D4D Research Workshop 为弱势群体设计调研工作坊

On Aug 24, a group of 30 enthusiastic designers and researchers gathered at THE  STUDIO for the D4D research training workshop (D4D stands for "Design for the Disadvantaged"). The objective of the D4D workshop was to provide an opportunity for those interested in learning how to conduct qualitative research, and for our D4D mentors to share their best practices. The workshop materials were prepared by Jianming Dong, our design research leader. We shared the best practice and research skills for volunteers helping us learn more about the disadvantaged who are struggling for a living in various conditions as street vendors, construction workers, and garbage collectors. The objective of the research was to get firsthand information via interviews but primarily to observe and document what we found.

Some Tips we shared with our volunteers:

• Approach people with a high level of sincerity, curiosity, and passion.
• Try to remember the key questions and rehearse beforehand.'
• During interviews, focus on natural dialogue. Data logging can be done later.
• Keep the questions short and use very plain language.
• Many respondents are not willing to talk much, so work hard on observations.
• Do not force your way through the questions if there is strong resistance or reluctance.
• If verbal communication is hard, contextual observation is sufficiently valuable.

The output of the research’s raw data will be shared in our internal D4D synthesis workshop next week. Two or three volunteer researchers are teamed up for each interview. We mixed experienced and non-experienced English and bi-lingual researchers to best leverage the local and foreign perspective during  interviews.

The profile of volunteers in the research workshop is a good mixture of researchers, industrial designers, interaction designers, graphic designers, entrepreneurs, and marketers.  We are very glad to have a multi-disciplinary team to collaborate together to design a sustainable solution for the disadvantaged to improve their life. Also, 50 percent of our volunteers are Chinese and 50 percent are foreigners. This is an exchange platform for the Western and the Eastern designers to learn from each other. As the volunteers come from different backgrounds, I am interested to see people from IDEO, frog, Microsoft, Honeywell, Samsung, HP, Philips and talented independent designers resolve a design problem together. Also, it will be exciting to see their solution find common ground between what designers can create and what the disadvantaged actually need.

Our next blog posting will give a snapshot of our intercept interviews conducted over the weekend. 

--Chloe Ng, Project Manager, Shanghai Office

作为D4D的一名志愿者，我很高兴向对这一话题感兴趣的诸位分享一些点点滴滴。

D4D调研工作室

8月24日，30名热情洋溢的设计师及研究人员聚集在THE STUDIO，进行D4D的调研培训。D4D工作坊致力于为那些有兴趣学习定性研究并从D4D指导者处分享实践的人们提供机会。工作坊资料由设计研究主管董建明筹备。我们一起分享了拦截采访的最佳实践和调研技巧，这些拦截采访面向路政工人，建筑工人，垃圾清扫工这些生活在不同环境下的贫困人群。该调研的目的在于根据我们的调查报告，通过采访获得第一手资料。

我们与志愿者分享的一些技巧：
●带着至高的真诚，好奇与激情与人们交流。
●记住关键问题并进行预演。
●在采访中，专注于对话，数据整理可在采访后完成。
●提问尽量简短，并使用通俗的语句。
●一些被采访者并不愿多说，这时就需进行仔细的观察。
●若被采访者表现出犹豫或抵制情绪，不要按自己的思路对问题进行引导。
●若头交流比较困难，观察就显得尤为重要了。

此次调研的原始数据将在下周内部的D4D综合工作坊公布。每个采访小组由2到3名志愿调研人员组成。在采访期间，我们将新手老手、只说英语和精通中英文的调研人员混合分组，以最大限度的利用本地人和外国人的不同视角。

如果我们看一下调研工作坊成员的背景就会发现这些志愿者汇集了调研人员，工业设计师，交互设计师，平面设计师，企业家及营销人员。我们非常高兴能够有这样一个来自不同领域的成员所组成的团队，一起合作规划一个恰当的方案来改善贫困人群的生活。志愿者中方、外籍人员各占一半，是中西方设计者互相学习交流的平台。由于志愿者们拥有不同的背景，看到来自IDEO, frog, Microsoft, Honeywell, Samsung, HP, Philips的设计师以及极具天赋的独立设计师一起来解决设计问题让我非常感兴趣。并且，当他们的解决方案能够在设计师所能创造的东西与贫困人群的实际需求间找到共同点时，那将是振奋人心的。

我们下一期的博客将展示周末拦截采访的一些片段。

--上海办公室项目经理，伍翠群