The document discusses user observation design methods and their importance in enhancing user experience through structured insight gathering techniques, particularly as demonstrated in a project for Bose. It outlines the value of design methods in defining and innovating product specifications, alongside case studies and methodologies for applying these insights. Key themes include the iterative nature of the design process and the significance of understanding users to improve product offerings and marketing strategies.

1. User Observation Design insights through watching Chris Bernard, User Experience Evangelist, Microsoft How can user observation help you be more insightful. What techniques can be used for this. This presentation covers methods used at the Institute of Design and with a class project that was done for Bose. February 2008

2. Topics for discussion Our session goals Design methods defined A design methods toolkit A sampling of methods A sample application: user research Discussion on level of effort, skills required Listing of resources and where to learn more User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

3. Our goals for today’s session Know what design methods are and why they are valuable Know where they can bring extra value and differentiation to what you do Know where to apply them Know where to go to learn more about methods and the active design, development and business community that supports them User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

4. Design methods defined The goal of design methods is to gain key insights or unique essential truths that can create more holistic solutions to improve products and services as well as create better experiences for users. Insight is derived from a process that is structured and linear but also flexible and iterative. User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

5. Design methods encompass a broad area that focuses on: Redefining the specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional design activities (graphic, industrial, architectural, web, etc.); User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

6. Design methods encompass a broad area that focuses on: Redefining the specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional design activities (graphic, industrial, architectural, web, etc.); (Incremental Innovations, Best Practices, Asset or Component-based Solutions) User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

7. Design methods encompass a broad area that focuses on: Redefining the specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional design activities (graphic, industrial, architectural, web, etc.); (Incremental Innovations, Best Practices, Asset or Component-based Solutions) Exploring possibilities and constraints by focusing critical thinking skills to research and define problem spaces for existing products or services—or the creation of new categories; User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

8. Design methods encompass a broad area that focuses on: Redefining the specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional design activities (graphic, industrial, architectural, web, etc.); (Incremental Innovations, Best Practices, Asset or Component-based Solutions) Exploring possibilities and constraints by focusing critical thinking skills to research and define problem spaces for existing products or services—or the creation of new categories; (Breakthrough Innovations) User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

9. Design methods encompass a broad area that focuses on: Redefining the specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional design activities (graphic, industrial, architectural, web, etc.); (Incremental Innovations, Best Practices, Asset or Component-based Solutions) Exploring possibilities and constraints by focusing critical thinking skills to research and define problem spaces for existing products or services—or the creation of new categories; (Breakthrough Innovations) Managing the process of exploring , defining , creating artifacts continually over time User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

10. Design methods encompass a broad area that focuses on: Redefining the specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional design activities (graphic, industrial, architectural, web, etc.); (Incremental Innovations, Best Practices, Asset or Component-based Solutions) Exploring possibilities and constraints by focusing critical thinking skills to research and define problem spaces for existing products or services—or the creation of new categories; (Breakthrough Innovations) Managing the process of exploring , defining , creating artifacts continually over time Prototyping scenarios and solutions that incrementally or significantly address the problem User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Nate Burgos and Adam Kallish, WikiPedia

11. Incremental innovation Builds on an existing product or model Creates incremental improvements that can differentiate User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

12. Breakthrough innovation Combine multiple factors (such as product design, branding and service) Can create new value propositions (time savings) User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

13. Disruptive innovations Are usually ‘platform’ based and are a ‘collection’ of innovations that may fall out of the typical ‘offering’ category User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Doblin Group

14. What is a ‘typical’ design method process? User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar, Institute of Design

15. The process is iterative User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar, Institute of Design

16. … And typically uses a toolkit-based approach User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar, Institute of Design

17. A focus on knowing users User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar, Institute of Design

18. How a toolkit is applied: Knowing users User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

19. Collecting data around insights and needs User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

20. Collecting data around insights and needs User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

21. Collecting data around insights and needs User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

22. Collecting data around insights and needs User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design Frameworks can be used to sort, massage and prioritize data

23. POEMS Framework The POEMS framework is a structure that classifies data against modes that can impact the object or item being created and the human factors of an individual interacting with the object or item being created. User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar, Institute of Design

24. POEMS Framework The POEMS framework is a structure that classifies data against modes that can impact the object or item being created and the human factors of an individual interacting with the object or item being created. User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar, Institute of Design

25. Insights and needs to patterns User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

26. Insights and needs to patterns User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

27. Insights and needs to patterns User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

28. Insights and needs to patterns User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

29. Patterns to criteria User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

30. From criteria to concepts User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

31. From criteria to concepts (Let’s not move too fast) User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Vijay Kumar & Patrick Whitney, Institute of Design

32. How can we make it relevant to what we do? User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Project Vision User Profiles & Scenarios Feature Map Information Architecture Visual Design Graphic Production Design Style Guide Content Assessment Content Matrix Content Plan / Strategy Accessibility Review Usability Test Plan Usability Test Report User Support Materials Usability / Accessibility Content Visual Design Information Architecture

33. Design methods can be used to augment our traditional requirements definition in a more meaningful way and provide traceability and validation for design decisions that is more accurate than JRDs and stakeholder interviews User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Project Vision User Profiles & Scenarios Feature Map Information Architecture Visual Design Graphic Production Design Style Guide Content Assessment Content Matrix Content Plan / Strategy Accessibility Review Usability Test Plan Usability Test Report User Support Materials Usability / Accessibility Content Visual Design Information Architecture

34. Design methods can also be used to figure out the what and not just the how of solving a problem User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Case Study for Bose: Enhancing the buying experience for the Personal Amplification System Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

35. Project topics Understanding of the product Traditional amplification Bose Personal Amplification (PAS) Understanding the customer Plans, methods, and analysis Findings Synthesis Recommendations User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

36. How the Bose personal amplification system differs from traditional amplification User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Public Address or PA speakers Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

37. How the Bose personal amplification system differs from traditional amplification User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Instrument Amplifiers Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

38. How the Bose personal amplification system differs from traditional amplification User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Monitors or Wedge Speakers Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

39. How the Bose personal amplification system differs from traditional amplification User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Mixing Board Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

40. How the Bose personal amplification system differs from traditional amplification User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design 1 2 3

41. How the Bose personal amplification system differs from traditional amplification User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design 1 2 3

42. Protocol: Plan User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Information about the consumer electronics industry and “music-based” products. BOSE Bose background information PAS Musicians’ experience with BOSE and PAS; strengths and weaknesses of PAS; purchasing What do we know about musicians? Apple store; B&O store; ABT store; Bose experience; purchasing experience; set-up experience; performing experience; experience with other musical products What is important to musicians? How can we better sell the Personal Amplification System to musicians? Phase 1 - Secondary Research Phase 2 - Primary Research Secondary Research Phase 3 - Analysis Phase 4 - Synthesis Recommendations Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

43. Protocol: Methods & analytics Ethnographic methods Survey: 14 respondents Interview: 3 musicians Videotape Digital Camera: 4 stores Apple, B&O, ABT, Guitar Center) 1 household 1 concert Field Notes Participatory methods Shadowing methods User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

44. Protocol: The Journey User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Areas of focus Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

45. Themes ‘ The collector’ ‘ Worship your hero’ ‘ This isn’t art, it’s my job’ ‘ Extreme hobbyist’ AEIOU Defined Activities Environments Interactions Objects Users User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design ELITO Defined Metaphor Observation Judgment Value Concept

46. Themes User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design Key Metaphor Observation Judgments Value Concept or Criteria Worship your hero People buy gear because their heros or performers they like use it. If they are a 'purist' they may reject the Bose approach outright. Connection musicians to more musicians Make this product what your 'hero' uses. Some of this gear is old so they go on eBay to get it. Adoption of the PAS may depend on age and technographic. Flexibility, you can mimic all of your 'heros.' Make it easier to worship. This is stuff buy and don't rent. Back to basics. There is new technology that can mimic the sound of 'classic' equipment. Like the Line 6 PodXT and the Varilex Guitars.

47. Themes User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design Key Metaphor Observation Judgments Value Concept or Criteria This isn't art, it's my job (Cynical professional or Institutional User) People play in churches Some people want it cheap. Money matters. Simplicity on the equipment site/easy setup Develop your audience People play in schools Comes apart without tools Portable The PAS would be considerably easier for a new beginner. Connect audience to musicians Difference practice and performance environment. Flexibility People play Gospel

48. Themes User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design Key Metaphor Observation Judgments Value Concept or Criteria This isn't art, it's my job Some people play multiple venues Comes apart without any tools Sound quality, clarity Music sponsorship Some people play multiple music genres The artists are not in control of the traditional set up Simplicity on the equipment side/easy set-up Jam session in retail environment The PAS would be considerable easier to set up for a show for a beginner And big starts won't use it. Portable Focus general business musicians Musicians and audience hear two different sounds. One system for electric and acoustic guitars. Connecting musicians Doesn't take up a lot of space. Connecting audience to musicians You can play it quiet. Connecting musicians and audience New tech that mimic classic sound. Audiovisual consistency/Eys and ears and harmony Existing equipment can be too loud, vicious cycle.

49. Themes User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design Key Metaphor Observation Judgments Value Concept or Criteria Extreme hobbyist People play multiple music genres Some people are more about the technology than the music Connecting musicians Endorsement by the "Heros." New technology Some people want it cheap -money matter. Flexibility Underlying tactic/Work of mouth Sometimes you want to mess with your gear, sometimes you want to Play! One system for electronic and acoustic guitars Simplicity on the equipment side/easy set-up Jam session in specific retail environment. Most people own as opposed to renting Comes apart without any tools People purchase equipment on ebay and guitar center. You can play it quiet New technology that can mimic classic sound Musicians like to play around with equipment in the purchase environment

50. Who decides how the sound is? Musicians or… Venues (i.e ‘techs’ or sound engineers) User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

51. Who decides how the sound is? Is is likely that venues that targeted musicians play in will adopt this system? User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

52. What is important to musicians? Endorsement by heroes Culture of having stuff User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

53. What is important to musicians? Trust word-of-mouth Proprietary sound User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

54. Current retail channel Problems: Current retail store is not helping consumers learn about the system People don't know the difference between Bose’s personal amplification system and other amplifiers User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

55. Where is the Bose amplifier? User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

56. Where is the Bose amplifier? User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

57. Recommendations Sell to the existing market by: Setting up demo areas Setting up and subsidizing practice environments Selling products on ebay User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

58. Set up demo areas Use already established distribution channel (Guitar Center) Educate consumers Improved display area to showcase and explain the Bose personal amp system Knowledgeable sales staff Try Bose system Demo areas to compare both systems Allow musicians to practice with equipment User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

59. Subsidize a practice environment “ It’s expensive to rent practice rooms, so we rent a practice room with a few other bands to split the cost and create a schedule for our practice times.” User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 “ If one of the bands has equipment they are willing to share with the rest of the bands, they leave it in the practice room. In exchange for letting us use their equipment, they pay a smaller portion of the rent.” Jenny Choi & Phillip Stone of Sanawan Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

60. Sell product on eBay Many musicians buy equipment on eBay, but do not associate Bose with guitar amps User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09 Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

61. Redefine your market The current Bose marketing strategy for the PAS is too Rock-focused. The culture of the Rock musician doesn’t directly relate to the nature of the Bose PAS. The guy in this picture is NOT the guy that would buy a PAS Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

62. Redefine your market The image of rock music is exhibited in the large speakers, large spools of wire, large sound boards—the large image of rock in general seems to have become fundamental to the artist. The PAS is solving the fundamental problems of unnecessarily large amounts of equipment. In doing so, it immediately pushes itself out of the marketing range of a mainstream Rock market. Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

63. Suggestions for how to redefine the target market: Major venue placement Major entertainment programming with musical acts Musical festivals (with a focus on different genres) Source: Chris Bernard, Institute of Design

64. Summary

65. Design methods summary Design methods aren’t a replacement for your existing processes, they are a set of techniques and methods for improving the quality of the data and insights that go into existing artifacts we create everyday and drive the creation of business strategy, requirements, vision, user profiles, user scenarios and information design. User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

66. Design methods summary Design methods aren’t a replacement for our existing processes, they are a set of techniques and methods for improving the quality of the data and insights that go into existing artifacts we create everyday and drive the creation of business strategy, requirements, vision, user profiles, user scenarios and information design. Design methods aren’t just for web sites or application development, they can be used to shape and define business problems and the space in which solutions can reside User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

67. Design methods summary Design methods aren’t a replacement for our existing processes, they are a set of techniques and methods for improving the quality of the data and insights that go into existing artifacts we create everyday and drive the creation of business strategy, requirements, vision, user profiles, user scenarios and information design. Design methods aren’t just for web sites or application development, they can be used to shape and define business problems and the space in which solutions can reside Design methods (when more fully developed into our practice) can enable our user experience team to work on a larger variety of projects and provide a new dimension of customer value through their ability to generate tangible and insightful solutions User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

68. So, how much does it cost? Design methods are a collection of techniques that can be added to any project Small, modest efforts for focused problems (i.e. how to improve a registration process) can be completed with 1 to 2 FTEs in 2 to 3 week in 4 to 6 days Moderate efforts (i.e. how to improve an online shopping cart) require 2 to 3 FTEs and can be completed in 4 to 6 weeks Transformational efforts that look at an entire enterprise (i.e. what business should we be in) can take 6 to 8 FTEs and require up to six months to complete User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

69. What’s the skill set? Individuals that have the following skills can usually pick up design methods quickly Interaction designers Information designers User researchers (ethnographers and anthropologists) Analysts User experience leaders User interaction designers and developers User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09

70. Resources Web Design methods in detail , Wikipedia Design Consulting Services , IBM Design at SAP , Hasso Plattner (Keynote) Institute of Design Institute of Design Strategy Conference The D-School at Stanford BusinessWeek Innovation Design Channel Elito Framework POEMS Framework AEIOU Framework (Framework discussion around ethnography) Related Books Designing for Interaction , Dan Saffer Designing Interaction , Bill Moggridge Tools IDEO , Method Cards … or my blog, www.designthinkingdigest.com/ User Observation | Design Methods 06/01/09