blogging epic 2008workshop 11: see, sort, sketch: pen & paper techniques for getting from research to design

prediction, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Good point. Connected to the badges, a fun research not going so well. Anyway.

Having enjoyed Leah Buley's presentation, How to become a UX team of one, I decided it was just the thing to register for the workshop she was leading with colleague Kate Rutter from Adaptive Path. Here's what I was able to jot down along the three hours, not even attempting to open the laptop on a table covered in pen and paper.

1. Diamond shapes focus the brain faster, so try arranging notes like that when looking for a solution.

2. Use big pieces of paper for big ideas, and small pieces for small ideas.

3. Ideas/ Statements taken out of qualitative research and moved onto paper as insights should stay attributed to real people. I'm sure that also makes them traceable in the raw data.

4. True is more subjective than false.

5. When people are working through the design process as a team, it involves a certain level of subjectivity, a certain level of distance, and you need to negotiate around them.

Side note: Amazing to be in between academia and commercial practitioners. There are clashes and not obligatorily constructive ones. There are also clashes, too subtle for me perhaps, among different schools of design, different schools of research, and different attitudes about work (if only U.S. vs. Europe) and, ultimately, life. I.e.: European—have you looked at every angle? vs. American—but surely any improvement is welcome!

6. Recommending Wordle as a tool is met with blank stares.

7. Stronger and weaker patterns will come across (in grouping and sorting insights), and at some point you want to decide what matters.

On presenting research results via workshops with clients, someone in the audience explain effectiveness with this argument: People come away with stories to tell, to convince others.

8. Most twisted and twisting line yet today, spotted by Chris: Ambasadorship to socialising findings.

9. The need for a physical space to display and organise your questions, findings, and insights. God knows I've been needing such and, as they spoke, instantly envisioned exactly where it could be in our study.

10. There is no recipe for concept sketches. It's always a challenge to tell the story best. Concept sketch: whatever diagram or framework is comfortable for you in telling the story.

11. To get to the concept sketch, think things, relationships among them, the story to bring all those forward and ONLY THEN pick the framework.

In the audience, one guy to another, using the right vocabulary: would you like some... utensils?


Further reference. In a few days, their presentation, too. Leah's blog: ugleah. Kate's blog: intelleto.


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