Just Enough Research Review

Hall’s chapter makes sure to let the reader know not to assume anything about the product user and the importance of the individual lives of the people you’ll need to interview to develop your product. I can appreciate that, as an IMM major, our focus is on the individual rather than the group consensus. There’s just something about being an Interactive Multimedia student that rings with the vitality of the individual. IMM students aren’t like the business majors, studying group statistics to design something that will make the most income over the longest period. As IMM students we mess around, make mistakes, brainstorm constantly, but in the end our products feel like they service real people rather than numbers in a chart. Because of that, it feels right that we are able to dive so deep into a handful of people’s lives and come out with a product can service an entire range of people. Further, I like that we shouldn’t be assuming anything about these people; it especially rings true about the community in Trenton. All the business owners we spoke to there were very kind, funny, and insightful people, but the media bias against the area would make you think everyone that lives there is fighting it out on the streets and is so rough and tough. The diverse culture, art, music, and food that comes out of that city is testament to the reality of the people that live there, and by getting to know those business owners, what their everyday routines are like, simple things like that, it brings a light to an otherwise dark situation. So I would like to think Hall is right in her advice, and hope to be able to apply it the Trenton area and see results for the better.