Valuing values through Design
The process of analyzing data is fundamentally different from the process of creating ideas. We have seen a huge mismatch in the qualitative and quantitative data set. We tried to address this mismatch by more rigorous synthesis. As mentioned in my previous post, what people say is not what people do. Following the qualitative data and collaborating with the team at Penn Medicine, we incorporated the team’s viewpoint in our process of problem definition. To me, since they are also a part of the employee population at Penn, it’s like getting direct feedback from the users- which is the very essence of user-centered design.
To bridge the analysis-synthesis gap, last week, we had a collaborative brainstorming session with our team at our studio. The discussion with the team was really helpful in finally pinning down the key problem statements to inform our coming prototypes. Since we haven’t been giving any preference to any particular problem and carrying it all forward. Now is the time to narrow down our research and really focus on the problem that matters the most to our users. How do we do that?
We structured our session on the ‘Elito’ method. In this method we combined our observations and judgments as problem statements, defined value to each problem and conceptualized prototype concepts based on those values. Incorporating the ‘value’ element in each problem defines which drives a user to consider something as a ‘problem’. We now have our 6 main problem statements speaking out loud why the primary care services at Penn are under-utilized by its employees.
Our next step in the project is to parallel prototype the concepts for these problem statements. We would we addressing each value by a prototype to test among the users first. And based on the results we would funnel down the values that are most important to the usersto redefine our focus problem statement. Followed by that we would again diverge into a pool of concepts produced addressing our focus value(s).
It gives me immense satisfaction to inform this project on core human values as using them as our reference point. As I have been thinking a lot about our work in context of my country (India) and I believe that human values remain the same across cultures, though priorities keep changing. I have also been interested in the design methods and tools that could be called ‘universal’. I am also very excited to meet Liz sanders, the founder of Make Tools and a visionary in the field of co-creation next week to extend my queries to her.
