The aim of this in-depth activity is to practice data gathering. Assume that you have been employed to improve the user experience of an interactive product such as a smartphone app, a digital media player, a Blu-ray player, computer software, or some other type of technology. This existing product may be redesigned, or a completely new product may be created. To do the assignment, find a group of people or a single individual prepared to be the user group. These could be your family, friends, peers, or people in a local community group.
For this assignment:
Clarify the basic goal of improving the product by considering what this means in your circumstances.
Watch the group (or person) casually to get an understanding of any issues that might create challenges for this activity and any information to help refine the study goals.
Explain how you would use each of the three data gathering techniques: interview, questionnaire, and observation in your data gathering program. Explain how your plan takes account of triangulation.
Consider your relationship with the user group and decide if an informed consent form is required. (Figure 8.1 will help you to design one if needed.)
Plan your data gathering program in detail.
Decide what kind of interview to run and design a set of interview questions. Decide how to record the data, then acquire and test any equipment needed and run a pilot study.
Decide whether to include a questionnaire in your data gathering program, and design appropriate questions for it. Run a pilot study to check the questionnaire.
Decide whether to use direct or indirect observation and where on the outsider/insider spectrum should the observers be.
Decide how to record the data, then acquire and test any equipment needed and run a pilot study.
F. Carry out the study, but limit its scope. For example, interview only two or three people or plan only two half-hour observation periods. Reflect on this experience and suggest what you would do differently next time.
G. Keep the data gathered, as this will form the basis of the in-depth activity in Chapter 9.
then this one
The goal of this in-depth activity is to practice data analysis and presentation. Assume that you are assigned to analyze and present the findings of your data gathering in-depth activity from Chapter 8 to a group of peers, for instance, via a seminar.
1.) Review the data that you gathered and identify any qualitative data and any quantitative data in the data set.
2.) Is there any qualitative data that could sensibly and helpfully be translated into quantitative measures? If so, do the translation and add this data to your quantitative set.
3.) Consider your quantitative data.
A.) Decide how best to enter it into spreadsheet software, for example, how to handle answers to close-ended questions. Then enter the data and generate some graphical representations. As the data set is likely to be small, think carefully about what, if any, graphical representations will provide meaningful summaries of the findings.
B.) Is there any data for which simple measures, such as percentages or averages, will be helpful? If so, calculate the three different types of average.
4.) Consider your qualitative data.
A.)Based on your refinement of the study question “improving the product,” identify some themes in the qualitative data, for example, what features of the product cause people difficulties? Did any of the participants suggest alternative designs or solutions? Refine your themes and collate extracts of data that support the theme.
B.)Identify any critical incidents in the data. These may arise from interviews, questionnaire responses, or observation. Describe these incidents carefully and choose one or two to analyze in more depth, focusing on the context in which they occurred.
5.) Collate your findings as a presentation and deliver them to a group of peers.
6.) Review the presentation and any questions from the audience. Consider how to improve the analysis and presentation.
In order to improve the user experience of an interactive product, the basic goal is to identify any issues or challenges that users may face and come up with solutions to address them. This could involve redesigning certain features or creating an entirely new product.
To gather data for this project, three data gathering techniques will be used: interviews, questionnaires, and observations. The interviews will provide more in-depth insights into the thoughts and experiences of the user group. The questionnaires will allow for a larger sample size and quantitative data. The observations will provide direct observation of users interacting with the product.
To ensure data triangulation, the data gathered from each technique will be compared and analyzed to identify any patterns or consistencies. Triangulation can help strengthen the validity and reliability of the findings by reducing the chances of bias or errors.
Considering the relationship with the user group, an informed consent form may be required to ensure that participants are aware of the purpose of the study and give their consent to participate.
The data gathering program will be planned in detail, including the logistics, timeline, and resources needed. This will involve acquiring and testing any necessary equipment for recording the data, such as audio or video recording devices.
For the interviews, a structured or semi-structured format will be used to ensure consistency in the questions asked. The interview questions will be designed to gather information about specific aspects of the product's user experience. The data will be recorded either through audio or video recordings, and a pilot study will be conducted to test the interview process.
The questionnaire will include a combination of close-ended and open-ended questions to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The questionnaire will be piloted to ensure clarity and understandability.
For the observations, a decision will be made on whether to use direct or indirect observation. The observers may be positioned at various points on the outsider/insider spectrum, depending on the level of involvement or familiarity with the user group. The data will be recorded through video recordings or field notes.
Once the data gathering is complete, the scope of the study will be limited in terms of the number of participants or observation periods. This limitation will allow for a more focused analysis and reflection on the process. Reflection on this experience will also help identify any improvements or adjustments that can be made for future data gathering activities.
The data gathered from this activity will form the basis for the data analysis and presentation in Chapter 9. The qualitative and quantitative data will be reviewed and organized. Qualitative themes will be identified based on the study question of "improving the product," and relevant data extracts will be collated to support these themes. Critical incidents will be analyzed in depth, focusing on the context in which they occurred.
The findings will be collated and presented to a group of peers, potentially through a seminar. The presentation will involve graphical representations of the quantitative data, as well as a discussion of the qualitative themes and critical incidents.
After the presentation, a review will be conducted to assess the analysis and presentation. Feedback from the audience will be considered and used to improve future analysis and presentations.