Understanding Users

1 brightspot strategy Eight Schools Association ©2016. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding UsersHow to gather needs, synthesize insights, and co-create solutions

Elliot Felix Founder, brightspot strategy


hello!


about brightspot

experience We guide organizations to their future.


about brightspot


today’s agenda:

Need finding

Creating with users

GuidingPrinciples

Practice Activity and Q&A

Introduction

Sense making


Principles


What principles should guide the design of a user

research project?


guiding principles1.  Integrate spaces, services and

staffing

2.  Combine internal and external perspectives

3.  Ask (directly) and uncover (indirectly)

4.  Mix quantitative and qualitative

5.  Participate to co-create


reference: Learning Space Toolkit

design as delivery

Process Needs Assessment Space Types

Services Technology Integration

More info: www.learningspacetoolkit.org

brightspot partnered with NC State and AECOM to developed the Learning Space Toolkit to help institutions and designers create and sustain exemplary, technology-rich informal learning spaces.


Needfinding


How can you gather information about expressed

and unexpressed needs?


workshopsWorkshops enable you to engage selected participants in depth through activities and discussions.

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/focus-groups/

Problem Tree Analysis [Cause – Problem – Effects]https://www.odi.org/publications/5258-problem-tree-analysis


interviewsInterviews enable you to engage selected participants in the most depth. There are different types:

•  Intercept •  Contextual

•  Conversational

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/interviews/

“Peers know the ins and outs of the university. For example, a

fellow PP major told me to declare PPL before Philosophy

because it would look better on my transcript. A professor would

never tell you that.”

“Students wish advising were more intensive earlier on in their

college careers. That the relationship was deeper or at least more than just getting a

schedule signed.”

“One of the things I’m most thankful for is when my Dean told me to be cautious about jumping into the education school because she didn’t think it would be a good fit for me. She recognized that I didn’t really know what I was getting in to and encouraged me to take some classes just to test the

waters. She was right: it was not what I wanted to do.”

Public Research University


surveysSurveys enable you to get broad feedback about the current state and potential future needs with a larger number of participants.

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/surveys/


shadowingShadowing users enables you to observe them in action and in-context. You can also ask follow-up questions about what you observed.

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/observation/


photo journalingPhoto journals enable you to see the world through your users’ eyes (and to focus their view with specific prompts like questions or missions).

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/photo-interviews/


Discussion


Sensemaking


How can you synthesize what you’ve gathered and turn it into

actionable insights?


affinity mappingSynthesizing findings with users enables you to validate in real-time as you make sense of the information collected.

reference: http://gamestorming.com/core-games/affinity-map/


prioritizingPrioritizing with users enables you to gain a more nuanced understanding of what matters and why – and then focus on what counts.

reference: http://www.innovationgames.com/impact-effort-matrix/


storyboardStoryboards describe a current or future situation, including the people, places, activities, and tools. They can be created by, with, or for users.

related reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/working-with-data/use-case-tool/


Discussion


Co-creating


How can you understand needs by co-creating

solutions?


prototypingPrototyping enables co-creating future concepts with users and validating them through walk-throughs, role play, and use in real-time.

reference: http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/prototyping.html


personasPersonas are data-driven portraits of hypothetical users that describe their motivations, behaviors, and expectations.

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/services-and-support/personas-overview/


journey mapJourney maps evaluate current experiences or envision future ones, across the 5Es: entice, enter, engage, exit, and extend.

reference: http://learningspacetoolkit.org/services-and-support/journey-map-overview/


Activity: Journey Map Test Drive


scenariosComplete a journey map for one of the following (or create your own): 1.  Student creating project

video on voting rights

2.  Student conducting research for group project on water quality

3.  Faculty putting course content online (blog, LMS, other other platform)

4.  Faculty multi-site videoconference with research team


questions?


thank you! [email protected]

@elliotfelix

www.brightspotstrategy.com

@brightspotter

Understanding Users

Education

Transcript of Understanding Users