Six Tips for Observing to inform Experience Design
As part of our Insights for Innovation class offered by the good folks at IDEO we are learning and practicing the skillsets for Observing "listening with our eyes" as part of an overall Needfinding activity set. We had the opportunity to practice the skills of observing across a number of different, fun exercises, facilitated by our instructors. In addition, we walked away with the following tips for observing and what to look for in the Real World.
Six Tips for Observing (as part of overall Needfinding activity) to inform Experience Design:
Look for things that prompt behavior - both the obvious as well as the subtle
Look for Adaptations - hacks or workarounds that people do to make something work better for themselves
Look for what people care about - this will help you determine what they value as well
Look for Body Language - quickly cues us into Emotions that the person is feeling even if not expressed verbally
Look for Patterns - things such as multiple objects with some connection, routines, or simply themes
Look for the Unexpected - anything that is out of place (make good conversation starters during an interview).
Most important, we have learned about the power of combining both Observation with Interviewing techniques and how doing Observation first helps inform and make for a better, more insightful Interview later. These two techniques really do compliment each other and help you arrive at a better outcome - a more well understood problem.
These methods and skillsets are all part of what some refer to as Need-finding - the art and science of "looking without knowing what we are looking for". Trusting that we will learn more about the problem to be solved during the need finding process - that it will emerge out of disciplined observation.
Thanks again to the good folks at IDEO for sharing their insights and knowledge around innovation and design thinking practices. Looking forward to other courses offered thru IDEO University.