Admittedly, the Observation step proved to be difficult. Logistics challenged our group’s timeline to say the least, and our target segment is nearly impossible to reach from campus. Because of this challenge, we needed to find alternative forms of observation. One solution was to observe graduate students, for they share some characteristics with our target segment. To diversify our data, we also wanted to analyze photos from individuals, and social media posts containing specific key words. My responsibility was a photo collection.
Although I had originally arranged for photos from a traveling consultant, she had actually just moved to a temporary residence to wait until the completed construction of her new home. Because this was not her own residence, I also reached out to a college nursing student who has a demanding schedule. I figured that she may use her home in ways similar to those who travel, for maintenance is necessarily low for people with significant time commitments away from home.
To get an idea about how our target segment might use their living space, I asked for photos using several prompts that emphasized actions taken in the home. This included attending calls, consuming media, hosting company, and more. This was a continuous process, as some of the prompts engendered follow up questions, mostly centered around the exact scope of the space. To demonstrate, when asked to send a picture of where she dines, the subject asked, “Are you referring to the whole room, the exact space I occupy, or the surroundings of my space from my point of view while dining?” I knew that the crucial element was the subject’s lifestyle and experience, but I had to balance that with including actual items to observe. I compromised and asked for the space occupied as well as the context of that area from a third-person point of view. Although this process appeared to be slightly more complex than direct observation, photos were collected, overall, with minimal follow-up.
Observations were difficult, as they consumed a lot of time, and were ostensibly mundane. But close analysis began to reveal some interesting facts. For example, the refrigerator included a lot of perishable items, which of course need daily maintenance to avoid spoiling. I inferred that this could reflect a lifestyle that values a consistent diet, fresh ingredients, and healthy food. From this, I formulated a behavioral interview question based on how nutritional value factors into their food choices in order to gain insight on healthy behaviors while eating at home.
Although not all observations neatly translated into behavioral indications, it was very interesting to unpack the meaningful ones and form questions about behavior. One of the challenges of this part was to avoid “usually” questions, and ask instead about specific experiences and behaviors. I anticipate it will be rewarding to gain further insight on behaviors and choices throughout the Interview phase.