Practicing some user research methods with my anth-grad friends #ux #designanthro #userinterviews #designstudio #prototyping #hcd (at Buon Giorno Coffee)
The optic nerve is the the biggest pipeline of data into our brains. That’s why visualizations are such great tools for transmitting information that users can understand and retain.
What makes an infographic or data visualization effective and engaging?
Clear purpose: You have to define what you want the infographic to do for your users.
Relevant content: Trim anything extraneous and distill what’s left down to its essence.
Appropriate structure: Choose the most effective way to display your data and consider its physical placement on the page.
Useful formatting: Make informed choices about fonts, colors, typography, labels, tool tips, and icons.
All of these can have an effect on how easily a user can absorb information.
adapted from “Designing Infographics & Data Visualizations,” a Virtual Seminar by Noah Iliinksy
Some people ask what I do. My re: I'm still defining it. But whatever it is, I'm loving it! #interdisciplinary #passion #explore #restless #UX #methods #create #Saga
This past two weeks have been a delight. This was part of the GA program that I was most anxious about, mainly because the objective, the methods, and the deliverables are still fairly new to me, let alone putting all of this into a complete package with two other really talented people from different technical backgrounds.
The journey was a very solid experience in developing my skills as a researcher, but especially as a critical designer. I could not have had this journey without my teammates - an engineer and a fashion designer. Put in an anthropologist and you might get “TOO MANY COOKS”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGrOK8oZG8
Read more below to see the hijinks and shenanigans that was Project 3.
So a few weeks in my UX bootcamp, I have been reflecting heavily on my learning process. I have come to realize that I tend to rely on my anthropologist label. It makes sense, though. I’ve been studying theory and methodology in the social sciences for the past 5 years and have loved it!
This summer, however, I am developing two new skills simultaneously, which can sometimes feel like they overshadow much of the skills learned from my undergrad and graduate courses.
In this post, I will elaborate on these two skills that has been challenging me and developing me more as a UX designer/researcher.
Being Creative (in terms of aesthetics and functionality)
First, I have come and learn to appreciate the art of sketching (wireframes). It really gets me into the design mood. It wasn't the easiest early on though. I’ll point-blank say that I am not the most artistic person. I still think my rectangles look sloppy. Compared to my cohort, who have experience and/or skill to make beautiful things, I use stick-figures and chicken-scratch.
Another tricky part in designing is understanding how users understand and navigate through your app or website. There is an art in designing the interaction between the person and the device and how information is presented and perceived.
When making user-flow charts, I noticed how easy it was to generalize how people think and decide. I question whether or not if I have authority to assume the needs and expectations of users. This is when user-research comes in. Both research and design inform each other. Juggling the two during a project is essential.
UX Research
I am learning how to research and design on very limited timeframes. I think this is the most challenging (and most important) aspect of my UX schooling. Coming into the program, I had a strong affinity towards solid research methodology. I believe that planning, recruiting, data collecting, and analysis should be strategic. I am used to it being a careful and meticulous process.
I don't want to say that UX design has poor research methods. However, from my previous assignments and the insights from UX designers (from rigorous research backgrounds), time and resources highly constrain good UX research. There are times when your team has to work really fast, making it easier for your methods to become sloppy, and ultimately leaving you with invalid conclusions and futile designs.
Here are a few gripes that I can see occur in sloppy UX research:
1) Convenience sampling
2) Researcher bias
3) Reductionism: Ecological & Exception fallacies
*I hope to discuss this more in a future post
By the end of the day, the researcher has to present something “flashy” and useful to the client/stakeholders. In these presentations, it seems like information (either quantitative or qualitative like a percentage or a quote) is cherry-picked to fit particular business/profit expectations. This is not necessarily a bad thing or even the only reason why certain info is presented.
The researcher has as much value as anyone else on the project team. Still, it is the researcher’s responsibility to remind his/her audience that a snapshot is informative; but it is a piece of a larger picture. (1) Reframed data/findings just to meet expectations and (2) leaving your audience with misleading generalizations can be detrimental for future projects for the client/stakeholders, but especially users.
On another note, combining research and design is a fascinating process in UX work. Considering the rigidness of project timelines, iterative design can be really helpful. For instance, a waterfall method which requires research to be (mostly) done before designing takes place, can be really ineffective when given a specific schedule. When designing, there is a rule-of-thumb to start designing after using about 5 user insights. This allows designers to start working with something, as opposed to scrap up something last minute which can be seen under a waterfall-plan. The creation process is rigorous, thoughtful, and just as important as the research. The limitations of what can be put on a screen reframes how researchers and designers re-categorize, prioritize, and position information gathered from the research findings.
Main Takeaways
My anthro-insight provides me with a critical lens. Even though it can be tough to actually apply it into my work. It is important to note that my understanding of research comes from a specific background (within academia and even more so in the social sciences). Anthropology is definitely not UX; however, both have a similar goal - to understand people and their experiences. Using the two effectively requires creativity and finesse.
I still feel like I have so much more to learn. I am humbled by my experience so far.
I currently see myself as more of a researcher than a designer. However, this class has been teaching me the value of the design process and how it correlates to user-research.
My understanding and guile of implementing the two feel fresh. It is cool to find ways how design can bring life into information. Design can make info engaging, playful, and meaningful.
The UX-worker has various responsibilities and expectations [something that all my grad school buds are familiar with].
At times, forming abstract concepts into a practical design has been harder than writing academic reports. But when I do....
What is this UX world that I am immersing myself in? It is kind of funny how I got here, considering my formal training in public health and applied anthropology. I first heard about UX during my first year of grad school, when some of my classmates were taking a design anthropology course. They had a really cool project with a client and utilized traditional anthro/social-science research methods. Fascinated by the interaction between design and social theory, my peers introduced me to publications from anthropologists who have conducted UX research for products and services. I was immediately bit by the UX-bug. I ended up reframing my thesis around mobile and digital health.
My (UX) Identity Crisis
During one of the first days at General Assembly, Richard – one half of our cool instructors – asked our UXDi class what was one goal or challenge that we had. I mentioned something along the lines of having difficulty in explaining what UX is. These past few years, I keep getting asked this formulaic question:
“What is | How do you use”
+
“Applied Anthropology | Public Health | User Experience”
Even though (UX) research is more my thing, I still have a tough time explaining what UX design is to people outside the industry. AA and PH are also head-scratchers because they are also overarching and influential in the realms of social science and medicine. Perhaps, I just have an affinity for ambiguity. Yet, I believe that the common link is that each tries to empathetically understand and to critically assist in helping people.
I also resonated with the UX generalist identity, which guest speaker Jared Spool effectively described. Being a generalist reminded me of a lecture of being an applied anthropologist. My main takeaway was that with the skills of being an AA (or a UX generalist), you can make anything you combine it with EXPLODE! Whether it is for mobile apps or hospital rooms, there is always a use for UX.
^ Someone doing good UX would be like the person above. If you get this, geek props. #AllWillBeWell
Reflection on Project 1
Let’s just say I was really pumped for this project. I got to chance to utilize my anthropological toolkit and create/design something out of it. Creating a product/service in my grad program is analogous to “back-end” of web/product development. I am more used to assessing or evaluating something, which can inform the eventual creation/development phase.
I knew this was going to be lean. But damn, one week to interview, analyze, and create something is definitely a new experience for me. Just the interviewing and data analysis is something that I would normally do for at least a week. I had such an emotional rollercoaster when designing it. The technical stuff was not stressful; rather I was frustrated in validating the usefulness of my design. With each iteration of my app, I was in this motion of liking then disapproving then liking my work again. This emotional and intellectual experience was like writing a heavy-duty, academic research paper, but in a time span of 3.5 days.
During the early morning of the presentation day, I had “UX design” hot flashes. My sleep was disturbed by thoughts of adjusting my app design and functionality. It was euphoric, despite forcing myself to go back to sleep. It was a shame that I didn’t write these ideas down.
As for the presentation itself, I noticed how I tapped into my empathetic mindset. I noticed how I was speaking from the heart, which got me really excited in the storytelling of the presentation. Looking back, I tend to get more engrossed in the personal aspect of my project experience, emoting the perspective of my awesome classmate/user and the significance of the app’s mission. Ultimately, this overshadowed explaining the actual app (during the 7 minutes allotted for the presentation). My cohort’s critiques and comments also gave me direction for working with the next project. Even after watching their presentations, I feel more inspired and motivated to mature my app design and development skills.
Overall, this whole project – from research to presentation – was a refreshing way to strengthen my creative muscle. It has been a little rusty since high school yearbook years. It’s still crazy this has only been one week. Nine more to go!!!
Also, more nerd cred if you know which board game this card is from...
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