Assignment 2.2: Design Research Check-In

Due: Thursday, October 22, 15:00

This assignment is a component of Milestone 2. Be sure you have reviewed that larger context for this assignment.

The goal of this assignment is to begin your design research, reflect on what you observe and learn, and iterate in your approach as you continue in additional design research.

Complete at least two design research activities prior to this check-in. If you have completed more than two design research activities, you may include findings from additional completed activities. These will not affect your score on this assignment, but can allow you to receive additional feedback on your findings. You hopefully learned something about the needs of people who might use a design. You may have also learned about effectively conducting your design research.

For each completed research activity, provide details of participants and method. Then present eight specific findings total across your completed research activities.

• What did you do?

  • For example, who you interviewed or observed, why their background or context makes them relevant.
  • What method you employed, including some of the most relevant details. You will not be able to describe your entire method, so convey aspects of your method that are most important to understand as context for your findings.

• What did you learn?

  • List eight specific findings in total across your completed activities, based on what you heard, learned, or observed (e.g., specific breakdowns, problems, opportunities, tasks, or tensions you uncovered).
  • In support of each finding, provide specific evidence collected in your design research.

We expect findings to be short but concrete, complemented with direct evidence from an activity. Each finding should be structured as a short summary statement, followed by more direct evidence that informed or supports the finding (e.g., a participant quote, a contrast between two participant quotes, a description of a critical incident in an observation).

Identify two themes that connect your findings across the research activities. Explain each theme and support it with specific findings and evidence from your research.

Reflect on your original research questions: what did your research help you answer, and what remains unclear? Present revised research questions and explain how your findings informed the revisions. Also reflect on your research process, including what worked, what was challenging, and how you would adjust your methods or recruitment as you continue.

Note that we fully expect you will need to iterate in your design research method, as design research can be difficult to get right and important topics are often left unresolved. For example, you might iterate in your method as you gain more experience with it, might iterate in your method because you find an element of it is not effective, or might iterate because a finding evolves your understanding of your research questions.

Be sure to keep notes on how and why you evolve and iterate in your design research method. Use these notes to explain your research methods and findings in Assignment 3.2 and the design meetings.

Submission

Due: Thursday, October 22, 15:00

Within the Drive folder for course project files:

• Identify the Slides deck corresponding to this assignment for your group. The deck provides a template for this assignment. Edit the deck in-place, so that you can easily share it in critique.

• Prepare a Slides deck with the following structure:

  For each design research activity (at least 2):

  • 1/2 slide: Participant details.
  • 1/2 slide: Method details.

  Across your completed research activities, also include:

  • Reflection on your original research questions.
  • Revised research questions and the reasons for the revisions.
  • Reflection on your research process and planned adjustments.
  • 4 slides: 8 design research findings total, with supporting evidence (i.e., 2 per slide).
  • 2 themes that connect your findings, supported by findings and evidence.

Reminders and requirements:

• Submission via Canvas is also required, in support of grading.

  • Remove instruction slides and template markings from your deck before submission.

  • Export a PDF of your deck, via the menu: File -> Download -> PDF Document (.pdf).

• This is a group submission. Ensure your section and names of all group participants are appropriately clear.

• Review and follow guidance on Clarity and Presentation.

• Names of participants should be replaced with pseudonyms in all documents. It is important to protect participant anonymity, even in the case that reporting seems harmless.

The Drive folder for course project files is here:

https://tinyurl.com/cse440-au26

Submit via Canvas here:

In Class

Be prepared to discuss your design research process and findings.

Grading

This assignment is worth 56 points total, evaluated using the following criteria:

1. Reflection on Research Questions (6 points):

   Explain what you learned about your original research questions and what remains unclear.

2. Revised Research Questions (6 points):

   Present revised research questions and explain how your research informed the changes.

3. Reflection on Research Process (8 points):

   Reflect on what worked and what was challenging in your research process, and explain how you would adjust your methods or recruitment.

4. Eight Findings (16 points):

   Present eight specific, concrete findings across your completed research activities. Support each finding with evidence from what you heard, learned, or observed.

5. Two Themes (16 points):

   Identify two themes that connect your findings. Explain each theme and support it with specific findings and evidence.

6. Clarity and Presentation (4 points):

   Present your reflections, findings, and themes clearly and organize them so readers can follow your reasoning and evidence.

Your score on this assignment counts toward Milestone 2's total of 100 points. Milestone 2 as a whole is worth 15% of the overall course grade.

Prior Samples

Samples are also intended only to illustrate a variety of approaches, and were not selected to be ideal or exemplary.

• Sample assignment2b from Borewalk
• Sample assignment2b from Dawgsense
• Sample assignment2b from Gem Hunter
• Sample assignment2b from Planventure
• Sample assignment2b from Pot Pal
• Sample assignment2b from Prepare Bear
• Sample assignment2b from Tilted
• Sample assignment2b from Wanderlust