Project process

Having neglected this blog for a while, I will attempt to summarise what has happened in the last month or so.

Having completed my observations in Edinburgh I returned to Dundee and worked through the observations that I had recorded through my notes and sketches. I found this task at times quite demanding, and it took longer than I had expected to analyse and synthesise the data into something which I was happy with. On reflection I feel that this could have been due to working alone, as I appreciate the value that a team can bring to this stage, particularly when it comes to bouncing ideas around etc. In addition to the fieldwork I consulted a two regular rail commuters through informal interviews, primarily to gain some feedback on my analysis but also to gain a bit more data. I had considered forming a focus group, and using it as a participatory design session, to gain some design ideas. However, lack of numbers combined with a change in decision resulted in the further analysis/data gathering route.

Afterwards, I managed to group my data into some themes, and then was able to merge them into a couple of core ideas - infrastructure and behaviour. Underneath each of these themes I have established a series of issues/topics that are illustrated through my observations.

I am now working on how to communicate these themes and issues effectively, and also in a way that they could be useful in the design of future technologies within transitory spaces. I have almost completed the illustrative report, which will outline the process along with the results, and I have also been working on the online presentation that I will do next week as well.

So it is coming together quite well at the moment. The biggest challenge will be making sure that I get my points across successfully, and hopefully show the value in my work.

Case Studies: Design Against Crime

Yesterday in the Designing Innovative Research module we were initially given a lecture by Mike Press and Lisa Cresswell, who is a research assistant on the Safer Spaces project. It was on the Design Against Crime project, which I have heard about previously on more than one occasion, so I was a little worried that it might be going over old ground. However I was pleased to discover that the emphasis of the lecture was on the process of conducting a research project.

Mike described how the whole project had evolved over the last decade, and gave examples of how they often had to adapt for various situations. He also illustrated a series of "tips" for research, some of the ones which resonated with me I have listed below:

• Say "yes we can" even if you think you can't
• Build tactical and strategical alliances
• Finish a report with "clearly more research is necessary" 

(I particularly liked this statement, Mike referred to it in the context of gaining further funding and more work. However I feel this will often be the statement required after a research study, as it's more than likely that you will not find all the right answers after conducting an investigation and will undoubtedly need to look further. I suppose in ethnographic research this will often be an issue, as there is always something else interesting to look at. It will be a matter of establishing what the designer is looking for and the boundaries of exploration).

• Work with the best people and give them their heads
• Innovate your methods
• Go for targeted audiences
• Keep evolving your research focus
• Interdisciplinary teams work best
• Versatility and adaptability is required.

One of the key principles from the talk, which was referenced in a few of the "tips", was this idea of choosing the right team, and having space to adapt. I am a firm believer in the concept of interdisciplinary teams, and I am always keen to see what different perspectives people from different backgrounds can bring to a team.

Mike also remarked on the subject of knowledge transfer, specifically in relation to the conversations between academics and the MI5 for the Design Against Crime project. Again it reiterated the need to be able to find a common language when communicating with people out-with your own domain.

Lisa made an interesting point in regards to the interview she had for her research assistant position. She said don't tell them people what you "do", but instead convey the skills you have such as communication, facilitation and critical thinking, which can be applied in a variety of contexts. 

We were also given talks from Jamie Henderson from the Innovation Portal and Ken Edwards from the Enterprise Gym. I do try and find the relevance in every lecture we have, and see how I can apply it to my own practice. I did struggle to engage with the content of these two talks, however I do see how they could be useful if I did want to set up a business on my own, and they did make me think about the fact that there is often a business model behind research and it is something to consider at all times.

Structuring Creativity

This week in DLPSI we were given the task of exploring a speculative product for Apple. We were divided into six groups, and then each group was given a new technology to base the product/service on. My group's technology was the ability to control a computer with the mind. A pretty frightening thought if you ask me.

Over the two and a half days we employed a series of methods, using various tools, to generate ideas and explore the concept further. These were,

• Edward de Bono's "6 thinking hats"
• Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
• Physical Modeling and Prototyping
• Evaluation Screening
• Stakeholder Profiling
• Ethical Profiling
• Intellectual Property

Most of the tools were useful, particularly in provoking discussions and leading into new ideas. Our group's idea "material mind", was a device which would allow people to engage, share and explore their thoughts. It involved the user wearing a wristband that could read their mind and display their thoughts via a three dimensional visualisation.  

Physical modeling

To look further into creativity and innovation I've been reading Tom Kelley's The Ten Faces of Innovation. I've just finished the first persona - The Anthropologist, which was particularly interesting to me as an Ethnographer in the making. However I felt it was relevant to this project as well, mainly the idea of adopting and switching between various roles. It is suggested that the key factor for innovation success is "when you gather several roles together and blend them into a multidisciplinary team."

Gotomedia

Whilst researching into mobile communication I found the Gotomobile blog, which looks at it usability and user experience.

This led me to the company Gotomedia, who create interfaces for mobiles, products and the web. It was interesting to also look at their strategy and process in regards to the My Strategy exercise for the DLPSI module.

Kelly Goto is involved in both the blog and the company, and the blog states that she is "dedicated to understanding how real people integrate products and services into their daily lives". I also found an interview with her here, where she explains the process and project management involved in producing online brands.

I hope to take some of this onboard, as I am interested in people centred research for the creation of new products and ideas.