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Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
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This detailed content outlines the foundational steps of the design cycle's "Inquiring and Analysing" criterion. It systematically covers dissecting design briefs, employing analytical tools like Five Whys and Fishbone Diagrams, utilizing diverse primary and secondary research methods, performing Heuristic Evaluations and SWOT analyses on existing products, synthesizing user feedback, and structuring a precise Design Specification that aligns with stakeholder needs and research insights.
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Unlocking Problems: Design Briefs and Root Causes
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Chapter Content
Every design project starts with a Design Brief. You must understand both its explicit and implicit goals. To uncover the true challenge, use analytical tools like Five Whys to find the root cause, and the Fishbone Diagram to organize these causes into categories like People, Processes, and Technology.
Detailed Explanation
The design brief is your initial puzzle. The Five Whys is your magnifying glass, helping you ask 'why' repeatedly to discover that a surface problem (e.g., low engagement) is actually caused by a deeper, technical issue (e.g., slow load times). The Fishbone Diagram helps you visualize how all these causesβfrom poor training (People) to outdated software (Technology)βcontribute to the main problem, giving you a comprehensive view before you start any design work.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine you're tasked with designing a better school lunch program. The brief says, "students aren't eating enough vegetables." Using Five Whys, you might find the root cause isn't about taste, but about long lines (process) or unappealing presentation (people's skills). A Fishbone diagram then maps these causes, showing you where to focus your design efforts beyond just recipes.
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- Chunk Title: Gathering Evidence: Primary and Secondary Research Techniques
- Chunk Text: To make informed design decisions, you need solid evidence gathered through Primary Research (new data from Surveys, Interviews, Observation) and Secondary Research (existing data from Literature Reviews, Industry Reports, Competitive Analysis).
- Detailed Explanation: Primary research involves creating surveys for broad feedback and conducting in-depth interviews or observations for qualitative insights into user behavior. Ethical considerations, like consent, are crucial. Secondary research involves critically evaluating existing sources. For example, when reading an industry report, you must critique its reliabilityβchecking the date, sample size, and potential biasβto ensure the data is relevant and trustworthy. Combining these methods provides a holistic understanding of your problem space.
- Real-Life Example or Analogy: If you're designing a new study lamp, primary research might involve interviewing students about their lighting preferences. Secondary research might involve reading scientific papers on optimal light color for concentration and looking at market reports on popular lamp features. Both are essential for creating an effective product.
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- Chunk Title: Extracting Insights: Analysing Products and User Feedback
- Chunk Text: Raw data and existing products need systematic analysis. You use Heuristic Evaluation (checking usability against established rules) and SWOT Deep Dives (analyzing Strengths/Weaknesses, Opportunities/Threats). User comments are organized using Affinity Diagramming and quantified using Sentiment Mapping.
- Detailed Explanation: Heuristic Evaluation is a checklist-based method for finding usability problems in interfaces, assigning a severity rating to each problem. SWOT helps you understand a product's strategic standing. To handle large amounts of user feedback, Affinity Diagramming groups similar comments into themes (e.g., 'Login Issues'). Sentiment Mapping then tags each comment (positive, neutral, negative) within those themes, clearly highlighting areas of user satisfaction or major frustration. This process turns raw comments into clear, actionable insights.
- Real-Life Example or Analogy: Imagine analyzing a popular social media app. Heuristic evaluation might flag an unclear navigation icon. User feedback might show a theme of "too many notifications," with a high negative sentiment (from Sentiment Mapping), pointing to a critical area for improvement.
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- Chunk Title: Blueprint for Design: Writing a Concise Design Specification
- Chunk Text: The research culminates in the Design Specification, the final blueprint. It includes User Personas, User Stories, and detailed Requirements (Functional and Non-functional). The Traceability Matrix is essential for validation, linking every requirement directly back to supporting research evidence.
- Detailed Explanation: User Personas ensure you design for real user goals, while User Stories define features from the user's viewpoint. The Requirements Section must clearly state what the product must or should do. The most crucial part of this stage is the Traceability Matrix. This validation tool ensures your design is entirely evidence-backed, proving that every single feature or constraint (like security or performance) is justified by the research you conducted (a survey result, an interview quote, etc.), ensuring the plan is robust.
- Real-Life Example or Analogy: If you're designing a new school locker system, your specification would include a persona for "Alex, 13, who struggles to open tight locks." A functional requirement would be "MUST have an easy-to-grip handle," directly linked to Alex's persona. The traceability matrix confirms this requirement is justified by feedback from users like Alex. This meticulous blueprint guides the entire design and development process.
Key Concepts
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Root Cause Analysis: Identifying the core problem, not just the symptom.
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Evidence-Backed Design: Justifying all decisions with research data.
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Heuristics: Usability rules used for critical product evaluation.
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Traceability: Linking requirements to sources for validation.
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Examples
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Five Whys in action: Symptom: "App registration is low." Why 1: "The process is too long." Why 2: "It asks for unnecessary information." Root Cause: "The design team never prioritized simplicity."
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Heuristic Evaluation Example: An app failing the "Consistency and Standards" heuristic because the 'save' icon is a floppy disk on one screen and a checkmark on another.
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Flashcards
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Term: What is the primary purpose of a Fishbone Diagram?
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Definition: To categorize root causes of a problem (e.g., People, Technology) for systematic analysis.
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Term: What is the difference between Primary and Secondary Research?
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Definition: Primary research collects new data (surveys), while Secondary research uses existing data (industry reports).
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Term: What tool is used to link a requirement back to its original research data?
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Definition: The Traceability Matrix.
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Memory Aids
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Rhyme: The Brief gives the goal, the Five Whys reveal the soul. Research provides proof, the Spec is the blueprint, truth\!
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Mnemonic: S.P.A.T.: Specification, Primary/Secondary, Analysis (SWOT/Heuristics), Traceability.
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Analogy: The Design Specification is like a construction blueprint: it provides all the exact measurements and materials (Requirements) which are checked against the land survey (Research) to ensure the structure is stable (Traceability).
Examples & Applications
Five Whys in action: Symptom: "App registration is low." Why 1: "The process is too long." Why 2: "It asks for unnecessary information." Root Cause: "The design team never prioritized simplicity."
Heuristic Evaluation Example: An app failing the "Consistency and Standards" heuristic because the 'save' icon is a floppy disk on one screen and a checkmark on another.
Flashcards
Term: What is the primary purpose of a Fishbone Diagram?
Definition: To categorize root causes of a problem (e.g., People, Technology) for systematic analysis.
Term: What is the difference between Primary and Secondary Research?
Definition: Primary research collects new data (surveys), while Secondary research uses existing data (industry reports).
Term: What tool is used to link a requirement back to its original research data?
Definition: The Traceability Matrix.
Memory Aids
Rhyme: The Brief gives the goal, the Five Whys reveal the soul. Research provides proof, the Spec is the blueprint, truth\!
Mnemonic: S.P.A.T.: Specification, Primary/Secondary, Analysis (SWOT/Heuristics), Traceability.
Analogy: The Design Specification is like a construction blueprint: it provides all the exact measurements and materials (Requirements) which are checked against the land survey (Research) to ensure the structure is stable (Traceability).
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
The Brief gives the goal, the Five Whys reveal the soul. Research provides proof, the Spec is the blueprint, truth\!
* **Mnemonic
Memory Tools
Specification, Primary/Secondary, Analysis (SWOT/Heuristics), Traceability.
* **Analogy
Memory Tools
it provides all the exact measurements and materials (Requirements) which are checked against the land survey (Research) to ensure the structure is stable (Traceability).
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Traceability Matrix
A table linking requirements in the specification back to their original source of evidence (research or client need).
- Traceability
Linking requirements to sources for validation.
- Heuristic Evaluation Example
An app failing the "Consistency and Standards" heuristic because the 'save' icon is a floppy disk on one screen and a checkmark on another.
- Definition
The Traceability Matrix.
- Analogy
The Design Specification is like a construction blueprint: it provides all the exact measurements and materials (Requirements) which are checked against the land survey (Research) to ensure the structure is stable (Traceability).