During and after research phases, I always try keep a record of ideas that I have which could one day be solutions. I capture these ideas in my trusty moleskin, that hardly leaves my side. Some say that sketching out solutions during the research and analysis stages could make you bias towards the eventual end solution. However, it is part my practice to create the sketch and then act like it doesn't exists. For me the ability to create and ignore is a critical skill to have as a designer.
These early sketches are important because they capture any early ideas or concepts you get while you learn about the user or domain. In a way, you are using skills that Dan Roam talks about in 'The Back of the Napkin' by using visuals communication skills to articulate your ideas. I guess the important part of what I am trying to say is that it is ok to generate early concepts that may one day be solutions to a given problem. Just be responsible enough to ignore these concepts until such time that you can review them holistically and see how they fit into the big picture of things. By creating early concepts you are proactively synthesizing the data you are collecting or reviewing. This way you don't lose any of the finer details you might learn, that normally get filed away and you might lose when you go back to review the data. Peace! Brad Ty Nunnally ---------------------------------------- Interaction Designer Twitter: bnunnally Blog: http://bnunnally.tumblr.com On Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 4:18 PM, Dave Malouf <[email protected]> wrote: > In my contextual research methods class that I teach which was created > by Jon Kolko there is a deliberate "design opportunities" piece to > the research process. > > In the other professor's teaching, she doesn't take it this next > step, but I not only encourage, but require that visualizing your > opportunities in some manner (synthesizing). > > Further, I encourage (this I don't require) that during all phases > of design research that students sketching solutions inspired by what > they observe or otherwise listen to. The non-linear nature of design, > implores this type of tool b/c sketching is associative in nature > while at the same time being constructive and applying synthesis. > > It is not meant to be an ends, but rather a reference point of the > moment. It works to help processing, create moments of interpretation > and reflection and create new data points for analysis. AND lead > towards post analysis synthesis. > > So I concur. > > -- dave > > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=40670 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [email protected] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
