Field research is an important first step in the design process that involves gathering data through various methods. It allows designers to understand the context, identify needs, and gain insights directly from stakeholders. The document outlines preliminary questions to consider, tools for data collection like interviews, photos, and observations, and how to organize the findings into a consistent structure with a title, keywords, case description, and service schema. Proper planning, respectful engagement, and filtering relevant data are tips provided for effective field research.

1. Field research.
Within the context of inquiry

2. index
• Preliminary questions
yq
• Methods and tools for data gathering
• Analyze and organize data findings
• Service schema visualisation
• tips
• Conclusion

3. Preliminary questions
• What is field research?
• Why we have to do it?
• What we are looking for?

4. Methods and tools
• Desk research + planning
• Visual
• Verbal

5. Visual
• Videotaping
p g
• Photography
• Passive observation
• Participant observation
• Interviews with the participants
(individual or group)
• Catch the environment (video/photo)

6. Verbal
• Verbal interviews (handwritten or taped)
• Stories collected from participants
• Surveys and questionnaires
• Verbal description of environment if visual
is not available (intangibles, immaterials,
virtual..)
i t l )

7. Now
that we have the data
data,
what we should do with it?
h t h ld d ith

8. O
Organize it!
i
That means:
explain it in understandable way
in order to
make it useful for the next step:
design initiative.

9. How to do this?
• Use only the relevant data
• Use a consistent structure

10. How to fi d
H find
the right structure?
• Title
• Keywords
• C
Case ddescription
i ti
• Moodboard
• Service schema

11. Title
• Short and fun
• Use just significant words/phrases

12. Keywords
… are you sure that you really need
that many?

13. Case description
• What (identify the need)
• Why (service motivation)
• Who (actors and stakeholder)
• Where (local context)
• When (time and duration of actions)
• How (present solution)
• Finally: What misses?

14. Moodboard
From words to images:
• Location,,
• Participants,
• Tools in action
action,
• Time of actions
Use good quality images!

18. The matrix
You are here!
Mobile social network
e
Where are you moving?
Collaborative services

19. Service schema

20. • Strumenti
• Piattaforma tecnologica
• Supporto
Provincia di Milano -
Assessorato alla cultura
Comune di S.Giuliano
• Fiducia
• Fedeltà nell’azienda
• Fondi
• Strumenti
Nuovo
servizio
Utenti Centro Donna
• Coinvolgimento
• Partecipazione

21. Now
we have the organized data.
So we
have got the knowledge
and we b
d became aware
about the context…

22. Ready to brainstorm?

23. Ti f fi ld research
Tips for field h
• Plan the questions in advance
• Negotiation is always important
• Respect (privacy, rules, different
sensibilities)
)
• Ask questions, don’t imply answers
• Ask true/relevant questions
• Pay close attention to the given answers
• Filter and choose relevant data
• Be able to re-tell the story using the
gathered data

24. In conclusion
Field
Fi ld research i
h is
• Interesting
• Necessary
• The first step in the design process
Why
enables you to take design decisions.

25. Now
you are really ready
ll d
to brainstorm for your concepts!
Thanks!!
Irina&Franz