Tutorials

By conducting your own study, you'll learn how to plan field visits, what to look for, and how to analyze the data. You'll learn how to observe and collect key information to feed into your design.

Techniques include:

•  selecting users

•  cataloging and analyzing tasks

•  developing forms to collect data

•  observing and interviewing

•  creating profiles and personas

PARTICIPANT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EXPECTED

No specific system, product, or project orientation or experience prerequisites. Persons of varying expertise levels can use field research methods for any system or product.

GOALS FOR THE SESSION:

This full-day tutorial is an in-depth exploration of how to plan and conduct a field study, how to gather task data and user data, and how to conduct contextual interviews. It includes creative ideas for collecting and using data, as well as tips for planning and conducting the visits. Participants in this tutorial will be able to use the tools covered either collectively for a thorough study or individually when budgets don't allow for a complete study. Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss their own methods, practice some of the methods covered and exchange experiences.

HOW THIS TUTORIAL WILL BE CONDUCTED

The course stresses active participation; more than 50% of the class time will be spent in discussion and exercises. A short video of an actual study will be shown. Deliverables from other actual studies will be posted in the classroom for students to review. The class will be divided into teams of 4 – 9 people. Each team will perform its own field study at a pre-arranged location. (The field study sites are generally within or near the conference center or hotel.) Teams will use a disposable Polaroid camera and their own study materials to collect data. Teams will plan a field study, gather data, and analyze data. Using flip charts, colored markers/pens, Post-it Notes and the Polaroid photos, teams will document and present their study findings.

TUTORIAL SCHEDULE WITH TIME ALLOCATION and
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TUTORIAL

8:30 – 9:00   Introduction and Overview

(30 minutes)   During the introduction and overview, participants will describe their experience conducting field studies and what they hope to learn in the class. Then, the instructors will discuss the following topics :

• Where field research fits in the user-centered design process
• Why field research is important
• Terminology
• A process and a philosophy

9:00 – 9:30   Determining Appropriate Participant Groups

(30 minutes)   This section stresses the importance of customer profiles. Participants will learn how to describe their user base and target particular groups of users for potential field visits. There will be time for participants to exchange information on useful techniques. Topics covered in this section include:

• Determining the appropriate participant mix
• Locating and collecting demographic information
• Working with customer lists
• Using outside market research firms
• Developing surveys and screeners

9:30 – 10:00   Planning and Conducting a Field Study

(1 hour)   This section covers the basics of planning, setting up, and running a field study. Participants will learn tips to expedite this part of the study, such as using already documented user and task data that likely exists within their company.

• Planning and set-up
• Day-in-the-life studies
• Observing and interviewing users in context
• Targeting the most important tasks

10:00 – 10:30   BREAK

10:30 – 11:00   Planning and Conducting a Field Study (cont.)

11:00 – 11:30   Exercise: Developing Materials

(30 minutes)   Participants will work with their team members to develop field study forms and surveys to use for their field study exercise. The exercise field study site will be pre-arranged, and the team members will have a contact name for at least one person at the site they are visiting. The course instructors will circulate through the room, assisting teams with their planning.

11:30 – 12:00   Exercise: Conducting a Field Study

(30 minutes)   Teams will conduct their field study exercise during an extended lunch period. Team members will decide how to divide study roles and activities.

12:00 – 1:30   LUNCH, and Exercise continued, if needed

1:30 – 2:30   Analyzing the Data

(1 hour)    This section focuses on how to use the data collected during field studies. Participants will learn how to analyze data as a team. Sample diagrams, charts, and storyboards will be used to illustrate techniques. Topics covered in this section include:

• Slicing and dicing the data
• Developing profiles and personas
• Isolating usage patterns
• Analyzing key tasks
• Creating process storyboards
• Developing user data posters

2:30 – 3:00   Exercise: Producing Deliverables

(1 hour)   Teams will produce as many deliverables as possible during the 1 hour exercise period. Instructors will suggest appropriate deliverables and assist teams as needed.

3:00 – 3:30   BREAK

3:30 – 4:00   Exercise: Producing Deliverables (cont.)

4:00 – 4:45   Exercise: Team Presentations

(45 minutes)   There will be approximately 45 minutes available for team presentations. The instructors will determine the length and format of the presentations, depending  upon how many participants are enrolled in the tutorial.

4:45 – 5:30   Fitting It In

(45 minutes)   This section is a presentation of useful ideas for making the field research process work for your organization. The presentation will be followed by a group discussion. Topics covered in this section include:

• Modifying your schedule
• Convincing management
• Encouraging process change

SPEAKER BIOS

Kate Gomoll and Ellen Story teach this course collaboratively. They use a tag team approach, splitting the lecture time almost equally. Both instructors help students with the exercises.

Kate Gomoll

User Interface Architect

GE Medical Systems

Kate Gomoll is nationally recognized in the field of user interface design and usability. Prior to joining GE, she was President of Gomoll Research & Design, a firm specializing in user experience design. The company has done research for many clients, including: Charles Schwab, DirecTV, Hewlett-Packard, Onyx Software, Netscape, UNext, and Cisco Systems.

Kate's user observation guidelines appear in The Art of Human Computer Interface Design and The Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines . She teaches research methods at conferences and workshops worldwide. For seven years, she taught field study methods as part of a 3-day workshop for UCLA Extension. She also taught this tutorial at the User Interface '98, '99, ‘2000, 2001 and 2003 conferences, as well as at the UPA '96, '98, '99, 2002 and 2003 conferences, CHI 2002 and 2003 and the Studio 2001 conference.

Kate has a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin and an interdisciplinary MA in Professional Writing from Carnegie Mellon.

Ellen Story
User Experience Designer

Gomoll Research & Design

Ellen Story has worked in the field of software development and design since 1985. While working at Northwestern Mutual, she was one of the first to practice usability engineering at the company. She became a user interface design specialist, a new specialty for the company, and in that capacity she educated teams on the user–centered design process and principles of good design. Ellen later joined Metavante in the role of human interface designer where she conducted research at user sites, created human interface models, developed detailed window designs, and participated in usability testing for financial services software.

Since joining Gomoll Research & Design, Ellen has helped numerous clients with field research, interface design, prototyping, and usability testing. She has taught design and usability workshops at the Usability Professionals' Association annual conference, the CHI annual conference, the User Interface conferences and at customer sites.