Goodbye, Focus Groups. Hello, Friendship Groups! New Techniques for Design Research (Emily Chu and Zarla Ludin)
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The document discusses new techniques for design research, including quick hits which are 10-minute phone interviews conducted at different times, friendship groups which are focus groups made up of 3-4 people who already know each other, immersion journeys where clients participate in field research, social graphs where participants define their various roles, and de/re-construct where participants describe words taken for granted. It also discusses using brands as metaphors to inspire new perspectives and emphasizes the importance of always questioning the status quo with "what if" scenarios. The overall message is that traditional focus groups and interviews can be reimagined to make research more engaging, active and fun for participants.
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Goodbye, Focus Groups. Hello, Friendship Groups! New Techniques for Design Research (Emily Chu and Zarla Ludin)
- 1. Title Text Body Level One Body Level Two GOODBYE, FOCUS GROUPS. HELLO, FRIENDSHIP GROUPS! New Techniques for Design Research @motivate_design
- 2. @motivate_design | #WhatIF OUR INDUSTRY Think Design. Think Experience. Focus on People. Disrupt Old Thinking.
- 3. @motivate_design | #WhatIF TRADITIONALLY... We know these work.
- 4. @motivate_design | #WhatIF BUT... KEEP MOVING. KEEP THINKING. KEEP DISCOVERING. Let’s keep creating new.
- 5. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if there were no two-way mirrors? What if we reach for bigger and better? What if we never ran focus groups again? What if our only recruiting criteria was creativity?
- 6. @motivate_design | #WhatIF EMBRACE CHANGE
- 7. @motivate_design | #WhatIF LANDSCAPE OF NEW TECHNIQUES FRIENDSHIP GROUPS Quick Lengthy BRAND METAPHORS IMMERSION JOURNEYS ExpansiveTargeted QUICK HITS SOCIAL GRAPH RE/DE-CONSTRUCT
- 8. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if... ! Participants didn’t have the time to sit for an hour-long interview? @motivate_design | #WhatIF
- 9. @motivate_design | #WhatIF 1. QUICK HITS What... ! 10-minute interviews at different times of day, different times of the week. ! Typically phone interviews, but format can be mixed up.
- 10. @motivate_design | #WhatIF Priorities and routines differ depending on the day, week and month (e.g., rent vs. pay day) A look into what exists outside of the usual interview space Contradictions on “habits/routines” Why… 1. QUICK HITS
- 11. @motivate_design | #WhatIF How to use it... Cross-check the impact of moods and emotions. ! Conversations help gain perspective on divergent answers and contradictions. Tips... Schedule interviews and clearly explain expectations. ! Uncover various emotions through time-lapse surveys. 1. QUICK HITS
- 12. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if... ! Focus groups included your friends and families? @motivate_design | #WhatIF
- 13. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What... ! Intimate gathering of 3-4 people who already have a familiar relationship with one another. ! 2. FRIENDSHIP GROUPS
- 14. @motivate_design | #WhatIF Social connections support and inform our decisions. Friends know when the other is lying. Friends feel comfortable agreeing AND disagreeing. Why… 2. FRIENDSHIP GROUPS
- 15. @motivate_design | #WhatIF How to use it... Rethink recruiting: hand-select specific creatives, thinkers and innovators. ! Push the envelope: create and run a series of mind- challenging activities. Tips... Have fun! ! Encourage creativity! 2. FRIENDSHIP GROUPS
- 16. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if... ! Your clients wanted to become researchers? @motivate_design | #WhatIF
- 17. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What... ! Make everyone a "researcher" by giving them a tool kit and sending them out into the field. 3. IMMERSION JOURNEYS
- 18. @motivate_design | #WhatIF Clients can own the process and truly empathize with users. A bad experience can be a rejuvenating experience. Look at other industries for inspiration and learn from their errors. Why… 3. IMMERSION JOURNEYS
- 19. @motivate_design | #WhatIF How to use it... Get rid of the two-way mirror. ! This is a teaching moment. ! Tips... Consider your clients as part of the research team. ! Be prepared for clients to feel uncomfortable; this is OK. 3. IMMERSION JOURNEYS
- 20. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if... ! We could see how users define all their roles in the world? @motivate_design | #WhatIF
- 21. @motivate_design | #WhatIF 4. SOCIAL GRAPH What... ! A verbal or written way for users to define who they are to their circles (e.g., themselves, their closest, their network, etc.). ! WHO ARE YOU TO...? THE COSMOS YOURSELF Y O U R CLOSEST (FRIENDS & FA M ILY) YOUR NETWORK THE WORLD
- 22. @motivate_design | #WhatIF Help people reflect on who they are. Reframe the conversation beyond wants and needs. Identify people and contexts of influence. Why… 4. SOCIAL GRAPH
- 23. @motivate_design | #WhatIF How to use it... As an intro to your participants during in- home interviews. ! Don't take the findings literally; this is a conversation starter! Tips... Fill in an example, sometimes it can feel abstract. 4. SOCIAL GRAPH
- 24. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if... ! We brought attention to words that are taken for granted? @motivate_design | #WhatIF
- 25. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What... ! Capturing initial, honest reactions to commonplace, overused and sometimes meaningless words. ! 5. DE/RE-CONSTRUCT
- 26. @motivate_design | #WhatIF Overused words have lost their ability to wow. ! Different approaches that are not industry- specific to get the word. Allows us to see how people define the complex (e.g., personal anecdotes, perpendicular thought). Why… 5. DE/RE-CONSTRUCT
- 27. @motivate_design | #WhatIF How to use it... Play games! Take a cue from Ellen and play Heads Up. Tips... Throw in some random words too, keeping them on their toes. ! Encourage creativity! Any way to describe the word is fair. 5. DE/RE-CONSTRUCT
- 34. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What if... ! We looked at other verticals for inspiration? @motivate_design | #WhatIF
- 35. @motivate_design | #WhatIF What... ! Using brands as a metaphor (e.g., “What if Uber was a grocery store?”). ! Attribute brand characteristics and promises to another experience. ! ! 6. METAPHOR BRANDS
- 36. @motivate_design | #WhatIF Ability to see traditional experiences with a new, fresh perspective – inspiration! Think outside of the limitations imposed on business. Identify important elements of a brand or an experience. ! ! Why… 6. METAPHOR BRANDS
- 37. @motivate_design | #WhatIF How to use it... Frame how you want participants to select a brand (e.g., the most disruptive, favorite, controversial) ! Sketch their brand experience and new experience, making connections at each touchpoint. Tips... Use this activity as a point to dive deeper into a specific topic. 6. METAPHOR BRANDS
- 38. @motivate_design | #WhatIF WHAT WE LOVE ! Participants are having FUN! ! Observers are more ENGAGED! ! Everyone is ACTIVE! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
- 39. @motivate_design | #WhatIF KEEP CHANGING ! ! What if… paper didn’t exist? What if… we all owned 3-D printers? What if… we all lived in Smart Homes? ! Tell us your ideas! ! KEY TAKEAWAY IS TO ALWAYS ASK THE WHAT-IFS! How can we go beyond today’s research methodology?
- 40. @motivate_design | #WhatIF THANK YOU! Tweet us your #WhatIf to @motivate_design ! !