Design Research and Strategy
We all use personas in everyday social situations. But, like in many design projects, we use to them to typecast instead of to evoke empathy. Personas, like stereotypes, often result in discriminatory behavior. When used in design, personas can create poor design that disempowers and alienate users.
We all like to know how to treat people [...]
Categories: design · ethnography · personas · product design · qualitative research · user experience
Why does sample size not matter in qualitative research? Because of the assumptions that qualitative researchers make, namely, that the social world is not predictable. Qualitative researchers believe that people are not like molecules or other objects; people’s actions are not predictable.
But quantitative researchers DO believe that social activity IS predictable. So when they compare [...]
Categories: Popular · Research Methods · qualitative research · quantitative research · user experience
I am currently teaching a Research Design and Qualitative Methods course at Ryerson University. This is a core course for an interdisciplinary group of students, from social work, to business, to psychology, to sociology to…well you get the picture.
I will be uploading slides from my lectures regularly. See them all at:
http://www.slideshare.net/sladner
I have toyed with adding [...]
Categories: Research Methods · design · qualitative research · quantitative research · technology design · user experience
One poor decision in technology design can lead to a cascading failure for the user experience. One poor decision in the design process can lead to users having no control over the technology. Case in point: the electronic fetal monitor (EFM). Critics argue it is more technology than is needed, leads to more Caesarian sections, [...]
Categories: design · product design · technology design · user experience
The New York Times is reporting that WalMart’s new fangled milk jug is getting mixed reviews.
What’s not to like? Plenty, as it turns out.
The jugs have no real spout, and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk.
The design of the milk jug is so [...]
Categories: product design · user experience