designing experiences

Designing ExperiencesA Practical Framework for Human-Centered Product Design

by Nathan C. RahnDesign Research Lead, Merchant

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Six Essential Steps of Product Design

PRInCiPleS: A Human-Centered Design Framework

A Design Framework

Analysis Synthesis

P R I C P S

Predispositions

Research Insights Concepts Prototypes Strategies

Blevis E. The PRinCiPleS Design Framework. Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing

Predispositions

What are the initial hypotheses or beliefs that the product team holds to be true?

Predispositions

• Define the problem

• Note the constraints (and then forget them)

• Collects the points of view of the team (eng/design/prod/marketing/etc.)

• Forms initial hypotheses

• Exposes conflicting views

• Later helps drive buy-in from a diverse audience

Predispositions: Examples

• Merchants have a difficult time getting new customers in the door

• People want to try new things around them but don’t know where to go

• Merchants want to focus on the reason for their business and not the details of running the business

Research

Literature, Observations, Ethnography, User Testing

Research

• Observational• Contextual inquiry• Ethnography• Usability of current system

• Literature• Competitive analysis• Established guidelines

• Data gathering• Survey

Research: Examples

• Diary study to better understand local shopping behavior

• Survey to understand what technologies merchants currently use and how they acquired those technologies

• Ethnographic study to understand how merchants interact with the technologies they currently have

• A trip to a cash register museum to observe the changes in form and function over time

Insights

What does the research tell you?

Insights

• Interpretation of research

• Identify problems with current system

• Discover a vision for something better

• Evidence to affirm/refute predispositions

• Techniques include system and object diagrams, models, etc.

Insights: Examples

• Ethnographic findings from merchants into categories that show merchants will lose their place in a certain system if interrupted by a customer

• Survey results showing that merchants use the first POS system they come across that seems reasonable rather than conduct a deeper analysis of features and cost

• Affinity diagram that organizes diary study results into categories showing people tend to find one or two places via word of mouth and stick with them, rarely branching out

Concepts

What ideas come out of the insights?

Concepts

• Changes to the human environment

• Concepts are innovations that change interactions

Concepts: Examples

• Location based recommendation: Given a person already having certain technologies at their disposal such as a GPS-enabled mobile phone, we can suggest places with or without deals that may suit their interests based on current behavior when they are nearby

• De-technology POS: Removing as much complexity as possible from the merchants, establish centrally controlled terminal POS systems that our reps install and then maintain from our central hub (much like the ADP security system)

Prototypes

Exploration, Appearance, Usability

Prototypes

• Exploratory

• Appearance

• Working

Prototypes: Examples

• Location based recommendation: Experience prototype, in which a researcher and participant go for a walk through a busy city center, and the researcher occasionally informs the participant of nearby deals

• De-technology POS: Paper prototype used to understand specific terminal needs and interactions in order to determine the best usability and feature set for terminal vs mainframe vs outsourced management

Strategies

What is the plan to implement the design or system?

Strategies

• Defines how to implement a design

• Look at the constraints again

• Enterprise: marketplace viability

• Technology: technical feasibility

• Social: social effects

Strategies: Examples


A Design Framework

Analysis Synthesis

P R I C P S

Predispositions

Research Insights Concepts Prototypes Strategies

The things we believe to be true at the outset of a design process

ObservationsLiterature reviewCollections review

Design issues that arise out of research

Things, services, communications, or strategies that we envision as a response to insights

• Exploratory behavioral low fidelity

• Appearance look & feel

• Usability proof of concept high fidelity

• Social value & desireability

• Technological feasibility

• Enterprise & economic viability planning
