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: textiles, and this is part of the Iterative design: nature Unit.

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

There are three keywords, iterate, which is the process of refining and improving a design, evaluation, which is checking how good something is and how to make it better, analysis, which is examining something in detail.

In this lesson, we have two parts.

The first is gathering user feedback and the second, iterations from user feedback.

Let's begin 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 has 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 now.

Why do designers gather feedback on their final prototype? Is it A, only to confirm that no changes are needed before launching the product, or 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 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-no answer.

Here we have a check for understanding.

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 B, 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 our user feedback are typically aesthetics, function, or ergonomics.

Sofia has decided that she needs to focus on the following feedback, function and ergonomics.

With this in mind, Sofia 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, Sofia needs to consider how to record her findings so she is prepared.

Sofia 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.

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

Here we have your first task, Task A.

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.

Great.

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

Sofia 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 now move to the second part of the 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, have a go.

Great.

Let's check.

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

Well done.

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

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

Watering each pocket was quick and easy.

It worked best if the herbs were removed from the pots and put directly in the pocket.

It fits on the kitchen work surface.

And it was difficult to move when full of plants as it was heavy.

Sofia 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.

So Sofia thinks what went well was, watering each pocket was quick and easy, it fits on the kitchen work surface, and it worked best if the herbs were removed from the pots and put directly in the pocket.

And she thought it would be even better if, she reduced the weight by changing the frame material or shape and make the design double sided.

So there are two pockets side by side rather than one above the other.

Sofia has evaluated her product with her user feedback and has decided upon two possible further iterations, change the material or shape of the planter to reduce the weight, and lower the top pocket by making the planter double sided with two pockets side by side.

We now have Task B.

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

Use the example of what Sofia 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 give it a go.

Wonderful.

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

The success criteria could be, consider what information you want to learn from the user, decide on a method of gathering the feedback based on your decision, record your findings and analyse the information, evaluate your findings by organising them into what went well and even better if, or www and ebi, and use ebi to plan and carry out future improvements and iterations.

And part two, use the success criteria by ticking off each one as you go.

Well done.

We now 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.

Thank you for joining me today, and really well done.