EMPATHISE
Identify a target audience
For the purposes of this assignment, it will be much easier if you start with a skill you already have and choose a target audience that you already know does not yet have that skill. Keep it general at this stage.
Examples:
● If you’re good at drawing: do you know some people who can’t draw?
● If you’re good at cooking: do you know some people who have never cooked a thing?
● If you’re good with computer applications: do you know some people who struggle with them?
● If you’re good at applying makeup: do you know some people who never have?
● If you’re good at building and constructing things: do you know some people who aren’t? ● If you’re good at playing video games: do you know some people who aren’t?
Deliverable: 1-2 sentences naming the broad skill area you want to teach (e.g. drawing, cooking, etc) and broadly defining your target audience. (max 50 words) Identify participants
1. Generate a list of potential participants. You will need at least three (3) participants. Aim for more than you need in case people are unwilling or don’t get back to you.
These must be people who are willing to answer some questions for you and try out your prototype, so start with close friends and peers. Ask peers via the student forum (or Discord if you use it). This is a good opportunity to meet your classmates. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help from one another! If you’re still struggling to find people, you may need to identify a different target group.
In your assignment, use participants’ first names and last initial or a pseudonym to protect their privacy. Contact participants to ask their permission to ask them a few questions on a topic.
Important reminder: We are in the midst of a pandemic. Do not put yourself or others at risk for this assignment (or in general!). Use remote options like chat, phone, text, Discord, Zoom, Facetime, etc.
Deliverable: A list of willing participants and where/how you know or found them. (max 50 words)
Generate interview questions
Create a list of at least 5 specific questions for your participants that will help you understand:
● When, where, how, why or why not, and how often do users attempt tasks related to your defined skill (e.g. cooking, drawing, or whatever you defined in the first part)?
● What specific challenges or barriers do users face when attempting said tasks?
● How interested are the participants in acquiring the skill?
○ If applicable: What specifically would the participant like to be able to accomplish? (e.g. if the broad skill is cooking, maybe they want to make french toast)
Deliverable: A list of at least 5 qualitative research questions. (max 100 words)
Interview participants
1. Create a template for your questions.
2. Conduct the interviews! Keep a list of participant names (abbreviated or pseudonym), dates/times, and modes of interview (e.g. via email, phone, Discord, Zoom, etc.). Use a separate page or document to record notes with responses for each participant. Include your notes in an appendix.
Deliverables:
● A list of interviews conducted in your main report. (max 50 words)
● Full, clearly labeled interview notes in appendix. Please redact (do not include) any personally-identifiable information.
DEFINE
Review the interview responses, organize them, and summarise your findings. Provide any answers you can to the broad research questions and note any similarities or differences between participants’ responses. Present your results in well-organized and labeled sections.
Deliverable: An organized summary of your results. (max 200 words)
