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

Outline cultural probes informational probes example probes interviews assignment

what is a cultural probe?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

informational probes

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

how it is used: inspiration vs. information

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Examples Ini Yang Lin Tsao Wayne Lo Dominic Wong

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

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?

interviews

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

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

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

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

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

assignment

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

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

Assignment due in lab in *2 weeks* - Sept 30 1. 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

Examples See examples on my laptop

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

Attendance

Attendance