We have developed a work process of three stages: Immersions, Insights and Ideas.
Our process is more iterative than linear. Insights and ideas inevitably come up during fieldwork. We document them and use them immediately during the fieldwork, if we can, to get quick responses and get a conversation going from an early stage.
We keep in close contact with the client team throughout the entire process, and exchange considerable knowledge about the rationale for our methodology and how we conduct the research. In this way your team gradually builds up more knowledge and understanding of design research too.
1. Immersion in the field usually entails visiting people in their own environment, relevant to the topic of the study (i.e., home, school, work, during transport). Often people from the client team join us.
2. Insight creation includes clustering and mapping of research materials, analysis of emerging themes, and identification of problem areas and opportunity spaces. This results in a framework of understanding that serves as a key future reference for the client. Workshops with the client help us to develop this framework.
3. Idea generation happens in workshops with a multi-disciplinary client team. Using the framework from the previous stage, we brainstorm on potential responses to the identified problems and opportunities. Through iterations we filter and model until we find the strongest ideas that are most important to you, our client.
