(1/2) Pre-Theme 5: Design research

1.      How can media technologies be evaluated?

2.      What role will prototypes play in research?

3.      Why could it be necessary to develop a proof of concept prototype?

4.      What are characteristics and limitations of prototypes?

5.      How can design research be communicated/presented?

One way to evaluate technologies is by their usability. Usability can be divided into the three variables efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction. Each of these are examined by letting a defined group of users try to fulfil specific goals in a specific environment (Réhman et al, 2008).

One reason for using prototypes in design research is that they can help in terms of examining how users experience and perceive a certain design. The next step could be to interpret feedback from the users in order to develop the aspects of the design that was perceived as intended or aspects that was perceived as an advantage by the users. For example it can help researches with developing a design, or a visualisation, of driving range in electric cars so that it is perceived as easy to understand according to users (Lundström).

I interpret design research as a method to do research on how a certain design is perceived by users. In other words I think that in order to for example develop a concept of a design that is aimed to be perceived as helpful by users, a proof-of-concept prototype can act as a representation to how the finished design concept would be perceived.

I would consider the characteristics of a prototype to be a design concept exemplified by using a basic level of design in order to be able to have users give feedback on the concept. The limitations could be that once a prototype is formed the feedback given will be based on that prototype alone. In that way a prototype might prevent feedback in the form of totally different perspectives on the design concepts that might be useful since it already presents a certain form of the design concept.

To end this blog post:

To present design research there are different methods. If the research is concerning a form of iterative design process in order to discuss a hypothesis or research question one method is to discuss the findings made in the design process in comparison to the hypothesis and/or research question (Fernaeus & Tholander, 2006).

References:

Réhman, S., Sun, J., Liu, L., & Li, H. (2008). Turn Your Mobile Into the Ball: Rendering Live Football Game Using Vibration. IEEE Transactions on Multimedia

Lundström, A. Differentiated Driving Range: Exploring a Solution to the Problems with the “Guess-O-Meter” in Electric Cars

Fernaeus, Y., Tholander J. (2006). Finding Design Qualities in a Tangible Programming Space