Seminar 1

Old version of the book

An interaction design process usually goes through many iterations of design, data gathering, data interpretation, design and redesign and continuous analysis of what needs to be changed.

In the book, several methods for gathering data are discussed. Triangulation , combining different kinds of data gathering, is often useful. For getting quantitative data with answers to specific questions from a large group of people questionnaires are good. Interviews are good if you want more qualitative data. In structured interviews predetermined questions are asked, like in questionnaires. Unstructured interviews are more like conversations around a topic. In semi- structured interviews some predetermined questions are asked, but there is also some discussion and supplementary questions. Group interviews and workshops are usually like unstructured interviews with conversations around a topic or like semi-structured interviews with some predetermined questions.

Naturalistic observation means observing the user in the environment where they use a product. The observer can be either an insider or an outsider. In order to get the most out of a data gathering session, it is good to have a framework with the most important things to focus on, for example who is doing something, where they are, and what they're doing. 

Video recording,  diaries and interaction logs are also useful when gathering data.

Question: Are structured or unstructured interviews more useful for us when developing our product?