKeep the human touch in communicationAllow people to move seamlessly between placesAllow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices & systemsSummary of synthesis exercisesExternalize the data in your headShare the heavy liftingDetermine generative directions

40. After fieldwork, join forces with another groupQuickly review what happened (today and from your homework) and what you saw. Collate reflections. Resist the urge to move too far towards conclusionsDon’t refer to notes or photos yetKeep your own experiences, existing hypotheses, cultural clichés, etc. in the backgroundDevelop 3 - 5 themes as a “Topline Report” sketching out the big takeaways, leading into further synthesisDon’t fuss over exact wordingExercise: Develop a topline (10 minutes)All right researchers… what did you see?

41. Evolve your “Topline Report;” flesh out and enrich themesWrite your themes and put them upLeave space for new ones tooNow (!) tell stories from the field (from your neighborhood and today), using photos, notes and memoryRethink the relationships between the themes, pick your strongest themes and write a sentence with a point of viewGo from “Graffiti everywhere” and “Teen gangs hanging out” to “Public spaces in the neighborhood are used to communicate identity and belongingness”Exercise: Develop findings (10 minutes)

42. Build on your findingsStart each opportunity with a verbOpportunities are not A reporting of “interesting findings” A list of solutionsOpportunities areChange we can envision based on what we heard and observeAbout peopleIn the context of but reframing the business questionsGenerative, inviting many solutionsExercise: Identify opportunities (10 minutes)Keep the human touch in communicationAllow people to move seamlessly between placesAllow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systemsKeep the human touch in communicationAllow people to move seamlessly between placesAllow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systemsWhat should we do?What should we do?

43. Exercise: Pitch it back!

44. Ideation

45. A simple step moves you from Opportunities to Ideation Questions, reframing them into actionable language How can wekeep the human touch in communicationallow people to move seamlessly between placesallow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systemsHow can weHow can weIdeate!Ideation questions

46. Scope of solutionsSolutions exist across many different business areas FunctionalityVisual designMarketingArchitecturePublic ServicesPartnershipsEventsSoftwareForm factorPackagingPolicyRetail designEven if you are unlikely to impact certain business areas, it’s crucial that you set that constraint aside for ideationHow many business and civic areas to impact can you spot in this picture?

47. Developing strategiesResponses to any ideation question can lead in different strategic directionsFinding:Students have to smoke outside, but they get cold and wet Opportunity: Improve the experience of students who smokeIdeation Question:How can we improve the experience of students who smoke?Support underlying needs and behavior by embracing the findingQuestion needs and behavior, seek change by challenging the findingCreate a protected environment for smokingEliminate smoking

48. Strategies can inspire solutionsFinding:Students have to smoke outside, but they get cold and wet Opportunity: Improve the experience of students who smokeIdeation Question:How can we improve the experience of students who smoke?StrategiesCreate a protected environment for smokingEliminate smokingSolutionsFacilitiesBuild a pavilionAdminAllocate interior roomPartnersAlign with nearby cafeOnlineSmoking cessation gamesAdminBan smokingPartnersStop smoking coaches

49. Solutions can suggest strategiesFinding:Students have to smoke outside, but they get cold and wet Opportunity: Improve the experience of students who smokeIdeation Question:How can we improve the experience of students who smoke?StrategiesCreate a protected environment for smokingEliminate smokingSolutionsAdminAllocate interior roomAdminBan smoking

50. Collaborative generationThis is a collective, out-loud activity! Talk, listen, build on each other’s ideasDon’t worry about a “bad” idea… it may lead to a “good” ideaDon’t correct; generate alternatives“Yes, and…”This is a visual activity! Sketch, draw…Quantity over quality; go quicklyIndividual ideas matter less than what the collective produces overallHow can a sour lemon help keep things working smoothly?

51. Stuck?Come up with bad ideasImmoralDangerousBad for business

52. Summary of ideation exercisesQuestions Business Areas Ideation and Sharing 2 minutes 3 minutes 45 minutesHow can wekeep the human touch in communicationallow people to move seamlessly between placesallow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systemsHow can weHow can weIdeate!Shift to “How can we…?”Figure out where we can playRemember, “Yes, and…”

53. Exercise: Ideation questions (2 minutes)Apply How can we…? to each of your OpportunitiesHow can wekeep the human touch in communicationallow people to move seamlessly between placesallow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systemsHow can weHow can weIdeate!

54. Exercise: Business areas (3 minutes)Let’s collectively list possible business areas to design forThink about whatever Gentrific8 could do or affectUse this list as a starting pointFunctionalityVisual designMarketingArchitecturePublic ServicesPartnershipsEventsSoftwareForm factorPackagingPolicyRetail designIncentivesHow many business and civic areas to impact can you spot in this picture?

55. Exercise: Ideation (45 minutes)Use your ideation questions to generate strategies and solutionsOut loudVisualCollaborativeConsider the range of possible business areasBounce back and forth between generating strategies and solutionsMost ideas will not turn out to be winners; the goal is to practice connecting research data to solutionsApply lemon as needed.

56. Exercise: Prepare to share (2 minutes)Rapidly align on your team’s best ideas and messageChoose a messengerThe wise team will choose a bold, expressive spokesperson

57. Exercise: Pitch it back!

58. Wrap it up

59. Coming in 2012!A book by Steve PortigalThe Art and Craft of User Research Interviewinghttp://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/user-interviews/

60. I’ve got a tip (that you didn’t cover) that works well for me…Yeah, I’ve got a question for ya…One new thing I learned today is…

61. Thank you!Portigal Consultingwww.portigal.com@steveportigalsteve@portigal.com415-894-2001