The document discusses various qualitative user research methods that can be used at different stages of the design process. It provides descriptions of methods such as participant observation, cultural probes, scenarios of use, and focus groups. These methods are used to understand user behaviors, needs, and experiences in order to inform the design process from early concept development through testing and evaluation. The document also notes that qualitative research does not provide statistically significant data about large populations.

1. Gathering Information

2. * Design research is often used at the early stages or
conception of a project. However certain methods can
be used at later stages for testing and verifying. Design
research is made up of a number of different user
research methods. *Engine Service Design
* * Qualitative research methods enable
the design team to develop deep
empathy for people they are designing
for, to question assumptions, and to
inspire new solutions. At the early stages
of the process, research is generative —
used to inspire imagination and inform
intuition about new opportunities and
ideas. In later phases, these methods
can be evaluative—used to learn quickly
about people’s response to ideas
and proposed solutions. ** IDEO HCD Toolkit

3. Enthnographic Research
The purpose of user research is to gain a thorough
understanding of users. Its serves to unlock the
reasons why users do the things they do (drivers), the
reasons why they don’t do things (hurdles). It also
seeks to uncover and understand their lifestyles,
behaviours and attitudes. In design the journeys users
take are important, the moods they are in and the
modes they adopt.
Qualitative methods can uncover deeply held, needs,
desires, and aspirations.
‘Ethnographic studies are holistic, founded on the idea
that humans are best understood in the fullest possible
context’*
* www.wikipedia.com

4. Note: Qualitative methods are not statistically
focused and will not determine
“average” behaviors/attitudes or answer
questions such as: “Are people in X
region more likely to do this than in
Y region?” This is because qualitative
methods do not cover a sample large
enough to be statistically significant.

5. Who
?
What
?
Where
?
When
?
Why
?

6. Methods of Gathering User Information
Participation Observation
Text messages
Customer diaries/ Probes
Interviews
Focus Groups
Empathy
Product in Use
Scenarios of Use
Discreet Observations
User trials

7. In participant observation studies the
researcher spends time observing and
recording the behaviour of an individual or
group, "listening to their interactions and
immersing him/herself in the context of the
participant’s daily life“*
*Naked Eye Research (2007) Video ethnography, http://www.naked‐eye‐research.co.uk/tech.html
(accessed January 2008)
participant observation

8. Encouraging participants in a study to send
text messages describing or recording events,
actions or thoughts allows for immediate, real
feedback.
text messages

9. Activity diaries are an inexpensive method of
gaining an insight into the everyday use of
products and the associated habits,
behaviours, problems and difficulties. They are
especially useful for evaluating existing
products and practices in "situations where
researchers find it difficult to observe
customers first hand" *"and within contexts
where it would be inappropriate for an
ethnographer to do so“**
*Evans, S., Burns, A. and Barrett, R. (2002) Empathic Design Tutor, Cranfield, IERC, Cranfield University,
UK
** Naked Eye Research (2007) Video Diaries, http://www.naked‐eye‐research.co.uk/tech.html (accessed
May 2008)
customer diaries

11. Interviewing the user, particularly after
conducting other user centred research
studies, can be beneficial in understanding
their perceptions of situations, behaviours,
products or services. Using prompts can help
in interviews.
interviews

12. Empathy tools assist in finding out not just
what people are saying and doing, but also
what they are thinking and feeling. They offer
an opportunity to really understand the
limitations of certain users.
Empathy

13. The ‘mobilistrictor’ mobility restricting body
suit simulates the effects of old age. It enables
designers, who may be fully fit and active, to
empathise with older people and assess how
their designs work in practice for people with
some loss of mobility or declining sensory
perception
Mobilistrictor

14. © Gadget Show, 2006
© www.mobilistrictor.com
© Gadget Show, 2006

15. Using scenarios, props and costumes to assist
in 'character building' and furniture
arrangement to represent the product
environment, ‘Scenario‐of‐Use’ aims to
uncover previously unvoiced needs using role
play as a cue for recall
scenario building

16. The Consumer Vision System, developed by
Kimberly Clark, is a research tool which enables
designers to see products through the consumers
eyes.
* www.kimberlyclarke.com accessed May 2008
consumer vision system

18. Discreet observation is a method of identifying
real design needs by discreetly observing
people interacting with people and objects in
public spaces.
discreet observations

19. © Loughborough University, 2007
© Loughborough University, 2007

20. User trials, sometimes called task analysis
exercises, are simulations of product usage in
which subjects are asked to fulfil specified
tasks using a product or product simulation.*
* Vermeeren, A. P. O. S. (1999) Designing Scenarios and Tasks for User Trials of Home Electronic Devices,
In: Green. W.S and Jordan P.W (1999) Human Factors in Product Design: Current Practice and Future
Trends, Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 47‐55.
user trials

21. Product‐in‐Use is an interactive, naturalistic,
observational method designed to "capture
peoples’ behaviour in real‐life contexts"
providing an "account of the behaviour
surrounding a product or activity" *
* Evans, S., Burns, A. and Barrett, R. (2002) Empathic Design Tutor, Cranfield, IERC, Cranfield
University, UK
product‐in‐use

22. Focus groups create a format which brings
together a selection of participants to
contribute in a two way debate on a
particular issue whilst allowing the
researcher to investigate and identify group
norms and explore conflicting views *. Focus
groups can be useful at various stages of a
project, to establish user needs, test product
designs and evaluate final concepts.
* May, T. (2001) Social Research: Issues, methods and process, Open University Press, Buckingham.
focus groups

23. © Loughborough University, 2006
© Cranfield University, 2003

24. Cultural probes are one way to access
environments that are difficult to observe
directly and also to capture more of this 'felt
life‘*. Users are given packs containing
recording devices designed to stimulate
thought as well as capture experiences and
asked to record their activities over a period
of time. The information is real and
experiental. This method is useful at the
initial stage of a project in an effort to
identify opportunities and gain a deeper
understanding of behaviour.
*http://www.hcibook.com/e3/casestudy/cultural-probes/.
cultural probes

25. cultural probes

26. Personas are visual and anecdotal profiles. They may
be based on ‘real people’ from research or they may
have been ‘made‐up’ in a brainstorm session. By
profile it means specific information about the person
that is illustrative and useful to the project ‐ it should
identify the key characteristics of the person. Posing
questions and answering them as the persona
character is often helpful to build up a character ‐
quirky or unusual questions are often more insightful.
Very useful at the early stages of a project and
through the idea generation and evaluation.
personas

28. http://www.ideo.com/images/uploads/work/case-
studies/pdfs/IDEO_HCD_ToolKit_Complete_for_Download.
pdf

29. The Science Bit

30. Anthropometry
Body Sizes
Strength
Dexterity
Flex/Twist Measurements
Angles of tilt
Limits to Movement
Abilities/ Disabilities
Weight………………

31. Organising information