B4. Initiating Design Projects

Designers rarely take a problem as given but by asking questions they explore the range of contexts, issues and agendas at work in any given situation.
More viable solution is achievable by:

• questioning assumptions
• taking into account the varying needs and desires of different stakeholders, business units and users

Brainstorming

• usually involve the key stakeholders within the organisation
• are used to gain familiarity
• gather initial material
• collect variety of viewpoints from within the client organisation
• helps to define the crux of the problem or produce new ways to view it

Prototyping

• describes the use of physical material to simulate or test a design
• Forms: dummy spaces, products, objects, scale models
• for generating feedback early
• raise latent issues that are not explicitly stated in the design brief

Role playing

• the design team might act out or role play the process
• to understand what the experience is like for both the customer and the staff
• to understand the design problem better and so better inform their solution to it

Observation

• better understanding how people do things by watching their actions
• watching: over the day to learn about the frequency of use (rush hour versus lunchtime etc.)
• watching: the types of users (different ages, level of mobility)
• watching: different types of demand etc...

Architectural programing

• method used at the beginning of a building project
• using a systematic search to source the information needed to clarify, understand and state the design problem, the requirements that the building solution must meet

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For Major Project
We are using all the methods except architectural programing to identify problems, ideas and possible solutions:

Brainstorming
was used to generate larger view of the area and users and also to generate ideas for the product itself.

Prototyping
is the main part of our usability testing. We are going to test concept, types of games, space, sensors, the final product is prototype itself.

Role playing
is used when we are creating the first test in the real space with the cameras, projectors etc. We are creating the dimensions of the platform and the wall in the classroom to see how would the real wall interact, how the sensors are working, how large area they reach, how big picture we could project with one projector, feeling of the space etc.

Observation
was done on the platform of London tube observing people and their behaviour, also where new projectors placed how people react to projected advertisement, how they pay attention etc.