Lesson video

Hello there.

My name's Mrs. Taylor, and thank you for joining me for our lesson today.

Our lesson today is evaluate with user feedback: polymers and timbers, and this is part of the iterative design nature unit.

The outcome: I can gather user feedback to evaluate my manufactured prototype.

We have three key words.

Iterate: the process of refining and improving a design.

Evaluation: checking how good something is and how to make it better.

And analysis: examining something in detail.

There are two parts to the lesson today, gathering user feedback and iterations from user feedback.

Let's get started with gathering user feedback.

Once a prototype is completed, further developments and iterations of it can be made.

To iterate is the process of refining and improving a design.

No product is ever perfect, and further improvements can always be made.

Just think about your favourite mobile phone and how many versions of it there have been over the years.

Things can always be improved.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What does it mean when we iterate? Is it A start, a design from scratch? B, refine and improve a design.

Or C, finalise a design without changes.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful, let's check.

That's right, it's B, refine and improve a design.

Well done.

Designers constantly seek to develop their designs and products no matter what stage of the design process they are in.

Gathering user feedback on the prototype will help designers evaluate their prototype and consider future iterations.

To evaluate something is to check how good something is and how to make it better.

We have another check for understanding.

Why do designers gather feedback on their final prototype? Is it A, only to confirm that no changes are needed before launching the product? B, to validate that their personal preferences align with user expectations.

Or C, no product is ever perfect and further improvements can always be made.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right, it's C, no product is ever perfect and further improvements can always be made.

Well done.

Gathering feedback on the prototype can be carried out in various ways.

Two of those ways are: conducting interviews and observing the user.

An interview is a structured conversation where one person, the interviewer, asks questions to gather information from another person, the interviewee.

An interview is a form of primary research as the researcher collects the data or information.

To conduct an effective interview, it is important to consider what information you would like to find out during it.

Identifying question topics will help you construct relevant interview questions.

Relevant questions are ones that directly address the topic which helps you focus on key areas in your investigations.

Avoiding asking non-relevant questions will lead to a more effective interview.

There are two types of questions that can be used in interviews.

These are open-ended questions and closed questions.

Open-ended questions encourage a detailed, thoughtful, and flexible response.

Closed questions prompt a short, specific response such as a single word, a number, or a yes or no answer.

We have a check for understanding now.

Open-ended questions allow for A, a rigid response, B, a flexible response, or C, a concise response.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right, it's a flexible response.

Well done.

Another way to gather feedback from the client is to observe the user interacting with and using the prototype.

Before interviewing or observing a user with a prototype, the designer must first decide what they want to learn.

This helps them choose the best way to collect feedback.

The main focuses of user feedback are typically: aesthetics, function, and ergonomics.

Aisha has decided that she needs to focus on the following feedback: function and ergonomics.

With this in mind, Aisha has decided she wants to carry out an observation of her user using her prototype to gather her user feedback.

To carry out an observation of the user with her prototype, Aisha needs to consider how to record her findings so she's prepared.

Aisha has decided to record the observation as a video so she can look back at it later.

She has asked permission from the user to do this.

Aisha is also going to take a notebook and pencil so she can make notes and add any potential sketches.

We now have Task A: gathering user feedback.

Part one, using the headings below, decide what will be the most important user feedback you need to find out.

And part two, based on this decision, decide whether you will use an interview or observe your user interacting with the prototype to gather your feedback.

And part three, explain and justify your decisions.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful, let's have a look at some of the answers you may have come up with.

Aisha says, "I selected function and ergonomics.

I have decided to observe my user interacting with my prototype.

I really want to know how well it functions and how easily my user interacts with it rather than what they think of its appearance.

This is important as a big part of my design brief and design specification was making my prototype accessible to wheelchair users, so I want to check this." Well done.

We're now going to move to the second part of our lesson, iterations from user feedback.

Once feedback has been collected, this information needs to be analysed to make it useful.

To analyse something is to examine it in detail.

Once data is analysed, decisions need to be made based upon this information.

Here we have a check for understanding.

Why must feedback be analysed? Is it A, to increase the amount of feedback received? B, to make it useful for the designer.

Or C, to replace the designer's original ideas.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful, let's check.

That's right, it's B, to make it useful for the designer.

Well done.

Aisha recorded her observation of her user with her prototype as a mind map of the key points.

The user couldn't reach the top shelf of the prototype.

The pots were easy to remove for watering, but could also be watered whilst on the shelf.

It held four large pots but my user said she would like more smaller ones too.

It fits on the kitchen work surface.

It was difficult to move for cleaning as it is heavy.

Aisha can now analyse this feedback to help her evaluate her prototype.

She has organised the points into 'what went well' and 'even better if,' www or ebi.

What went well.

The pots were easy to remove for watering but could also be watered whilst on the shelf.

It held four large pots and it fits on the kitchen work surface.

Even better if includes: Change the design to have one large shelf rather than two, this would make the planter not as tall.

Change the holes in the large shelf to fit more smaller pots.

Changing the heavy MDF base to a lighter material would make it easier to move and clean.

Aisha has evaluated her product with her user feedback and has decided upon two possible further iterations.

Reduce the height by removing the top shelf and change the material to make the planter easier to move.

We now have Task B.

Part one, write your own success criteria for gathering, analysing, evaluating, and deciding on your iterations.

Use the example of what Aisha did to help guide you.

And part two, use your success criteria for gathering, analysing, and evaluating your feedback to inform your iterations.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful, let's have a look at some of the answers you may have come up with.

You may have said: Consider what information you want to learn from your user.

Decide on a method of gathering feedback based on your decision.

Record your findings and analyse the information.

Evaluate your findings by organising them into what went well and ebi.

And use ebi to plan and carry out future improvements and iterations.

And part two, we have used the success criteria to inform iterations.

Well done.

Here we have a summary of our learning today.

To iterate is the process of refining and improving a design.

No product is ever perfect and further improvements can always be made.

Gathering user feedback on the prototype will help designers evaluate their prototype and consider future iterations.

Once feedback has been collected, this information needs to be analysed to use as part of an evaluation.

Well done and thank you for joining me today.