Week 10- Proof of Concept & Initial Research
This weeks lecture was based on research and how to conduct it. Within this lecture we learned all about various techniques to take when conducting research and ways to analyse this.
SWOT analysis
A SWOT identifies strengths and weaknesses of an idea. What does this look like?
Why do I need to do research?
For my pitch project I need to back up my idea with research, in order for my idea to be needed and make sense to the ‘investors’ and in order for it to have a chance at winning the ‘dragons den’. I need to take marketing into consideration and include data in my pitch presentation. Research can be quick and it can be cheap or free it is always useful and always needed !
Qualitative and quantitive research
What is qualitative resaerch?
Qualitative research relies on data obtained by the researcher from first-hand observation, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups.
What is quantitve research?
Quantitative research is a research strategy that focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data, this is usually numerical data.
BASIC steps of doing research:
Looking at user techniques
Daniel explained user techiqens and the variations of these so I decided to make some notes on my iPad, which I have included below…
Online surveys –
- easy way to get user requirements
- powerful
- good ethics ( anonymous
- quick
- easy to do
- solid way to get info
Example of survey tools-
- type form.com
- google forms
- survey monkey.com
The more user friendly your form is is its easy to use and read and understand and easy to follow.
When should you do research in the design process?
Therefore I need to do it all all stages of the process – ALWAYS.
You are dealing with people – people is better than saying g humans therefore they are easy lead so don’t use leading questions ( e.g. what do you like about google or what is your fav thing about google ). I have never heard of leading questions before but this actually made a lot of sense when Daniel explained what they actually were and this made me realise that many questionnaires I have filled in and completed included so many leading questions and I want even aware. Daniel also suggested that I use plain English in all parts of my research, e.g. within the questionnaires etc.
What is card sorting?
I want to complete a card sorting task as I have never done this before and I want to try as many different techniques as possible so I can increase my research skills as this is an area I am interested in. this type of technique makes senes of the info you have gathered. to do this you put the information on cards and put them on the wall.
What’s next after research?
Daniel explained that after gathering all of my research I need to begin analysing- I need to make sense of all the data and research that I have gotten.
This week task:
I will complete a number of user research techniques for my pitch idea research and these will include-
1.SWOT analysis
2.User persona’s
3.Empathy map
Reflection
This weeks lecture was a final year lecture about research, it was very interesting to see that the same principles apply no matter the project or year you’re in. It was a good insight into what they are looking at and we actually all should take the same steps when it comes to design research. I found this really helpful and I am excited to begin the research for my design pitch, with my idea there are a number of groups that I could take information and data from so I might have to narrow it down. I will complete this weeks tasks and post blog posts of how these have went and all of my results. I have never created an empathy map before so I am excited to see how that goes and how this effects my results and research.