In this report, I will be covering the various research methods used throughout the design process and how they have assisted. They will be explored and demonstrated by using the scenario of my user cleaning a hard-surfaced floor. The methods will be used to analyze this scenario, and as a result, a brief and specification will be produced. Furthermore, the methods will be evaluated to assess their usefulness.

The product is designed to assist adult users in cleaning hard-surfaced floors more efficiently, providing them with extra time for more enjoyable activities. It is crafted to be minimal and compact compared to other products on the market, without compromising any functionality.

The specification will help meet wanted requirements when designing (Must, Should, Could)

1. The product MUST be comfortable to use, cleaning a hard surface floors may require some addi-tional effort on the users end and so being comfortable would prevent pains etc

2. The product MUST be durable- cleaning a hard surface floor on average takes place once every 2 days and so the product is going to be used in a regular basis and needs to be able to last a long time

3. The product MUST be ergonomic- the product needs to be able to be used by adults comfort-ably

4. The product MUST be aesthetically pleasing- by looking good, the product is more likely to be brought

5. The product MUST have replaceable parts- the head part of the cleaning tools is the most likely to break or wear out and so should be replaceable

6. The product SHOULD have different cleaning heads like mop and broom

7. The product SHOULD be able allow the user to quickly change between heads

8. The products cleaning heads SHOULD be safe to machine wash

9. The product COULD be made out of recycled materials

10. The product COULD use an adjustable pole- can be used by most if not all uses

Equipment Used: Flat mop, normal mop, broom, dustpan, and brush.

Tool Type: All handheld tools

Cleaning Position: Done standing up.

Floor-specific Equipment: Different tools are used on different hard floors.

Muscle Engagement: Involves the use of many different muscle groups.

An image board is a collection of images related to ongoing research. In this case, the focus was on pre-existing cleaning products and various hard floor surfaces. The creation of image boards prompts the designer to conduct a basic analysis of existing products. These boards are commonly utilized to inspire designers, allowing them to draw ideas and features, and to establish a general aesthetic direction. Multiple image boards can be employed for different research areas. For instance, in the context of cleaning hard floors, one board might gather images of existing products, while another could focus on different environments featuring hard surfaces, providing valuable insights to the designer. The image boards I created were centered around cleaning products, environments, and comfort.

AEIOU is a mnemonic used to categorize or organize findings into sections: Activities, Environments, Interactions, Objects, and Users. The primary purpose of this method is to assist researchers by providing a pre-existing set of categories for observation or organizing findings afterward. When these sections were used, it facilitated easier data analysis.

ACTIVITIES:

The kitchen, living room, games room, and dining room floors are regularly cleaned, as these are the main rooms used by the household members. Living with five other people requires adapting the cleaning routine to accommodate regular disturbances.

ENVIRONMENT:

The living room, games room, and dining room have laminate flooring, so the same equipment is used in those rooms. The kitchen, with tiled flooring, requires additional tools for cleaning. Cleaning is sometimes scheduled at more convenient times, considering household members working from home.

INTERACTION:

Despite being young, the user has recently experienced back pains, making it challenging to bend down to collect rubbish with the dustpan and brush. Gripping the equipment tightly is necessary, especially as some handles, like the plastic mop handle, lack grip and become slippery when wet, causing discomfort and pain in the hands after cleaning.

OBJECT:

The user employs a plastic bucket, plastic mop with a flat head, plastic mop with a normal head, spray bottles, wooden broom, dustpan, and brush. These tools, all straightforward, are stored in the kitchen near the bin in the corner.

USER:

The user is a 21-year-old lab technician with mild OCD, seeking a balance between usability and aesthetics in cleaning tools and equipment.

Researcher participant positioning or role-playing occurs when the researcher immerses themselves in the position of the person being observed, essentially taking on the role of the user. This method is typically employed after the actual user has been observed in some capacity. There are two distinct types of role-playing:

Copying User Behaviors:

The researcher replicates the user's behaviors and actions. For instance, I cleaned various hard-surfaced floors but utilized the same equipment and followed the same process as the original user.

Acting as a Participant:

The researcher adopts the mindset of a participant and, instead of mimicking the original user, actively carries out the task as if they were a participant. In this case, I cleaned various hard surfaces, adhering to the role of a participant.

In employing various research methods, I discovered their utility, each contributing to my understanding to some extent. It's challenging to single out one method as many work synergistically. However, the combination of shadowing and role-playing stood out as the most useful and insightful for me. Shadowing allowed me to observe the task and its approach from the user's perspective, while role-playing enabled me to not only see but also feel what the user experiences, providing a deeper understanding of potential pain points and design opportunities.

Reflecting on my experience as a part-time painter in my early workdays, where shadowing my boss was crucial to grasp painting techniques, I applied a similar thinking process to shadowing and role-playing in this project. Just as I modified and made my boss's techniques my own in painting, I believe I successfully applied a similar approach to the design process by understanding and adapting the user's perspective through shadowing and role-playing. This hands-on experience has proven valuable in shaping my design thinking.

In the early stages of design, I would introduce interviews, the thinking aloud protocol, and the fly on the wall method to enrich the research process.

Thinking Aloud Protocol:

This method would be employed concurrently with shadowing, but with the addition of asking questions to the user about their cleaning methods. Users would be encouraged to express their thoughts during the task, unveiling insights that might not be visually apparent. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the user's emotions during cleaning, providing richer and more detailed data. The Thinking Aloud Protocol ensures a comprehensive exploration of the user's perspective.

Fly on the Wall:

Similar to task analysis through shadowing, the fly on the wall method involves observing the same task but with different users. By analyzing various users, there is increased confidence in the results and subsequent design decisions. For instance, if only one user is observed, and a specific pain point, such as the equipment being too heavy, is identified, designing a product solely around this pain point might be risky. However, if multiple users share a common pain point, like uncomfortable handles on cleaning equipment, designing a product to address this widespread issue is more justified and likely to be successful. This method helps identify patterns and commonalities across diverse user experiences.

As a result of this project, I feel that my design thinking process has been significantly expanded through the use of several methods. If I were to proceed with designing a product for cleaning a hard surface floor, I would feel very confident in the design choices I make, backed by the data collected. There are still many more methods and techniques I want to learn about and understand their best-suited situations. I thoroughly enjoyed conducting the research, which was unexpected when I first started the project. I am also drawn to the idea of conducting research, gathering findings, and presenting the data to a design team as a profession. Overall, this project has emphasized the importance of research and equipped me with the resources to enhance existing solutions.