Ethnographic Observations in User-Centered Design

1. Observations WEB 105 – October 17th 2011

2. Ethnographic Observation • Ethnography • The description of social processes surrounding a particular population group, locale, event, time etc. • Observation • Passive observation of area of interest – not attempting to interact directly with population.

3. Observation Why we do it • What people say they do, is often not what they actually do • Component of ethnography often utilized in user-centered design • Stronger connection to project • Builds relationship with you client, shows interest! • First hand experience with your audience + product

4. Observation • Discuss • Why you observed what you did. • What made you choose this particular site • How and When you observed • Where you situated yourself in the site and why • What and Where you observed • People, actions, objects, environment, sounds, smells etc. • Three observations that surprised you and why • Three observations that you were expecting and why • What biases did you realize you had, if any? • How did the observation change your project direction?

5. Making use of your observation From you observations and survey information.. • Develop three themes that embody the needs of your website project Reflect on your work done so far: • What patterns do you see? • What connections are being made between client desires and what the audience desires? • What do your client and audience value?

6. Theme Development Example – Observations at a environmental nonprofit office Three themes • The importance of practicing what you preach • Educating people in an exciting manner about the environment • Professional and fun

7. Theme Development • In web design developing themes allows you… • Forces you to synthesize and analyze • To create a compelling argument for your client when making hard decisions • To develop better web content and categories

8. Theme Development • Work on developing three themes • After each, write down the implications for the website • Share in group Themes • What patterns do you see? • What connections are being made between client desires and what the audience desires? • What do your client and audience value?

9. Reminders • Observation due today • Next week - Client Survey, Maintenance Survey, Technical Specifications, Client (User) Specifications & User Profile • Reading Chapter Three

10. B) Clarification • Delivering the terms to the client! • Putting down everything you have learned into ONE concise document

11. Observation • Observation that changed that way in which you will

12. The Communication Brief • The Communication Brief is a short and simple statement of the site objectives, • Overall goals to targeted audience • Restate client’s wishes by organizing the answers from the client survey in a professionally presentable document

13. The Communication Brief • The Communication Brief will help to: • clarify overall site goals • align both the team and the client under the same terminology • identify style, audience and message

14. Scope Creep (again) Avoid it! Scope Creep – is the inevitable slow migration of a straightforward project to a nightmare. • To avoid “Scope Creep” you should: • Have a very clear list of deliverables • Keep a meticulous track of hours • Educate the client and clearly define what is within budget

15. The Task Estimate • The Task Estimate determines your time-frame and resources by multiplying scope hours by your hourly rate: • Web Redesign: Workflow that Works 2.0 - Task Estimate

16. Track your hours! • Tracking Time – organizations that track time and know where their project stands are profitable. • Staying on top of project hours is crucial to maintaining budget and scope requirements: • Submit accurate hours on a weekly basis • Use whatever tracking system works for you. • Track now and later you will be able to give more accurate estimates – also saving you money

17. C) Planning • Planning is the sub-phase where you start getting things together by assigning your project team and setting up staging areas.

18. Overview Schedule • People respond to deadlines and schedules. The Overview Schedule will keep you, your client and your team on track:

19. Overview Schedule • The Overview Schedule should contain: • The whole project, complete with methodology and breakdown of major milestones • the project broken into weeks and months as well into phases and steps

20. Detailed Schedule Don’t you hate the question, “When is this due?” • The Detailed Schedule should contain: • Action Item deliverables • Individual milestones that need to be met • Day-by-day list of what is happening

21. Assigning Your Project Team • Your team is the engine that will keep a project running. To minimize potential breakdowns look for people with proven track-records. • Clearly establish individual roles and responsibilities • On the client side, establish one contact who has final sign-off responsibility (Multiple sign-offs always mean delays)

22. Client Staging Area • The Client Staging Area acts as the hub of communication between you and the Client:

23. Client Staging Area • Where you will post all of your “deliverables” for the Client. • You should: • Reserve a spot on your own server • Password protect it if you can • Make sure the client bookmarks their staging area • Resend it in important emails

24. Development Team Staging Area • Serves as a place for the team to work and access files • Should be used as a place to test the alpha site before it is ready to be showed to the client

25. Kicking Off the Project • Bring everyone together to announce the guidelines and rules by introducing and distributing the: • Communication Brief • Contact lists • Project Schedules • Team Responsibilities • Beer