Methods: Deciding What to DesignMethods: Deciding What to Design

In-Young Koiko .AT. icu.ac.kr

Information and Communications University (ICU)

Fall 2005Fall 2005ICE0575ICE0575

Lecture #5Lecture #5

Contextual Design IContextual Design I

Fall 2005 2 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

AnnouncementsAnnouncements

The EVRs originally due by Sep. 20th has The EVRs originally due by Sep. 20th has been postponed to been postponed to Sep. 27thSep. 27th

The due date of the short pithy statements The due date of the short pithy statements for 9/27 EVRs is for 9/27 EVRs is 9/209/20

Fall 2005 3 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Picture of the Day: Schenley ParkPicture of the Day: Schenley Park

Fall 2005 4 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Today’s ClassToday’s Class

Use cases and contextual designUse cases and contextual design

Why contextual design?Why contextual design?

InterviewingInterviewing

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 5 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Use Cases and Contextual DesignUse Cases and Contextual Design

Pedagogical sequence ≠ software life cycle sequencePedagogical sequence ≠ software life cycle sequence e.g., use cases can fit relatively late within contextual e.g., use cases can fit relatively late within contextual

design “progression”design “progression”

Recognize when a technique will helpRecognize when a technique will help What What kind of problemkind of problem will use cases help you solve? will use cases help you solve?

How do you learn about what your users actually do? How do you learn about what your users actually do? Major barriers:Major barriers: ““That which I don’t understand is simple.” That which I don’t understand is simple.” ““My discipline is intellectually challenging and rigorous -- My discipline is intellectually challenging and rigorous --

yours is shallow and focuses on unimportant things.”yours is shallow and focuses on unimportant things.”

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 6 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Shifting Focus of Development WorkShifting Focus of Development Work

Coding for yourselfin assembler

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 7 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Shifting Focus of Development WorkShifting Focus of Development Work

Coding for yourself in high level language

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 8 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Shifting Focus of Development WorkShifting Focus of Development Work

A customer appears(trouble looms)

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 9 ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Shifting Focus of Development WorkShifting Focus of Development Work

Different customers doingdifferent things, differently

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 10

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Shifting Focus of Development WorkShifting Focus of Development Work

“Writing code isn’t the problem. Understanding the problem is the problem” Curtis et al (1988)

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 11

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Why Contextual Design?Why Contextual Design?Software -- It Isn’t What It Used To BeSoftware -- It Isn’t What It Used To Be

Expanding Expanding responsibilitiesresponsibilities of software of software From a few geeks to From a few geeks to all types of usersall types of users Supporting Supporting a whole joba whole job, not just a set of , not just a set of

computationscomputations Connecting people, data, equipment, servicesConnecting people, data, equipment, services Supporting teams, organizationsSupporting teams, organizations

More intimate interactions with complexly More intimate interactions with complexly related groups of peoplerelated groups of people

Our methods and tools have not kept up Our methods and tools have not kept up

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 12

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Discovering, Representing WorkDiscovering, Representing Work

We’re stuck in the old mold -- tell me what to build and We’re stuck in the old mold -- tell me what to build and I’ll build itI’ll build it

In general, people can’t tell you what they really wantIn general, people can’t tell you what they really want A fish can’t describe waterA fish can’t describe water Work becomes automatic, just reactWork becomes automatic, just react Can’t fully grasp the technical possibilitiesCan’t fully grasp the technical possibilities

The main thread of activity is often obviousThe main thread of activity is often obvious It is the subtleties that will kill youIt is the subtleties that will kill you Things that seem minor will often doom a projectThings that seem minor will often doom a project

You will often be designing You will often be designing how people workhow people work

Base design on data, not assumptions!Base design on data, not assumptions!The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 13

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

It’s All About RepresentationsIt’s All About Representations

““Code is the only representation that Code is the only representation that counts”counts” Do you agree?Do you agree?

Representation, abstraction, problem-Representation, abstraction, problem-solvingsolving

Systems of representations ≈ problem Systems of representations ≈ problem solving processsolving process

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 14

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Representations Shape Problem-SolvingRepresentations Shape Problem-Solving

““Solving a problem simply means representing it so as Solving a problem simply means representing it so as to make the solution transparent.”to make the solution transparent.”

- Herbert Simon- Herbert Simon Number ScrabbleNumber Scrabble

Playing cards, ace thru 9Playing cards, ace thru 9 2 players take turns selecting cards2 players take turns selecting cards Object -- make a “book” -- 3 cards that sum to 15Object -- make a “book” -- 3 cards that sum to 15

44 99 22

33 55 77

88 11 66

Tic-Tac-Toe

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 15

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 16

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 17

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 18

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 19

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 20

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 21

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Representations of User’s WorkRepresentations of User’s Work

Externalize itExternalize it

Merge partial understanding of different Merge partial understanding of different team membersteam members

Achieve a common, enduring Achieve a common, enduring understandingunderstanding

Manipulate, modify, redesignManipulate, modify, redesign

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 22

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Drawing from Social Science MethodsDrawing from Social Science Methods

AnthropologyAnthropology Understanding an alien cultureUnderstanding an alien culture Overcoming your own biasesOvercoming your own biases Learning to see the world through their eyesLearning to see the world through their eyes

Organizational theoryOrganizational theory How groups of people work togetherHow groups of people work together

Psychology (of the design team)Psychology (of the design team) Small group interactionsSmall group interactions Visualization, use of design spacesVisualization, use of design spaces

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 23

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Contextual Design OverviewContextual Design Overview

Contextual inquiryContextual inquiry Work ModelingWork Modeling ConsolidationConsolidation Work redesignWork redesign User environment designUser environment design Prototyping and feedbackPrototyping and feedback

This is “a” method, not “the” method!This is “a” method, not “the” method! Can be used as a whole, or individual pieces can be Can be used as a whole, or individual pieces can be

used where appropriateused where appropriate Based primarily on experience with big IT projectsBased primarily on experience with big IT projects

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 24

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

InterviewingInterviewing Master/apprentice modelMaster/apprentice model

A place to start -- an approximationA place to start -- an approximation Start by explaining why you are there, how you Start by explaining why you are there, how you

want to proceedwant to proceed Focus on the concreteFocus on the concrete

You want actual events, not the interviewee’s You want actual events, not the interviewee’s generalizationsgeneralizations

Watch ongoing work or retrospective instanceWatch ongoing work or retrospective instance Interview in contextInterview in context

Probe, ask questions when you don’t understandProbe, ask questions when you don’t understand Check your interpretationsCheck your interpretations

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 25

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Interview TipsInterview Tips

Have to have a balance betweenHave to have a balance between Maintaining focus in order to collect relevant dataMaintaining focus in order to collect relevant data Capturing important but unexpected informationCapturing important but unexpected information

Focus statement visible in notes, e.g., Focus statement visible in notes, e.g., For ordering system, “How people find out about, For ordering system, “How people find out about,

decide on, and make requests for the things they decide on, and make requests for the things they need to do their work.”need to do their work.”

What kinds of focus statements might you have for What kinds of focus statements might you have for your interviews?your interviews?

HyundaiHyundai PosdataPosdata TTATTA

The content of this slide is adopted from the lecture materials of the Methods course (17-652) at Carnegie Mellon University.

Fall 2005 26

ICE 0575 – Methods: Deciding What to Design © In-Young Ko, Information and Communications University

Questions??Questions??