A few people have asked why I’m running FLOW a design, research & strategy conference in London.
Deer pizzle ethnography (Part 2)
(For the back-story, read Pizzle Part 1)
As I stepped through the door with a “Ni hao”, I watched all my norms float out – the way I came in.
When I say norms, I mean the usual ingredients of a successful field visit.
In my world, in-home visits always start with (and rely on) a crucial few minutes of rapport building. And there are usually just two of us visiting the customer.
Deer pizzle ethnography (Part 1)
Yes, it’s a two-parter. Here’s the main course.
I’d heard of nose-to-tail eating, but apparently there are parts of certain animals which do more than provide nourishment…
Yep. I’m talking about Pizzle. (Deer dick – ick!)
One of the great benefits of operating from New Zealand comes in the shape of exposure to the diverse range of niche products we export.
So when a large-scale deer farmer and venison exporter came knocking, I jumped…
…but this time higher than usual.
War stories. ‘Those’ user research projects…
There are user research projects where the exact objectives fade over time.
…but certain moments, and the people leave lingering bright spots, ripe to be shared.
I’m talking about those design research projects, where you meet people you could never have imagined, or entered into a person’s life so unfamiliar to you …
These experiences leave a dent – especially when people open up, sharing deep or private stories. Stories that stick, or are even hard-to-shake,
You had to be there. (Video)
Like one of ‘those’ jokes, design research has the most impact to those who were there in the moment.
In this video – from a presentation hosted at eBay Design in San Francisco – I explain how I try to help client teams discover their own punchline from user research, by designing experiences for them rather than delivering findings to them.
Patterns in design research. (Video)
As the business and design worlds adopt design research, I see patterns.
One of those patterns lies in the questions I’m asked by new clients.
Sometimes they are new to qualitative research, and increasingly they’ve done some lightweight interviewing as part of an innovation or design thinking exercise and want to know more.
My confidence in answering these questions builds over time, so to hear a design research veteran tackle the same questions … that’s gold.
Userpalooza? Are you blinded by UX language?
Two solid arguments for how the language and terms so ubiquitous in UX can (but shouldn’t) mask, or blind us to what really matters.
My shout. Free tickets to UX homegrown
Yes, it’s my shout…
Facing up to brutal UX home truths
I’ve had to take a big swig of my own medicine. It tasted awful.
Here, I’ll share the embarrassing but enlightening story, and the 5 lessons I’ve learned.
Are you cut out for design research?
I’m currently ‘recovering’ from an intense project – interviewing corrections clients for a week.
…A project during which a relative I was staying with questioned whether I was cut out for my job…