Last quarter, we went in depth into the design research process. We engaged in actual design research throughout multiple courses and gained insight into various research methods.
Is there a cautious revolution taking place in the field of design research? While interactions used to be focused on simple usability, now they are shifting to focus more on the human experience. Experience has always been a huge part of interactions, but generally we remember only the frustrating ones. Sure, the product can be designed to be effectively used, but will the experience be remembered fondly or negatively? As research shifts towards focusing on this experience, hopefully the experiences will shift to be more positive and enjoyable.
Many people have developed an attachment to their Ipods, but I retain a negative impression. The user interface, while creative and innovative, is not intuitive. When trying to change a song on a friend's Ipod, I quickly became frustrated when I could not immediately achieve my goal. Then, when I tried to turn off the Ipod, I had even more trouble and became increasingly frustrated, developing a negative association with the product. While I understand that there is a slight learning curve, and I might be delightfully surprised once I overcome that initial hurtle, the negativity that I harbor towards the product is stronger.
People have adverse reactions to change. Traditional design research methods are taught in school and widely accepted. There is a significant amount of focus on statistically sound research - executives like to see numbers that support theories. But, is this really the best method? During our exploration of design research last quarter, and throughout my undergraduate education, I grew to accept a more qualitative structure to research. The observations that you make are often much stronger than any quantitative data you might be able to find or measure.
These methods are gaining a reputation in industry. They are increasingly accepted and implemented. I can only hope that this trend continues.
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"Experience has always been a huge part of interactions, but we generally we remember only the frustrating ones."
ReplyDeleteI don't think this is true, and Don Norman would certainly care to disagree here.
What may be important to see which companies succeed with which research technique, and how do they do that? Is research (with or without) even important? Was there ever a revolution to start doing research?