- Prior to reading the book, how important would you consider talking to people to be when designing an application? Did that change at all after reading the book? Why?
Before reading the book, I think talking to people was the crucial part of any design, including designing an application, as it bridges the design with the target audiences. Communicating with the consumers can help designers empathize with consumers on the pain points, pinpointing the focusing problem, testing the prototype, and iterating the design. I think my understanding of the connection to people did not change much after I read the book. In the projects that I was involved in before, despite acknowledging the importance of customer discovery, I usually felt uncomfortable talking with unfamiliar people. Most of the time, I also had a hard time designing the questions that can lead my interviewees to speak authentically. But from the book, I gained more knowledge on the strategies of asking people questions, asking for advice, and interacting with my potential consumers in different stages of the design process. I was very inspired by one of the cases mentioned in the book about being “creative” in the interviews. I think a lot of the designers encounter the same problem of finding the preferable method of talking to the customers. But the example describes the entrepreneur who organized evening events for targeted mothers of young children “at a local spa where she bought them pedicures and wine”. In this way, the target audiences would settle down and be happy to talk about the entrepreneur’s questions. The ways of interviewing are never limited to the simple form of question and answer. According to the different audiences, designers should also think about correspondent suitable interview time, place, and method that make my target consumers feel comfortable and “tell the story”. - How has your understanding of a “Prototype” changed after reading this book (if at all)?
Prior to reading this book, I thought prototyping was the process when I make the model of the product before producing the actual product for sale. Even though I know that prototypes should be constantly iterated according to the input of the target customers, I barely do so in my previous projects. I felt embarrassed to present my unfinished prototypes to unfamiliar people. However, I realized the importance of presenting my product to the public throughout the process. I should not always achieve perfectionism, because no product can be perfect in version one. Only by stepping out of my comfort zone and asking for suggestions from as many target customers as possible, I can keep improving the product that meets the demands of clients and solves their problems. - What specific techniques did you use from this book to help you in your client interviews for Challenge 1, Part 3?
When I was interviewing my client about his experience of living with a cat, I tried my best to “shut up” and listen to my customer. Before, I would always hold a biased mind with my assumptions towards my audience. But in this interview, I asked my client to “tell specific stories” of the problems that he met with his cat. I thought cat owners tend to always have a problem understanding the need of their cats just as I do. However, my interviewee cracked my bias. He struggles more with making the cat understand his language than he misunderstands his cat.
Site is loading
IMA journey
