[Sigia-l] Research then prototype OR prototype then gather user feedback

[Jared M. Spool]

At 06:53 PM 12/19/2005, Trenouth, John wrote:
>Early prototypes necessarily become what's familiar and frame the 
>subsequent discussion/mindset/direction.
>
>So, isn't there a danger inherent in such hasty early self-referential 
>prototypes, in that they get a project started from "our" 
>(designers/developers/managers) perspective and needs rather than "their" 
>(users/customers) perspective needs?

The danger, in my opinion, is not recognizing that we all start with our 
existing mindset no matter what the first activity is. Starting with "pure 
research" doesn't remove that mindset -- on the contrary -- it reinforces 
them quietly.

By starting with the act of building a prototype, you have to have a group 
discussion about what your assumptions are. Sharp teams will pay attention 
and actually document these assumptions as they go. The prototype is of no 
significance, really. It's just a device to get the assumptions on the table.

Then, when the research phase starts, they're starting with stated 
assumptions, instead of the unstated mindset from the pure-research-first 
approach. As they encounter the real world, the team will see brightly and 
boldly every time one of their assumptions are challenged. This allows them 
to explicitly redefine the design space with a new set of requirements, 
based on the intersection between their assumptions and the findings of the 
studies.

>So the project becomes producer-centered rather than user-centered?

There is no "producer-centered" or "user-centered" in design. There are 
only designs where assumptions don't match with reality. There are only 
informed decisions and uninformed decisions.

(I've always hated the term "user-centered" because it implies that somehow 
other types of design don't take the user into account. I've never seen 
designs that did that. I've only seen designs where they took the wrong 
assumptions about the user into account. It's a disservice to 
designers/developers who try real hard but miss the target to claim what 
they've done isn't user-centered.)

>Or am I just splitting hairs here?

Hey, that's a specialty of this list. Along with navel-gazing ("Are we 
really useful?") and existential taxonomic discussions ("So, what exactly 
is 'information'?")

;-)  <-- SYMBOL THAT MEANS IT'S A JOKE. <-- Disclaimer for people who have 
trouble recognizing jokes.  <-- Disclaimer for people who need disclaimers.

Jared

Jared M. Spool, Founding Principal, User Interface Engineering
4 Lookout Lane, Unit 4d, Middleton, MA 01949
978 777-9123   jspool at uie.com  http://www.uie.com
Blog: http://www.uie.com/brainsparks