One of the most persistent factors limiting the impact of user research in business is that projects often stop with a cataloging findings and implications rather than generating opportunities that directly enable the findings. We’ve long heard the lament “Well, we got this report and it just sat there. We didn’t know what to do with it.” But design research (or ethnography, or user research, or whatever the term du jour may be) has also become standard practice, as opposed to something exceptional or innovative. That means that designers are increasingly involved in using contextual research to inform their design work. Courses at CHI and elsewhere have increased the ranks of designers and others who feel comfortable conducting user research. But analysis and synthesis is a more slippery skill set, and we see how easy it is for teams to ignore (more out of frustration than anything malicious) data that doesn’t immediately seem actionable. This course gives people the tools to take control over synthesis and ideation themselves by breaking it down into a manageable framework and process.

1. Well, We've Done All This Research, Now What? Copyright is held by the author/owner(s).CHI 2011, May 7–12, 2011, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ACM 11/05.

2. Agenda 2:00 – 3:20 Turning field data into insights Introduction 10 minutes Observation Process 15 minutes Synthesis Process 15 minutes Fieldwork Exercise 40 minutes Break! 4:00 – 5:20 Turning insights into solutions Synthesis Exercise 25 minutes Ideation Process 10 minutes Ideation Exercise 35 minutes Wrap Up 10 minutes

3. Introduction

4. Typical development lifecycle What to make or do Refine & prototype Launch Iterate & improve

5. Where we work Take a fresh look at people What to make or do Refine & prototype Launch Iterate & improve

6. Where we work Use existing ideas as hypotheses What to make or do Refine & prototype Launch Iterate & improve

7. Where we work Is it working like we hoped? What to make or do Refine & prototype Launch Iterate & improve

8. Where we work What to make or do Refine & prototype Launch History provides context to explore new ideas Iterate & improve

9. Synthesis & ideation process Fieldwork Synthesis Ideation Development

10. Analysis Synthesis Ideation Solutions Strategies Opportunities Detailed solutions Insights Synthesis & ideation process

11. Cultural data from fieldwork Case study: iPod accessories

12. Observation

13. Homework Check-in Your mission: Dedicate at least half an hour to walking around and observing people in your neighborhood Props to Dominic, Tyson, Martin, Karine, James, Darlene

14. Homework Check-in Who 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?

15. Methods & inputs (not today…) Generally we integrate methods, aka triangulation We choose, mash-up, or create methods based on the problem. Today we’re doing an abbreviated version of observational fieldwork Portigal URF2010 15

16. Observing Notice what… people, places Notice how… processes, sequences, interactions Suspend your point of view Avoid conclusions Allow confusion Do it “out loud” Steve, practicing his “noticing.” You can tell because he looks like he may be a little confused.

17. 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 ignore Media Products Advertisements Street Culture Trends/Fads Cultural context What are they selling?

18. Cultural context Portigal URF2010 18

19. Cultural context Portigal URF2010 19

20. Synthesis naturally begins inthe field Resist meaning (for now) Focus on observations Get the detail Create time to talk after each fieldwork experience Over multiple sessions and participants, over time Write up real-timesummaries for the team, ASAP In-field debriefing (not today…) Fieldwork highlights captured in the wild.

21. Synthesis

22. DTDT: Analysis vs. Synthesis Analysis Break large piece(s) into smaller ones in order to make sense e.g., interviews, transcripts into anecdotes, stories

23. DTDT: Analysis vs. Synthesis Combining multiple pieces into something new e.g., developing themes, implications, opportunities Synthesis Analysis Break large piece(s) into smaller ones in order to make sense e.g., interviews, transcripts into anecdotes, stories

24. DTDT: Analysis vs. Synthesis The process gradually moves from one to the other Combining multiple pieces into something new e.g., developing themes, implications, opportunities Synthesis Analysis Break large piece(s) into smaller ones in order to make sense e.g., interviews, transcripts into anecdotes, stories

25. Sense-making through an iterative process of refining gathered data Early, Informaldata in your head First, process the experience you had collecting data Refer to debriefs and conversations Articulate and identify themes Outcome: Topline Report Process-based, Formalheavy lifting Then, process the data itself Individual and group analysis Pattern-identification, clustering, models, frameworks Outcome: Opportunities More narratively, what is synthesis? Review, Refine, Rinse, Repeat

26. After fieldwork, collate reflections and quickly externalize a starter set of 5 to 10 thematic areas based on Pre-identified areas of inquiry Refer to debriefs and conversations from the field New patterns that we observed Identify interesting areas; acknowledge that you don’t understand details yet, identify questions Outcome: Topline Report All right researchers… what did you see? Early, informal synthesis (data in your head)

27. This sheds light on what excites the team and the stakeholders and brings focus to the next stage of synthesis. The topline report

28. 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 findings Process maps, eco-systems Frameworks, models Design implications i.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)

30. Photos, field artifacts

32. Ask yourself questions; give labels; propose solutions

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

35. Heads up! Tell stories, narrate highlights, give each its due. Use notes, transcripts, and other artifacts Voice and document reactions, a-has, support and questions Clustering White-board notes Develop a new shared point-of-view, beyond “findings” Outcome: Opportunities No discussion of the synthesis process would be complete without a reference to Post-It ® Notes Collaborative analysis

36. Opportunities are not A reporting of “interesting findings” A list of solutions Opportunities are Change we can envision based on what we heard and observe About people In the context of but reframing the business questions Generative, inviting many solutions Keep the human touch in communication Allow people to move seamlessly between places Allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems Developing opportunities What should we do?

37. Your mission: Imagine you are working on a project for Gentrific8, looking for ideas to redevelop parts of Vancouver Harbor around the Convention Centre, Gastown, etc. Form groups of 2 – 3. Mix it up Wander and observe people, interactions and environments Do it out loud! Capture (photos, notes) What, who, where, when? Why, how? Exercise: Explore! This is not a design audit of signage or merchandise displays

38. Exercise: Explore!

39. Finish by 3:20 for your break! Exercise: Explore!

40. Synthesis

41. Topline Collaborative Analysis Opportunities Keep the human touch in communication Allow people to move seamlessly between places Allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems Summary of synthesis exercises Share the heavy lifting Determine generative directions Externalize the data in your head

42. After fieldwork, join forces with another group Quickly review what happened (today and from your homework) and what you saw. Collate reflections. Resist the urge to move too far towards conclusions Don’t refer to notes or photos yet Keep your own experiences, existing hypotheses, cultural clichés, etc. in the background Develop 3 - 5 themes as a “Topline Report” sketching out the big takeaways, leading into further synthesis Don’t fuss over exact wording Exercise: Develop a topline (8 minutes) All right researchers… what did you see?

43. Evolve your “Topline Report;” flesh out and enrich themes Write your themes and put them up Leave space for new ones too Now tell stories from the field (from your neighborhood and today), using photos, notes and memory Rethink the relationships between the themes, pick your strongest themes and write a sentence with a point of view Go from “Graffiti everywhere” and “Teen gangs hanging out” to “Public spaces in the neighborhood are used to communicate identity and belongingness” Exercise: Develop findings (8 minutes)

44. Build on your findings Start each opportunity with a verb Opportunities are not A reporting of “interesting findings” A list of solutions Opportunities are Change we can envision based on what we heard and observe About people In the context of but reframing the business questions Generative, inviting many solutions Exercise: Identify opportunities (8 minutes) Keep the human touch in communication Allow people to move seamlessly between places Allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems Keep the human touch in communication Allow people to move seamlessly between places Allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems What should we do? What should we do?

45. Ideation

46. A simple step moves you from Opportunities to Ideation Questions, reframing them into actionable language How can we keep the human touch in communication allow people to move seamlessly between places allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems How can we How can we Ideate! Ideation questions

47. Scope of solutions Solutions exist across many different business areas Functionality Visual design Marketing Architecture Public Services Partnerships Events Software Form factor Packaging Policy Retail design Even if you are unlikely to impact certain business areas, it’s crucial that you set that constraint aside for ideation How many business and civic areas to impact can you spot in this picture?

48. Developing strategies Responses to any ideation question can lead in different strategic directions Finding:Students have to smoke outside, but they get cold and wet Opportunity: Improve the experience of students who smoke Ideation Question:How can we improve the experience of students who smoke? Support underlying needs and behavior by embracing the finding Question needs and behavior, seek change by challenging the finding Create a protected environment for smoking Eliminate smoking

49. Strategies can inspire solutions Finding:Students have to smoke outside, but they get cold and wet Opportunity: Improve the experience of students who smoke Ideation Question:How can we improve the experience of students who smoke? Strategies Create a protected environment for smoking Eliminate smoking Solutions FacilitiesBuild a pavilion AdminAllocate interior room PartnersAlign with nearby cafe OnlineSmoking cessation games AdminBan smoking PartnersStop smoking coaches

50. Solutions can suggest strategies Finding:Students have to smoke outside, but they get cold and wet Opportunity: Improve the experience of students who smoke Ideation Question:How can we improve the experience of students who smoke? Strategies Create a protected environment for smoking Eliminate smoking Solutions AdminAllocate interior room AdminBan smoking

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

52. Stuck? Come up with bad ideas Immoral Dangerous Bad for business

53. Summary of ideation exercises Questions Business Areas Ideation and Sharing How can we keep the human touch in communication allow people to move seamlessly between places allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems How can we How can we Ideate! Shift to “How can we…?” Figure out where we can play Remember, “Yes, and…”

54. Exercise: Ideation questions Apply How can we…? to each of your Opportunities How can we keep the human touch in communication allow people to move seamlessly between places allow people to integrate seamlessly across different devices and systems How can we How can we Ideate!

55. Exercise: Business areas Let’s collectively list possible business areas to design for Think about whatever Gentrific8 could do or affect Use this list as a starting point Functionality Visual design Marketing Architecture Public Services Partnerships Events Software Form factor Packaging Policy Retail design Incentives How many business and civic areas to impact can you spot in this picture?

56. Exercise: Ideation (25 minutes) Use your ideation questions to generate strategies and solutions Out loud Visual Collaborative Consider the range of possible business areas Bounce back and forth between generating strategies and solutions Most ideas will not turn out to be winners; the goal is to practice connecting research data to solutions Apply lemon as needed.

57. Exercise: Prepare to share (2 minutes) Rapidly align on your team’s best ideas and message Choose a messenger The wise team will choose a bold, expressive spokesperson

58. Exercise: Pitch it back! (8 minutes)

59. Wrap it up

60. Next steps: Prioritization

61. Big group voting

62. Small group ranking…and reconciliation Ranking factors may even include how clear the idea is Color indicates voting winner

63. How experts use frameworks Fieldwork Synthesis Ideation Development

64. Coming in 2012! A book by Steve Portigal The Art and Craft of User Research Interviewing http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/user-interviews/

65. 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…

66. Thank you! Portigal Consulting www.portigal.com @steveportigal steve@portigal.com +1-415-894-2001