User research and painstorming

One key pillar of Design Thinking is putting customers and users at the centre. The aim of this phase is to determine what the requirements, views and motivations are of all parties involved and understanding these empathically. This is a very important phase that we mustn’t underestimate. At Six Fingers we carry out frequent user surveys to reveal people’s perceptions and examine their assumptions.

It’s dangerous to make assumptions!

Assumptions have been the basis of the demise of many. Not just of the Titanic, but also of major successful companies. As is often said, an assumption is ‘the mother of all fuck-ups’. Yet assumptions are all around us. Just think of the many assumptions you and the people around you make every day. About customers, about what they do and do not want, what they like and dislike. A list we could easily expand on. The question ‘why?’ is the instrument of choice for examining people’s assumptions and challenging existing ideas.

You have to be where the user is

Start looking and thinking like the future user does. Look around you, observe. Just holding interviews is inadequate. People you interview provide answers based on past experience and tend to rationalise behaviour. You have to be where users are. Experience for yourself what they experience. There are many different ways to explore the world around us. Go with your current users, observe them, ensure that you are at locations they visit, and record as much as you can. Make notes, for instance, about small things you notice and film and photograph what you see. The advantage here is that we all have a camera on us these days, so that makes it a lot easier.