During May 2013 the Meld Studios team conducted a three-week long observational and contextual research project for a cafe chain in Western Australia. After 110 hours of observation in 18 locations, nearly 200 interviews, and thousands of photographs we had collected a lot of data, and learned a lot more about the conduct of field research. This presentation looks at the research objectives, research plan, our experiences in the field, and reflect on the extent to which we successfully captured – and were able to communicate – what we saw, heard, smelled, touched and felt.

1. Design research
Lessons learned from the field
Steve Baty
@docbaty
Meld Studios

4. Steve Baty

5. The end point
Steve Baty

6. Steve Baty

7. 1. Keep your eye open for anything

8. Steve Baty

9. 2. Capture more than you think you need

10. Steve Baty

11. 3. Balance volume
with quality

12. Steve Baty

13. 4. Double up
as much as
possible

14. Steve Baty

15. 5. Use multiple research techniques

16. ‘Triangulation’

17. 6. Capture the highest resolution you can
Steve Baty

18. Recap
1. Keep your eye open for anything
2. Capture more than you think you need
3. Balance volume with quality
4. Double up as much as possible
5. Use multiple research techniques
6. Capture the highest resolution you can
Steve Baty

19. Thank you
Steve Baty
@docbaty
steve@meldstudios.com.au
!
www.meldstudios.com.au
@wearemeld