Reflecting on the “design” in my design research practice
With hundreds of researchers at Facebook, it makes sense that people have started to specialize in ethnography, qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, etc. It also stands to reason that as I shift from being a hybrid design / research / strategy consultant to landing an in-house research role at a large organization, I will need to rejigger the narrative on how my past experiences fold into my current research practice. So — here goes!
As a design researcher, my past training in graphic design and service design gives me extra tools to use when considering how to design artifacts and interactions with both users (i.e. research participants) and project stakeholders.
Graphic design at play
I create artifacts, prototypes, and exercises to make it easier for users to talk about things that are hard to articulate (e.g. latent needs). For my project stakeholders, I design artifacts and visuals that aid in group alignment and shared understanding. I am thoughtful about how I convey research insights, experimenting with the medium as a means for making insights more actionable.
Service design at play
Understanding the experience design of an interaction influences what I can get out of a session with a research participant and how well stakeholders receive the work I have to share. For users, I aim to create an environment and experience that continuously signals that it’s safe to speak candidly and openly. With stakeholders, my main concern is moving past static PowerPoints to facilitate thorough knowledge transfers and inspire buy-in for the insights through memorable, experiential sessions.
Artifacts
1: Worksheets
Worksheets are a simple way to help anchor a conversation. Participants often take comfort in having something to point to because it makes answering open-ended questions less intimidating. I always tell new practitioners that a successful worksheet is one that got the user talking, regardless of if the worksheet is full, empty, or if you had to fill it in yourself as they spoke.
2: Physical artifacts
I flip flop. On one hand, I love the simplicity and immediate back and forth that digital cultural probes spark. (Check out this presentation I gave which summarizes the benefits of conducting probes digitally.) On the other hand, I grew up designing printed materials and I will always love print. (I’ve been getting the Sunday NYT at my doorstep off and on since 2006, but I digress…) As it relates to research, sometimes I think it pays to milk the novelty factor that comes with a nicely designed, printed artifact. Bonus points for artifacts that let your research participants’ unique voices shine through by showcasing their handwriting!
3: Problem frame cards
Projects live and die by their problem framing. After spending five weeks going back and forth with what felt like a thousand stakeholders trying to get a frame everyone could agree on, I came up with a new approach for facilitating this part of the process — problem frame cards.
At the kickoff session, I bring a set of cards that show a mix of problem frames that each delve deeper into the initial project brief. On the backside of each card, you can read about potential research method/approach implications. At kickoff, everybody reads the cards and then we talk about which ones stood out and why. After the meeting, I’m able to synthesize key takeaways and share back our final agreed-upon problem frame for the project. This process works so cleanly it still shocks me every time I do it!
4: Books > PowerPoint (sometimes…)
I worked on a big research effort for a banking client where our work had the dual purposes of uncovering fresh user insights and making the case company-wide for the value of human-centred design and design research. To help my client share this project and its findings with others, I made a book that told the whole story from start to finish and was optimized for a casual reading experience. I rewrote the content to be jargon-free and bullet-point-free; instead, the layouts are jam packed with vivid anecdotes, user quotes, and photos.
Interactions
1: Workshop experience design
Whether it’s a co-design workshop with research participants or a session with key project stakeholders, I am always mindful of designing the experience to get the most out of everyone present.
A mishmash of things I enjoy fretting over:
- visual consistency across wayfinding, worksheets, and name tags
- having a throw away ice breaker activity that allows for people to arrive and get settled at different times
- structuring feedback to protect air time for introverts and extroverts (hat tip to The Moment for teaching me “1 /2 /4 /all”)
- choosing food that will be easy to eat without taking too much time away from the activities
- the orchestration and sequencing of “easy” and “hard” activities
- the best music to play in the background (spoiler alert, the answer is Chilly Gonzales!)
2: Fidelity of artifacts
Recognizing how the fidelity of an artifact influences the feedback you get, I use my design polish with intention. For example, instead of designing slick, large format posters, I use handwritten headers on a piece of butcher paper and simple drawings. Not only does it save ink and printing costs (!), but I believe that it makes participants feel less pressure about what is good enough to share or whether their drawing skills are good enough. Generally speaking, I practice good enough graphic design which means that I flex my design muscle just enough to make things look nice and compelling without losing sight of the fact that each designed artifact is just a means to an end (i.e. encouraging research participants to open up to us).
3: Research immersion workshops
Research immersion workshops (RIWs) are one of Doblin’s signature client sessions. The RIW is essentially a co-analysis session wherein we invite the client and other key stakeholders to watch clips of interview footage and discuss what we’re seeing and what it might mean. For context, eight minutes of raw footage usually needs at least 35 minutes to discuss and analyze. We’re going deep!
In addition to showing project stakeholders what users had to say, in their own words, these workshops are a great way of advocating for this type of work to people in the organization who may not be directly involved with our project. In my experience, I have never done anything shorter than a four-hour RIW. I believe that fighting for this much time is itself a process in exposing stakeholders to rich, first-rate design research!
Thoughts? I am perpetually aspiring to write more about my process and craft. Maybe by reflecting on things, it will help me better articulate what I do, while also giving potential employers and fellow practitioners a more nuanced understanding of how I work and think. If anything I’ve written prompted questions, curiosity, or disagreement — let’s get into it! You can also check out my website to see more of my work. Thanks for reading. ✌️
