Phase 1 - Observe 2/3 (The Why)

In last weeks article I mentioned that I will break each phase down into a few articles to try to avoid data overload, this week I am going to address The Why of HCD, its importance and why it’s needed when creating our experiences so let's start with phase 1, touchpoint1 Observe

But first a test... 80% pass mark needed!

In just a few moments I want you to have a look at the below image and I tell me what you think has gone on here (p.s. it's not me so don't worry) take personal note of the instant thoughts that come to mind and how you feel looking at it…

Okay, so what are you thinking? I am sure you have many thoughts and ideas...

• Is this a person who is so busy they haven't got a minute to clean up?
• Is it just how they like to live?
• Have they been burgled?

Okay, keep hold of your initial thoughts, now let’s have a look at the image again but let's change it a little (please overlook the bad photoshop)

So have your assumptions started to change yet?

• Are the curtains shut to stop the dog barking at people walking past the house?
• Has the dog managed to get into an unused room and ripped open the bags?
• Is the dog the owners or the burglars?

Okay, let's try this again one more time 

So what do you see now…

• Has the POV changed into the actor's point of view?
• Are you now looking at the image through the actor's eyes and he is taking a before picture of the room before he starts to clean it

What if we add a sign in the window which says "sold as seen"… this changes the narrative again, to suggest he just bought the house and he is cleaning up after the previous householders.

So why am I showing you this, well, time and time again we see the business making the same mistakes around assumptions which ultimately end up in waste in the business resources, I believe this to be one of the giant gaping holes overlooked when coming up with a solution...

As Nick Shackleton Jones highlights in his book How People Learn

“People see different things, depending on what they feel strongly about”

I love this statement as it can easily be used to explains bias and assumption making, we see this every day in people and the business is no different. To fix real problems we have to first challenge our personal assumptions and those of the stakeholder and business, or else how do we know they aren't simply missing directing the problem because they feel strongly about it?

By not taking the time to observe from the start of the suggested business problem we risk looking at the problem all wrong, or worse still looking at the wrong problem.

This also helps when it comes to experience design, a key focus is on what type of experience is needed and what already exists 

By not observing we risk looking at the problem all wrong or worse still looking at the wrong problem.

A simple, yet crude example

Imagine if the business comes to you saying they have noticed a large number of people across the business are taking to much time on breaks.

They think it's a behavioural issue so we need to do one of those classroom time awareness workshops thingy things...

If we didn't take the time to observe the actor in the habitat, how we would have known that the actual problem isn't a behaviour one, it's simply fixing the experience the actor has with the security door and their pass not working frequently due to a fault within the door

We need to remove all ego from this we need a genuine desire to understand the actors' problem, only then will they care about the solution which will drive the business result.

To do this we need to immersive ourselves into their habitat in a stealth kind of way and a not so stealth kind of way. I mentioned in my definition here of XD design that it takes into account the actors space and movement within it… The same applies here

Imagine if the business comes to you saying XYZ is taking too much time on breaks etc and they think it's behavioural… but actually watching the user in their habitat you see the issue isn't behaviour it's more the struggle of getting people through the electric door which sometimes works and sometimes doesnt…. Instantly the person in the habitat is vital yet the observe touch point is often overlooked, which I never really understand.

We need a genuine desire to understand the actors' problem, only then will they care about the solution

For me, it’s one of the most fun and challenging area… it challenges you personally and what might have been your initial thoughts, it starts to uproot any blind spots in the challenge and most importantly it gets you to the place that matters, which is front and centre of the actor, that is without getting into the qualitative data it provides.

Next week I will share with you some of the tools and techniques I have used in the observe phase, which hopefully you can take away and apply

(Actually, it will be in two weeks time as I am on my holiday prepping to give a best man speech)