What is more interesting, to me, are lessons learnt outside the scope of the syllabus. Perhaps you can call it the hidden or latent syllabus. Or perhaps it was intended all along.

Instead of a boring and seemingly never-ending narration, my bonus learnings can be summarized in one neat list:

(in no order of importance)

• The room that we have our lessons in is miserably cold at times
• The walls of the lecture room are pathetically thin
• Drinking cold beverages before entering an air-conditioned room can cause severe shivering
• Canadians are often mistaken as American
• Different working styles within a group can create good results
• MS Access can be used to do some really cool stuff
• Eusoff Hall has some very interesting rooms filled with interesting things
• Asus laptops come with cheap plastic panels
• You know you can work with someone when group discussions often go off-topic
• Design is meant to be a one man process
• Multiple opinions on design give birth to disfigured Chimeras
• Door alarms in NUS can be circumvented with a piece of paper
• AS6 has a computer lab on the fourth storey
• The computer lab in AS6 is for SoC students only
• SoC students and FASS students have different working styles
• People actually go for speed dating sessions in Singapore
• Laptop bags can be transformed into pillows, aka Naptops
• Splitting a module into two classes can mean you receive only half the ideas and inspiration
• It is easy to criticize, but hard to compliment
• There are several places to smoke (illegally) in NUS if you inspect every nook and cranny
• When asked to come up with User Personas, students never come up with negative ones
• It is interesting to see how students tackle assignments in the absence of narrow guidelines

I probably could go on forever listing them out, but I guess I’ll stop here.

This module has prodded me one step closer to being a good designer. It convinced me that user-centric design is the way to go now. Focus on user experience can only result in one thing – user contentment. And that is of paramount importance. Aesthetics is not the be all and end all of design.

Practice makes perfect. Armed with the knowledge gained and tools received, there’s nothing to stop me from going out there and gaining more experience.

Thank you for the excruciatingly frustrating, yet immensely rewarding module.

A sinister title

The title of the article gives it away. This is an article that discusses deceptive or insubstantial research methods in User Research.

But why?

User Research obviously doesn’t require as much covering up as magic tricks. Smoke and mirrors work well to achieve the effect of illusion, but is it necessary in User Research?

The need for certainty and objectivity

Perhaps the first thing that struck me as I took this module was the vagueness of it. Most other modules you take at the tertiary level have been given the total academic treatment. They have had decades of scholarly academics poring over the subjects and hammering in so-called scientific models and theories.

The subjects that I have taken in University are filled with these theories and scientific models. They aim to allow a sort of rigorous scientific method, to make the vague and unknown more defined on a common plane. Over time, a subject deemed hard to pin down and discuss gets more and more bogged down in models and theories. As it does so, the uncertainty and vagueness of it seemingly diminishes.

Research for User Experience Design is in the process of being “science-tified”. It is a relatively new discipline and has been adopted by the social sciences. The adoption by this pseudo-scientific godfather means that it now has to fit in with its brethren. There are several models and methods for undergoing User Experience Design already in place. I am sure there will be many more to come.

These methods, like the article states, claim to imbue a sense of objectivity into the researcher. This is good, but no so far as design is concerned. Design is widely considered to be more of an Art than a Science. Why put in so much effort to make it a Science? Even so, what are the chances that it will work better?

I wonder if it is possible to compare two similar projects that were undertaken using different approaches – one Art, the other Science. But then again maybe I will be making the same mistake as the advocates of scientific research.

Gut feeling vs. objective research

The points brought up by the article remind me of a famous quote from David Ogilvy, the proclaimed “Father of Advertising”. It goes something like this,

“I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.”

I have this impression this applies to research for User Experience Design too. All projects are client based, and you have to satisfy clients.

The industry now places a lot of emphasis on accountability. You have to explain to your client how your research validates your creative approach. The more scientific and objective your research seems, the better justification it provides. Too heavy a reliance on these research tools can easily make you forget what they were for in the first place.

The guilty speaks

Having said all these self-righteous remarks, I realized that I might have been guilty of doing the same. The projects and assignments throughout this module always required some sort of User Research. Have I been using these tools the wrong way? I realized that I have never taken a step back and looked at my research findings with a doubtful eye. I have never weighted the accuracy of my research findings against my gut feelings.

The feelings of safety and reassurance provided by the seemingly scientific User Research methods are tempting. They can make you easily forget what you were trying to do in the first place. That you are designing a better user experience for the user, not making a foolproof design that satisfies yourself.

Killing me softly, but quickly

The final project for this module killed me in two swift stages.

They happened to be the two most important stages – conception and implementation. It was ridiculously difficult to discover a good and substantial problem that exists. One mistake that everyone seemed to make was this. They approach the search process with a solution already in mind, and therefore fail to find anything particularly brilliant and unexpected.

Searching without a thing in mind

I learnt that it is fiendishly difficult to go searching without a specific thing in mind. But that is what this stage of the project requires. We want to find a strong need that is unsatisfied, but we all have some vague conception of it already. I suppose the research methods were there to help us ignore our preconceived notions.

The approach to this project was so open-ended that oftentimes we were lost.

Our struggles against our own brains finally ended when we decided on “dating in Singapore” as the primary unsatisfied need. However, a daunting wall quickly slid up in front of us. Having a good need does not mean that you will necessarily find a good solution to satisfy this need. There was even more brainstorming to be done.

It was easy to do research on this topic, as the match-making industry was pretty mature by this time. But there I’ve made the same mistake again, by assuming that the need to date in Singapore has to be solved by nothing but match-making agencies. Until kindly pointed out by Mr. Reddy, we were under this impression for so long that we could not think of any other way to solve the need we identified.

(Ironically, our final solution took the form of a match-making agency)

Implementation woes

I remember learning in a previous NM module that User Experience and Usability are two separate and rather distinct fields. The former is more concerned with the visceral and emotional aspects, while the latter is more concerned with heuristics and functionality. There is no doubt, however, that Usability affects the user experience in a great deal.

The implementation phase of our project, which involved the design and testing processes, were based on User Experience as well as Usability. It seemed as though that as we proceeded, the focus constantly swung between User Experience and Usability. One moment we were tweaking the aesthetics, the next instant we were concerned with the functionality of the website.

I realize that it is impossible to split these core aspects into two cleanly separate elements. There has to be a compromise between aesthetics and functionality. The degree of compromise is therefore determined by the purpose of your product/service and the target user. In hindsight, we never really sat down and hammered out what our degree of compromise should be.

If I had to do this again, I would have done additional research on what is more important to our target user, the look and feel of the website, or the functionality. If you ask me, however, I would say that they are equally important.

If given an unlimited amount of time, we could test this baby of ours to perfection. The limit in time and resources meant that we could only produce a non-complete hi-fidelity prototype. Since it is not fully functional, user testing cannot be said to be a complete success either.

I would say that our idea, at the basic level, is a strong one. But it could be much better if we had more time to think through it and tweak some parts of it. The website looks and feels good, but could be great. The functions are useful, but could be more intuitive and add more value to the website.

Going live as a testing phase

I believe that one good way to measure User Experience is to weigh the amount of bad feedback on the site. The limited testing meant that we did not receive much bad feedback. This doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t any potential ones lying around. If the site had gone live I am sure the flood of bad feedback would be painfully valuable. But then again that would be too late already wouldn’t it.

No wait. Maybe that’s why all sites go live with a “beta” version.

The Task:

Figuring out how to improve the learning experience in lecture theatres using any user study method taught.

The Approach

Semantics Semantics

One of the earliest problems we encountered with this assignment was semantic in nature. What exactly does “improving learning experience” mean? It could be a variety of things – improving the environment in which to learn, improving the amount of things learn, or enhancing the pleasure of learning.

After some pondering we realised that all of these aspects are inter-related. By focusing on improving the physical environment in which to learn, it is most likely that the other aspects will be affected positively as well. There is no end-all solution that will enhance all aspects of “improving learning experience”, and there is no reason to wrack our brains over finding the ideal solution that solves everything.

In the end we decided that our solutions be varied enough to tackle all of these aspects.

The Average Undergraduate

All types of research with users/consumers in mind nowadays place much emphasis on target audience research. User Experience Design is no exception. In fact I would have expected it to place stronger emphasis on user research, since it is all about the user.

In the case of this assignment, we were rather fortunate. The target user is extremely familiar to us, because we are the target user. Being the target user however does not mean that the job will be a piece of cake. We might be blinded by the fact that how we feel, represents the target user. This is likely to be false. We also have to start thinking of ourselves from the designer’s point of view instead of from the user.

The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to forget the fact that we are the target user. Research should be done as if we are bystanders or outsiders. This is one way to alleviate the bias that our personal insights might cause.

Research Method of Choice

Having identified the target user, we had to decide on the most suitable method of research. Of the methods taught in the lecture, two struck us as the most efficient – Ethnographic studies and Laddering technique.

Conducting an ethnographic study was easy because we had access to the empirical learning environment. We could easily act as an observer in these environments and take down notes or record happenings. Unfortunately, this meant that our attention was spent on students rather than lecturers.

The Laddering technique was more intrusive compared to our observation studies. The face-to-face interviews we conducted were somewhat awkward at first, due to the interrogative nature of the technique. It took awhile for the interviewers to get the hang of it, and once that was down, everything went smoothly. Rather than having to decode our surroundings, the Laddering technique allowed us to practically dig out what our users thought.

In this case, there is hardly room for misinterpretation.

Problems First, Solutions Next

Coming up with solutions was next. This was actually pretty difficult. It was not too hard to come up with a so-so solution, but the elusive great solution was nowhere in sight.

The brainstorming sessions gave birth to a few not too bad solutions and since time was running out, we settled on presenting those. In an ideal situation, we would have gotten back to our target user and asked them for their opinion on our solutions.

Assuming that we had a lot more time, the process of analyzing problems and coming up with solutions should be an iterative one.

E-learning Week Fun

Taking advantage of the fact that it is e-learning week, we decided to do a video presentation. This was actually a lot of fun. I got to learn about using the blue screen for video effects, plus other bonus lessons not covered in lecture.

Takeaway lessons

• Factors of User Experience are usually interlinked
• Researching familiar target users can sometimes be a disadvantage
• Different research methods give vastly different findings
• Perhaps the best is to use as many research methods as possible
• Design should always be an iterative process
• Knowing a research technique does not mean you will be good at it
• Some research techniques require practise, a lot of it

Bay Lian Hock turns 28 this year. He works as a senior manager at a large multinational insurance agency. At work, he goes by the name of Matthew. He decided to get an English name because he thought that it is much easier to remember, compared to his Chinese name. He wants to make the name official but never could find time to go through the legal procedures.

Lian Hock is the eldest of three siblings and comes from a working class family. He graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He worked part-time as a financial advisor at a local insurance agency throughout his undergraduate years as he needed the extra income. Upon graduation, he decided to work full-time at the same agency.

Lian Hock enjoys being an insurance agent as he likes to interact with people. He is very outgoing and sociable and made a lot of friends during his undergraduate years. He has a reputation as a person who knows the most fashionable places to hang out in Singapore. Lian Hock likes to dress fashionably and follows the latest trends. He likes to spend his free time catching up on fashion news and finding out the latest cool places to hang out.

The urgent need to repay tuition loans and the nature of his job meant that Lian Hock lived a very stressful life during the first few years of his job. He has to keep his schedule extremely organized and well-planned so as to maximize the chances of meeting clients and hitting sales quotas. His good performance ultimately landed him a managerial post at a large multinational agency. Lian Hock however does not intend to work in the same industry for long. His dream is to open a pub. And he is well on the way to saving enough money to do so.

Lian Hock greatly enjoys playing soccer and sees it as a way to keep in shape as well as keep in contact with friends. He plays with his army friends every Sunday without fail. This physical activity also serves as a way to relieve stress for him. The soccer session is usually followed by a drinking session later at night.

He is currently dating Regina, a 25 year-old senior public relations consultant at a local agency. Both of them have hectic schedules and hardly have time to meet each other. They are however very serious about their relationship and try their best to make it work out. They enjoy relaxing at famous and popular pubs and cafes together. Lian Hock sees this relationship as a chance to settle down and perhaps start a family. They communicate multiple times throughout the day via MMS to make up for the lack of face-to-face interaction.
___

Physio-Pleasure

• Soccer as means to keep fit (need)
• Enjoys drinking (appreciation)

Socio-Pleasure

• Likes to make new friends (apprecation)
• Enjoys it when friends ask him for hangout recommendations (appreciation)
• Requires a stable relationship with girlfriend (need)

Psycho-Pleasure

• Relieves stress through soccer and drinking (need)
• Pleasure in being up-to-date with fashion (appreciation)

Ideo-Pleasure

• Works hard towards dream of opening a pub (need)
• Sees 30 as the ideal age to start a family (need)

___

Product Benefit Specifications

• Ultra large phonebook storage
• MMS friendly
• Organizer capabilities
• Web friendly
• Camera
• Strong vibration
• Loud ringing volume

• Sleek
• Fashionable
• Compact
• Lightweight

(something like the O₂ Xda Atom Exec)

(or as Montblanc calls them, “writing instruments”)

Visceral Design:

“visceral design concerns itself with appearances”
- Don Norman

Visceral designs appeal to the consumer by appearances alone. The aesthetic aspect is what matters to that person. As long as it looks good, or the person feels good looking at it, the visceral design is working its magic.

Some pens sell just by its appearance alone. They do not necessarily work very well. In fact, some fail abysmally as writing instruments. Perhaps the thought that goes through a buyer’s mind when he or she makes the purchase would be, “Oh my god! That pen is so cute!”

Here is an example of a pen that sells by evoking visceral emotions:

The cute and lovable – Lipstick Pen
(image from http://yourcutegadgets.com/Blog////index.php?cat=16)

It looks interesting. It really looks like a lipstick. But I suppose it will be uncomfortable writing with this pen due to its lipstick-like shape.
___

Behavioural Design:

“behavioural design has to do with the pleasure and effectiveness of use”
- Don Norman

Consumers who buy pens for… well… writing, usually pick ones that will accomplish the job effectively and efficiently. Pens with designed with behavioural objectives in mind have no problem satisfying the needs of hardcore pen-users.

These pens however oftentimes sacrifice looks for usability. They lose out on the visceral aspect but gain on the behavioural aspect. People looking for such pens would normally be thinking, “Damn it! I need an ultimate pen to end all pens, and it better works!”

Here is an example of such a pen:

The almighty – BPKG-35R-F: Feed GP
(image from http://www.pilotpen.com.sg/bestsellers/ballpointpens.html)

The official product description says it all.

“Eliminate those long searches through your desk looking for the right ink colour. Now you can have four colours on standby in one convenient ball point pen.”

Hurray!
___

Reflective Design:

“reflective design considers the rationalization and intellectualization of a product”
- Don Norman

In other words, reflective design hinges on the humanization of the product. If you could assign human characteristics to a product, what would they be?

Consumers who purchase products based on reflective design feel that they identify with the human characteristic of these products. The product is not really used for aesthetic appeal, nor is it for usefulness. It is used for identification purposes, a sort of clothing in non-clothing form.

More often than not, these products are used to show off.

Here is an example of a product that is great for showing off.

The “the pen is more expensive than the sword” – Meisterstück Solitaire Royal
(image from http://www.montblanc.com/products/precious_metals_diamonds_solitaire_royal.18058.php)

It is a fountain pen so I do not think it works better than a ballpoint. The 4,654 diamonds encrusted on its body does not make it very comfortable to hold. The pen does not look nice at all. But oh my god I am sure it costs more than some cars. And having someone see you holding this pen can tell a lot.

Samsung P310

I was seduced by it because it is
• slim
• doesn’t have too many irrelevant functions
• comes with a leather case that doubles as a spare battery.

It however takes quite a while to get used to, thanks to its quirky interface design.

now… Show me the nasty stuff!

Here’s a summary of (negative) comments from friends who played around with the phone.

“Ooo big button!”

Is this…
a) A nice big button for people with humongous digits?
b) A circular navigation button like the one on Ipods?
c) A circular slot for storing ring-shaped objects?

That round black button-like thing is actually the directional navigation button. It only goes up, down, left, and right by the way.
___

This phone has a weirdo keypad. On top of the normal tactile buttons you find on most other ordinary phones, it also has two touch-sensitive “soft keys”. The two spots right above the “OK” and “C” keys are actually touch-sensitive buttons.

Why would you want to have a normal tactile keypad with just two touch-sensitive keys?! It’s not like those two buttons serve any special purpose. It also feels really weird when using the keypad because you sometimes have to alternate between pressing the normal keys and the “soft keys”.
___

You might have noticed that the numeric keypad is kinda like a deviant punk. Instead of the usual 3 (col) X 4 (row), it has 4 (col) X 3 (row). Keys that normally reside on the bottom row (“#”, “*”, and “0”) were evicted and re-located to the right side. It took me several months to get used to this unusual orientation.

What’s more, the “#” key, which is the “space” key for SMS-ing, is located right beneath the red “cancel” key. It doesn’t help that the keys are rather small and pressing the red key by accident while SMS-ing means that you just erased everything that you typed.

Sometimes… flaws are beautiful…

Despite its rather stupid interface design, I still like my phone.

I guess this shows that design flaws don’t really destroy a product altogether. A person who uses the product will weigh its benefits against its inconveniences and come to a judgment. It is the seriousness of these flaws, in different contexts of usage, that affect whether a product is broken or not.