1. IAT 333, Design: Practice and Methods Week 2: Cultural Probes
Dr. Carman Neustaedter
based on course content by Ron Wakkary

2. Outline
cultural probes informational probes example probes interviews assignment

3. what is a cultural probe?

4. Cultural Probes “We’ve brought you a kind of gift.” – Gaver et al
source: Gaver, Dunne, and Pacenti

5. Cultural Probes
how do you design something relevant for an unfamiliar group? don’t want users to constrain design don’t want users to reveal known needs

6. Cultural Probes
how do you design something relevant for an unfamiliar group? don’t want users to constrain design don’t want users to reveal known needs provoke inspirational responses pursue experimental design in a responsive way

7. Cultural Probes
how do you design something relevant for an unfamiliar group? don’t want users to constrain design don’t want users to reveal known needs provoke inspirational responses pursue experimental design in a responsive way like “astronomic or surgical probes” wait for data over time hope for the unexpected

8. Types of Cultural Probes
Postcards
8-10 postcards with questions
attitudes of elders towards their lives, culture and technology
oblique wording and evocative images provide space for people
informal and friendly (plus more engaging) way of asking questions
source: Gaver, Dunne, and Pacenti

9. Types of Cultural Probes
Maps 7 maps with an inquiry exploring elders’ relationship to their environments activity: marking zones, locales to surreal situations maps printed with textural materials invited folding, handling, and tactile responses
source: Gaver, Dunne, and Pacenti

10. Types of Cultural Probes
Disposable camera repackaged with no commercial entity simple photo requests written on package e.g., first person you see today, something desirable, something boring
source: Gaver, Dunne, and Pacenti

11. Types of Cultural Probes
Photo Album assemble a story of 6-10 pictures using pictures from the past, friends, families, and other meaningful things Media Diary chronicle of TV shows watched, radio listened to, telephone calls, etc.
source: Gaver, Dunne, and Pacenti

12. Cultural Probes
not scientific or engineering endeavor focus on aesthetic control focus on cultural implications focus on impressionistic view of beliefs, culture, aesthetics

13. Cultural Probes
not scientific or engineering endeavor focus on aesthetic control focus on cultural implications focus on impressionistic view of beliefs, culture, aesthetics trying to open the design not existing designs or existing technologies speculative uses and boundary testing

14. Cultural Probes
probes were: delightful but not childish or condescending invaluable in providing individual views of each locale a two-way dialogue between designers and the participants

15. informational probes

16. what is the difference between a cultural probe and an informational probe?

17. how it is used: inspiration vs. information

18. Informational Probes
transforming cultural probes to informational probes - Crabtree et al use of probes in sensitive settings traditional ethnography is difficult
source: Crabtree et al

19. Informational Probes
transforming cultural probes to informational probes - Crabtree et al use of probes in sensitive settings traditional ethnography is difficult focus on gathering information about participants participants act as self-observers
source: Crabtree et al

20. Informational Probes
transforming cultural probes to informational probes - Crabtree et al use of probes in sensitive settings traditional ethnography is difficult focus on gathering information about participants participants act as self-observers results used to focus user workshops use probes to figure out what to look at
source: Crabtree et al

21. Informational Probes
postcards addressed to the researchers: residents express daily concerns map of locale for residents to map daily geographies and unsafe areas polaroid camera to document friends, objects voice activated dictaphone for ideas visitor’s book scrapbook daily diary
source: Crabtree et al

22. Tips for Making Cultural Probes
do don’t make it a gift make it an assignment

23. Tips for Making Cultural Probes
do don’t make it a gift make it an assignment engage people in conversation engage in a questionnaire

24. Tips for Making Cultural Probes
do don’t make it a gift make it an assignment engage people in conversation engage in a questionnaire try to make a friend act as a data collector

25. Tips for Making Cultural Probes
do don’t make it a gift make it an assignment engage people in conversation engage in a questionnaire try to make a friend act as a data collector create a game create tasks with a manual

26. Tips for Making Cultural Probes
do don’t make it a gift make it an assignment engage people in conversation engage in a questionnaire try to make a friend act as a data collector create a game create tasks with a manual ask who, what, where, when, why and how questions capture the entire experience: first showing of probe to pick up

27. Tips for Designing Cultural Probes
recruiting is the first design decision pick reliable participants pick people you have access to brainstorm possible audiences

28. Tips for Designing Cultural Probes
recruiting is the first design decision
pick reliable participants
pick people you have access to
brainstorm possible audiences
two strategies:
selective sampling: choose a particular type
e.g., soccer Moms
risk: you decide you can’t design for this audience
benefit: good in-depth information
2. general sampling: choose a cross-section or general type
e.g., Vancouver residents
risk: information gathered is too general
benefit: good cross section of interests

29. Examples
Ini Yang
Lin Tsao
Wayne Lo
Dominic Wong

30. Cultural Probe Findings
no obvious results implicit or inspirational meaning certain responses are surprising, insightful probes provide a perspective that can be hard to achieve

31. Cultural Probe Findings
no obvious results implicit or inspirational meaning certain responses are surprising, insightful probes provide a perspective that can be hard to achieve what surprised you the most? what gave you the most insight? what probe results will help future designs?

32. interviews

33. Interviews + Cultural Probes
optionally you can interview people when: leaving cultural probes – ask questions about initial thoughts and feelings picking up cultural probes – ask reactions to the probes, talk about the probes, e.g., pick one item and tell me about it

34. Types of Interviews
Unstructured / open most like a conversation, no questions planned pros: rich detail that interviewer may not have thought of cons: hard to replicate, hard to analyze good for cultural probes Semi-structured pre-select topic areas and potential questions pros: can guide interview but not enforce what is discussed cons: can go off topic

35. Types of Interviews
Structured predetermined questions that are short and clearly worded confirmatory rather than exploratory pros: easy to replicate, get specific answers, easy to analyze cons: restrictive answers, details can be lost not recommended for cultural probes

36. Types of Interview Distortion
Internal distortion problems internal to the interviewer e.g., personal traits, lack of experience, listening skills reduce by restating what people say, take notes, corroborate with other sources

37. Types of Interview Distortion
External distortion problems with interaction between interviewer and -viewee e.g., distractions (finger tapping), violation of social norms, conflicting messages (body language), emotional discomfort reduce by analyzing own behavior, be aware of social norms, arrange appropriate environment

38. assignment

39. Assignment
1. based on feedback in labs, redesign your probes (quickly!) make at least four copies of them 2. deploy the probes to 4 or more participant groups/individuals leave them with them for 5-7 days 3. design short interviews (10-15 min) to be used when: you give the probes out and when you pick them up

40. Assignment
due next lecture one-minute madness presentation of your final cultural probes upload your presentation on to my laptop at start of class due next week in lab poster of final cultural probes printed 18x24 inches and ready to present in lab

41. Assignment
due in lab in *2 weeks* - Sept poster of cultural probe results printed 18x24 inches and ready to present in lab what was most insightful or inspirational? what stories came to life? why did you chose these findings? 2. interview analysis and summary 1-3 pages long, document your overall findings major themes: back up with quotes/examples discuss in lab

42. Examples
See examples on my laptop

43. Questions?
Stay after lecture if you are in a group of 2 or 3, or not in a group

44. Attendance

45. Attendance