This document provides guidance for students conducting user research for a class project. It outlines the schedule and structure for presenting their research findings. Students are to: [1] Describe their target users and research location; [2] Present insights from in-depth interviews with 9-12 users; [3] Identify user needs and opportunities; and [4] Develop 3 personas representing their user types. The presentation should utilize visuals and direct user quotes to bring the research to life. Additional collected materials will supplement the presentation. Proper research can provide insights into others' realities to help design for real user needs.

1. Product Service System Design
Tongji University, 2011/2012

2. Lecture03
Design Research
Methodology
User Interviews and
Personas

3. Research Plan
The goal of any method you choose should be to provide
a platform for people to express their ideas, needs, and
especially that which is hard to articulate.
Discuss with the research group:
-The schedule
-What do you want to understand (what's the purpose of
the research)
- Who does what?
- Which kind of probes you want to collect?
- How is the interview going to look like

4. It is about understanding other
people's reality
your their
reality reality
Interpretative
"The person you are interviewing is the expert and your space
job is to give them a platform to express and articulate
their reality and get the insights to interpret what drives
their behaviors, actions and opinions."
(IDEO)
OBSERVATIONS INSIGHTS

5. In-depht
interviews

6. The Personas Technique
This is the Cooper
website; They invented
and perfectioned the
Personas technique.
They do research and
interaction design.
www.cooper.com

7. How did it start
Allan Cooper's technique in software design
"As I walked, I would engage
myself in a dialogue, play-
acting a project manager,
loosely based on Kathy,
requesting functions and
behavior from my program.
I often found myself deep in
those dialogues, speaking
aloud, and gesturing with
my arms. (...) I found that
this play-acting technique
was remarkably effective
for cutting through complex
design questions of
functionality and interaction,
allowing me to clearly see
what was necessary and
unnecessary and, more
importantly, to differentiate
between what was used
frequently and what was
needed only infrequently."
(A. Cooper)

8. ..then he starts working as a consultant..
I would ask them for a specific example of how someone
would use their program. The answer would invariably
follow this characteristic pattern: “Well, someone could
create a crosstab of sales information…but it could be a
chart, or if it were marketing data they could present it as
a table. They could do anything!" (A. Cooper)
They couldn't describe ONE specific example
of use

9. Softwares (or products, or
services..) can be used by
multiple users.. but at the
end of the analysis you can
group them and describe
them.
understand how they think
and behave, what motivates
them, and where the pain is.

10. The average user does not exist.

11. Personas

12. A Format
Cathegory He would like to
Example. ...................
Personal quote
you can find more
examples here: Personal Info Daily Life
................... Frustrations
http://wiki.fluidproject. NAME: .... ..................
org/display/fluid/ AGE: ...
Persona+Format SOCIAL LIFE: where is
he from and where does
he live now? alone or with
someone? family status?
...
Use of Technology
...................

13. Project
Field Research

14. Schedule
10.19 (today) 10.26 11.09
Students' final presentation of the
Students' presentation of field
research phase.
research (place).
- Desk introduction
Target definition and research Each team has selected where
- Field research: place
strategy. to go for field research. present
- Field research: users
Schedule and planning. pictures, description and location
- Needs and opportunities
on the map. (digital presentation.
- Persona Definition
ppt, pdf, videos etc.)
No class on 10.02
(But you can send by
email the scripts for the
interviews for feedbacks)

15. Final Research presentation
structure.
1. Target Definition
Images + description + motivation.
Use a lot of visual techniques, to help people
understanding and get familiar.
2. Place Description
Where did you go? where is it on the map? how does it
look like? Imagine you are doing a reportage. You have to
add all the information you find useful, but also structure
them. Do not be redundant and be careful with your
selection.
3. People
Collect 9 to 12 in-depht interviews. In the presentation
show their pictures and a summary of meaningful insights
you got from them (try to quote what they say, don't try to
interpret).
4. Wrap Up
What did you find out? what are the needs of your users,
which opportunities do you see?
5. Personas
Define 3 personas that represent the users you interview.
describe their daily life, needs, expectations etc. try to be
very specific, and imagine they are real people.

16. Additional material
Reporters' material
Pictures, videos, sounds, notes etc
Interviews
Complete versions of the interviews done. details of
people and places where they live
Other
Collect flyers, business cards, sketches etc. Try to keep
everything in order, it can be useful.

17. See you Next Wednesday.
(I already put this on Slideshare)