Observing Activity

1
Observing Activity

• Studio Design in HCI
• Cheryl Geisler
• Lecture 3

2
Agenda

• Preview of Upcoming Homework
• Observing
• Observing Problem
• Analyzing

3
RequirementsAnalysis
4
1. Identifying

• Identify the activity that your intend to
  transform with your design using
• your own knowledge
• a literature search
• Use Lecture 1 as guide (last week)

5
2. Observing

• Observe at least 3 participants engaged in this
  activity.
• Use Lecture 3 as guide (tonight)

6
3. Analyzing

• Complete an analysis of the activity in which
  these participants' engaged
• Using techniques in Lecture 4 (tonight)

7
Schedule
Lecture
Work
Due
8
Observing
9
Importance of Observing

• Putting humans at the center
• Avoiding the trap of self-design
• Overcoming memory problems
• Building foundations in culture

10
Steps in Observing
Identify the Activity
11
I. Identifying the Activity
12
Begin with

• HCI A general sense of what your HCI will be
• Problem A general sense of the problem
  participants are having
• Opportunity A general sense of the technological
  solution

13
Example

• HCI patient info
• Problem easier, more flexible
• Opportunity PDA

14
Focus on

• Participants Who would use this HCI?
• Actions What would they be doing?
• Activity Why would they be doing it?

15
Focus on EMT

• Participants EMTs
• Actions administering care, recording info,
  radioing ER
• Activity the run

16
Target

• Participants Actions Activity
• We will observe participants in the activity.

17
Target the Run

• We will observe EMTs on emergency runs.

18
Choose .

• At any given time in culture, expect to find
• high-tech instances
• low-tech instances

19
Low vs High Tech

• Low-tech instances represent
• the opportunity
• the market its problems
• The high-tech instances represent
• current directions
• the competition its mistakes

20
Choose Low Tech

• Less constrained by leading edge solutions
• More free to innovate

21
Choose low-tech EMT

• Currently, some EMTs use PDAs most use paper
  forms
• Observe EMTs using paper forms

22
II. Select Instances
23
Locating Participants

• Who
• might use this technology?
• is my real user?
• is
• available?
• willing?
• interested?

24
Analyzing Participants

• Group by
• experience
• gender
• affiliation
• interest
• or any other relevant attribute

25
Selecting Participants

• Two strategies
• multiple observations of the same kind of
  participant

26

• single observations of several kinds of
  participants

27
For Your Assignment

• 3 instances

28
III. Initial Contact
29
Introduce Your Purpose

• I
• am
• working on a project on
• want to understand how
• Choose you to talk to because
• Would you be willing to help?

30
Identify What You Want

• I would
• Watch you
• Collect some samples of
• Interview you

31
Get some Background

• How long .does a typical take?
• How often do you ?
• When . do you ?
• Could I observe you next Thursday?

32
Inquire about Partners

• Are there others along with you on runs? Who are
  they?
• Your Purpose Are there others that I must
  arrange with?

33
IV. Planning the Observation
34
Identify a Working Session

• 2 hours or less
• typical for the participant
• results in an identifiable product or outcome by
  which success can be measured
• occurs frequently

35
Seek Permission

• Would it be all right for me to observe you some
  time?
• What would be a good time?
• How can I seek permission from your partners?

36
Try Out Your Recording Practices

• note taking
• timing technology
• tape recording
• video recording
• screen capture

37
Screen Capture Resources

• Windows SnagIt
• Mac SnapzPro

38
V. Observing the Activity
39
Initiate the Recording

• Define purpose
• Review available artifacts and tools
• Get permission to record
• Start recording

40
Take Time-Stamped Notes

• On actions
• 1231 opened file My schedule
• On conversational snippets
• 1232 Just trying to remember where I was
• On changes in mediation
• 1237 Reaches for piece of paper, Memo dated
  12/12/97

41

• On expressions of emotion
• 1238 Jiminee. I cant believe the things they
  ask for
• On artifacts produced
• 1240 writes list on paper

42
VI. Document Mediation
43
Duplicate Artifacts

• copies of initial and revised files
• screen dumps
• copies of all papers consulted
• copies of all paper written on

44
Note Tools

• Papers and books consulted
• Applications used
• People interacted with
• Anything else that seems relevant

45
VII. Follow Up Interview
46
Confirm Observations

• confirm routine activity, mediation, and outcome
• I noticed that you did X using Y and produced Z
  today. Is that typical?

47
Get Personal History

• How long have you been doing X?
• Did you use to do it differently?
• Can you describe what you used to do?
• Why did you change?

48
Identify Dissatisfactions

• Are you happy with the way you do this?
• Is there anything youd like to be able to do
  differently?
• Does this interfere with anything else you have
  to do? What and why?

49
Inquire about Plans

• Are you aware of any other ways to do this?
• Do you have any thoughts of changing?
• Are you aware of other peoples plans to change?

50
Products of Observation

• 1. Time-stamped notes
• 2. Documentation of tools and artifacts
• 3. Personal History

51
Potential Pitfalls

• Wrong observations
• Incomparable observations
• Incomplete observations
• No observations

52
Problem for the Week
53
Discuss

• Name this activity.
• What tools? How document?
• What actions?
• What questions in a follow-up interview?