01.22 // Observation Presentations
Resources
Syllabus | Class Box Folder | Observation Assignment and Missions
On Tuesday, teams presented their observation assignments of Construction Junction (CJ) to the class for feedback. Having all observed the same environment, there was opportunity for students to acknowledge and appreciate each other’s work, and provide feedback.
I found three parts of the presentation to be critical to its reception — (1) evidence of observation, (2) observation-based insights, and (3) engaging presentation format.
1 — Evidence of Observation
Photographic evidence
The format of choice was photographic evidence, which could then be annotated or highlighted for focus. What does a fun, hand-drawn sign say about the social environment and DIY culture? How does CJ use the features of a warehouse to provide a retail experience?
2 — Observation-based Insights
In general, teams noted the obvious, nonobvious, and the unseen or implied. Teams had different forms of organization, using different methodologies and documentation.
Even without intentionally placing value judgments, there were natural differences in the way two teams would say the same thing. For example, what one team called promoting a “sense of wonder” and exploration, another team implied “categories seem miscellaneous” with negative connotation.
Many teams found ways to communicate their findings in depth—
Addressed own constraints. For example, limited amount of time to observe, difficulty blending in, inclement weather.
Addressed the environment’s constraints. Teams noted budget and staffing as logistic constraints, as well as limitations of design. Teams looked at the various ways that the warehouse and employees compensate and create workarounds.
Looked for unseen dynamics (social, psychological, etc). For example, learning through conversation with employees about churn and employee satisfaction, or noting the effect of materiality on natural wayfinding (manufactured pieces on one end of the warehouse, raw materials on the other end).
Mix of passive and active, goal-oriented observation. There were specific things to look for and then there were surprises, like one team finding an interesting balance between employee optimization and one-employee-at-a-time lunch breaks that tend to isolate.
Considered ‘why’ questions and introduced hypotheses. One team found employees to be more “space-saving” than the customers, which turned out to be the opposite of what they expected. They posed interesting hypotheses including deference and different levels of expertise in navigating the space.
3 — Presentation Format
Most teams presented artifacts (photographs, videos, data sheets) in their slide decks, and used the presentation time to elaborate on those artifacts.
A few methods were particularly engaging —
Identifying areas of focus
Teams were able to guide the audience’s attention in a very specific direction.
Use of annotated photos
Annotations helped to communicate pattern and meaning in spaces, and focus the eye on what is necessary.
Juxtaposition to compare and contrast
Evaluating two subjects side-by-side, such as the online advertising experience versus in-store messaging helped to focus the message. Is one more effective?
Use of data
Data helped to paint a more complete picture, in this case, of CJ customers and donors at the parking lot. Do their pain points begin before they even walk in the door?
Use of maps
Maps helped to help the audience picture the environment and its various activities, flows and barriers.
Additionally, a few teams used time lapse video, which not only adds patterns of motion, but also allowed teams to adopt a minimally intrusive stance.
Most teams concluded with plans for next steps or questions for further thought and research. These helped to shape the audience feedback, and established the presentation as a starting point rather than an end.
