BUSM4742-Design Thinking for Business

Overview

This assessment takes the form of a research report. The report requires you to use a number of design research tools in order to understand a target user group of interest in a given context. You will conduct a small sample of design research, and then present and analyse your findings. This report will form the basis of your understanding of the target user group. It helps to build empathy, and acts as a springboard into the final assessment. At minimum, in this report you will complete:

• an in-depth interview (+ transcript; included as an appendix)

• a thematic analysis of your data

This research report calls for a deep immersion into the realities of the user, using design research methods as the means by which data is collected and interpreted. In order to do this, you should have a well-founded understanding of the purpose and approaches of design research.

The purpose of this assessment is to expose you to design research methods (ethnography) and provide opportunities for experiential learning. Through doing so, this assessment will assist in developing an understanding of the relative value of the various tools and approaches

Additionally, this assessment also provides you with the opportunity to complete the following design tools (which flow on from the interview, and form part of Assessment 3) to gain feedback:

• An empathy map

• A journey map

Assessment guidelines and marking

You are expected to follow instructions given in class material, and any other professional sources, around the usage of three key design research tools: interviews, empathy maps and journey maps. You will aim to use these methods/tools, along with an attitude of non-judgement and empathy, to achieve the deepest possible understanding of the user and their reality.

After deep diving through interviewing and completing the associated tools – empathy and journey maps, plus interview transcript (which goes in the appendix) – you will then complete an analysis of your data. This entails an analysis/synthesis/discussion of the key themes

Part 1: Interview

You are required to run an interview as per guidelines provided in class (you may do more than one if you wish). Instructions and guidelines on interview preparation and interview technique will be given in class, and you are expected to do some self-guided reading around this as well. This will help uncover higher-order motives beyond functional (evident) motives of the end user.

In this section of the report you are expected to write a short summary of the key interview findings, supported with illustrative quotes from your interview transcript.

Part 2: Empathy map

After completing the interview section, organise your insights on an empathy map. Include this tool and some brief contextualising commentary for the reader. It must at least introduce the tool you're using and summarise the key takeaways for the reader.

Part 3: Journey map

After completing the interview and empathy map sections, organise your findings on a journey map. Include this tool and some brief contextualising commentary for the reader. It must at least introduce the tool you're using and summarise the key takeaways for the reader.

Part 4: Data analysis

Prioritise the top three to five themes appearing in your data – those likely to be most pertinent to the purpose of the research, as outlined by the assessment brief and/or your instructor. Then, conduct a brief discussion in the final section of the report (approx. 2 pages) of these key themes. Consider the following questions for elaboration: 

What data points overlapped/re-enforced one another?

− What data points seemed to conflict with one another?

− If further research were being conducted, what would your recommendations be to the researchteam?

− How strong/conclusive was the evidence?

− Is it likely that other users may feel very different to that which is represented in this data set?

− What key questions are still unanswered?

Part 4: Data analysis

Although such analysis of limited scope may be seen as merely preliminary in the overall context of a design project/process, you should show the reader two key things in the Data analysis section:

that you uncovered a deep data set, and that you understand it

that you understand the research process well enough to know the limitations of your data, and what perspectives might still be missin