Designing for Interaction: Design Research Response

In this article Dan Saffer using a fictional zoo makes a great example of how products and services can be greatly improved by first dedicating some time to viewing the interaction between a customer/user and the said product. Another method would be speaking with them while they use it, and even work and change it in the process with the customer/user. The design researcher utilizes the methods of several hats most notably being the anthropologist, scientist, and sociologist. After reading this article its crazy to think that so many people don't first research the audience that they're designing for. I think that its really interesting that according to the article that many designers are not usually required to do design research. And that many of them instead trust their instinct, knowledge, and experience to create products. I wonder if this is impart to the fast pace of deadlines pushing for the best bang for the back rather than well researched solutions. I think that its really interesting that interaction designers don't generally do research considering the risk and importance of qualitative research to interaction design because of the behaviors, expectations, and motivations that help inform the design. Its frighting to think that it might not work in its environment or meet the users need after all of the cost to develop a project. This brings to mind the importance of budget and time management to make sure design research happens. The author mentions empathy for the user and how it can help avoid upsetting or frustrating them. Understanding the importance of design research does not mean that we have to do exactly what the data is pointing towards. Well designed data can be very inspirational. Its fascinating that when doing design research that we should first interview our own biases and beliefs about the subject and analys and remove them from the equation. Design has a great deal of promise to improve the world if it has more weight as a profession and practice that will only come with mass utilization with the kind of knowledge in this article. Great read!