Reﬂection on Visualization Tool

By Bappa Singh.

Challenge & Selection

In this globally connected space of creative practitioners and design students, while working on a  large team with varied mindset, it becomes important to bring everybody onboard with the broad  goal that needs to be achieved. In one of my recent projects, I got the opportunity to work with a  global team of designers. We were a team including students from India, US and Singapore.   While our common interest for accessible product design helped us to agree collectively on some  baseline outcomes that we had to achieve, but it was also important for us to know each other  and have clarity about everyone’s hopes, expectations, positionality, skills etc. Although I think of  myself as a good team person who has several experience working on a group projects, working  with a global team had never happened to me. I wanted to be mindful of how to approach the  conversation starter, get acquainted with each other and build a positive team spirit.

Visualisation tool is one of the most dynamic tool that allows different voices to be heard in  various forms like sketching, making connections through lines and graph, mapping thoughts,  imaging etc. Through the course I also learnt how visualisation tool can also be applied at  different stages of the project depending on time and requirement. Since it is simple and easy to  use, we collectively found some of visualisation tools that I wanted us to try out to see how it  could help in a global and inter-cultural team throughout the project.

Application

Since we were bunch of people from different countries, it was important for us to know the  positionality, interests and cultural background of each other. We started with some activities like  sketching idea of team-work, sketching idea of success, mapping positionality,  sharing picture of  their workspace. This acted as ice-breaker activities to initiate conversations to know about each  other and come closer in terms of a team. We also ideated individual avatar that was a fun and  engaging activity to do. Only in the few hours, we learnt quite a few interesting aspects of each  other's lives and culture. I felt that during the pandemic, such activities helped us empathise with  circumstances of one another before we delved into the formal project.

Our team was working on finding new user-centric and inclusive products for kitchen. In the  following steps of research, we used visualisation tool to find hidden pattern, generate qualitative  and quantitative data insights. During our online interview with the sample user set, we  extensively used photograph and video method for journalling ‘day in a life’. We also shared single  page toolkit to thoroughly add their regular routine.  Using this visualisation tool helped us  understand closely about the lives of the user because it was more convenient for the users to   photographs of thing things interact with rather than trying to recall everything and narrate it to us  on call.  It basically made the activity more humanistic, engaging while also helping us understand  the nuance challenges they faced everyday. It was also convenient for the design team to ask  questions regarding certain artefacts that were shared in the pictures. We also used visual  thinking tools like Empathy mapping,  sticky notes tools to make connections during the research  phase and create visual mood-board the product ideas the team wanted to work on.

In the crucial stage of product ideation and user feedback, visual tools came in really handy.   Taking the innovative mindset approach for the ideation phase, we engaged in rigorous and  intense product ideation that aimed at generating as many of ideas without any judgement. The  product ideation included many aspects like form, usability, ergonomics etc. I have to admit that  the inter-cultural and inter-disciplinary approach turned out to be  beneficial for us as it helped in  bringing thoughts from our own experiences and personal interactions with people with disability  as well. After the ideation, we took those designs to user to take inputs. Everything was in online  mode, so we either presented the ideas to the users or sent them images through main. They  could either print it and scribble on it, or write their comments and thoughts separately and share  with us. The ideation and finalising the design was the most engaging and critical aspect of the  project that went pretty well.

Insight and Approach

Working online with remote users and team is challenging. While it could create gaps in how each  one of us understood the information, visualization tools like images, videos. Empathy mapping  made sure that the data we gathered through research and user interview was available to us in  different forms that we could refer back to at any stage of the process. These tools also made it  easier for the user to participate in the interview better without seeming disconnect due to the  designs. We were able to share the designs with them over email, which they could either print  and scribble at or edit it online with some assistance, or share their viewpoints with us online on  video.  We put everything up on Miro to extend our discussion in the group. I learnt and realised  how these tools bring out nuance aspects during the whole project, from framing questions t to  mapping user journey to ideating prototypes. They help communicate in non-verbal mode with  more clarity that everybody could see and interact with. It helped me understand how in an  innovation led design process, visual tools can enrich the information and help understand the  context better.

Overall, I feel although I was already acquainted with some visual thinking tools, I realised their  significance more after applying them consciously in the project. Visualisation tool is a very useful  method of ethnographic research and ideation. It is certainly a very inclusive tool that values  different multimedia into the each stage of design process.

The project went pretty well. But I think it took us time to plan the use of different tools effectively.  Although we coped well during our online work, next time I would like to try them out during in- person project research and ideation. I am pretty sure it would be more engaging and useful that  way. During out last project, we used the template that we gathered from the internet. For my next  project, I am thinking to customise the information before sending out the toolkit to users so that  that our intention is explained well, and the toolkit does better hand-holding in the process.  I am  Also going to  find other kinds of visual thinking tools that either exist or have been generated by  people itself.


Reﬂection on Visualization Tool By Bappa Singh . Challenge & Selection In this globally connected space of creative practitioners and design students , while working on a large team with varied mindset , it becomes important to bring everybody onboard with the broad goal that needs to be achieved . In one of my recent projects , I got the opportunity to work with a global team of designers . We were a team including students from India , US and Singapore . While our common interest for accessible product design helped us to agree collectively on some baseline outcomes that we had to achieve , but it was also important for us to know each other and have clarity about everyone ’s hopes , expectations , positionality , skills etc . Although I think of myself as a good team person who has several experience working on a group projects , working with a global team had never happened to me . I wanted to be mindful of how to approach the conversation starter , get acquainted with each other and build a positive team spirit . Visualisation tool is one of the most dynamic tool that allows different voices to be heard in various forms like sketching , making connections through lines and graph , mapping thoughts , imaging etc . Through the course I also learnt how visualisation tool can also be applied at different stages of the project depending on time and requirement . Since it is simple and easy to use , we collectively found some of visualisation tools that I wanted us to try out to see how it could help in a global and inter - cultural team throughout the project . Application Since we were bunch of people from different countries , it was important for us to know the positionality , interests and cultural background of each other . We started with some activities like sketching idea of team - work , sketching idea of success , mapping positionality , sharing picture of their workspace . This acted as ice - breaker activities to initiate conversations to know about each other and come closer in terms of a team . We also ideated individual avatar that was a fun and engaging activity to do . Only in the few hours , we learnt quite a few interesting aspects of each other 's lives and culture . I felt that during the pandemic , such activities helped us empathise with circumstances of one another before we delved into the formal project . Our team was working on finding new user - centric and inclusive products for kitchen . In the following steps of research , we used visualisation tool to find hidden pattern , generate qualitative and quantitative data insights . During our online interview with the sample user set , we extensively used photograph and video method for journalling ‘ day in a life ’ . We also shared single page toolkit to thoroughly add their regular routine . Using this visualisation tool helped us understand closely about the lives of the user because it was more convenient for the users to photographs of thing things interact with rather than trying to recall everything and narrate it to us on call . It basically made the activity more humanistic , engaging while also helping us understand the nuance challenges they faced everyday . It was also convenient for the design team to ask questions regarding certain artefacts that were shared in the pictures . We also used visual thinking tools like Empathy mapping , sticky notes tools to make connections during the research phase and create visual mood - board the product ideas the team wanted to work on . In the crucial stage of product ideation and user feedback , visual tools came in really handy . Taking the innovative mindset approach for the ideation phase , we engaged in rigorous and intense product ideation that aimed at generating as many of ideas without any judgement . The product ideation included many aspects like form , usability , ergonomics etc . I have to admit that the inter - cultural and inter - disciplinary approach turned out to be beneficial for us as it helped in bringing thoughts from our own experiences and personal interactions with people with disability as well . After the ideation , we took those designs to user to take inputs . Everything was in online mode , so we either presented the ideas to the users or sent them images through main . They could either print it and scribble on it , or write their comments and thoughts separately and share with us . The ideation and finalising the design was the most engaging and critical aspect of the project that went pretty well . Insight and Approach Working online with remote users and team is challenging . While it could create gaps in how each one of us understood the information , visualization tools like images , videos . Empathy mapping made sure that the data we gathered through research and user interview was available to us in different forms that we could refer back to at any stage of the process . These tools also made it easier for the user to participate in the interview better without seeming disconnect due to the designs . We were able to share the designs with them over email , which they could either print and scribble at or edit it online with some assistance , or share their viewpoints with us online on video . We put everything up on Miro to extend our discussion in the group . I learnt and realised how these tools bring out nuance aspects during the whole project , from framing questions t to mapping user journey to ideating prototypes . They help communicate in non - verbal mode with more clarity that everybody could see and interact with . It helped me understand how in an innovation led design process , visual tools can enrich the information and help understand the context better . Overall , I feel although I was already acquainted with some visual thinking tools , I realised their significance more after applying them consciously in the project . Visualisation tool is a very useful method of ethnographic research and ideation . It is certainly a very inclusive tool that values different multimedia into the each stage of design process . The project went pretty well . But I think it took us time to plan the use of different tools effectively . Although we coped well during our online work , next time I would like to try them out during in- person project research and ideation . I am pretty sure it would be more engaging and useful that way . During out last project , we used the template that we gathered from the internet . For my next project , I am thinking to customise the information before sending out the toolkit to users so that that our intention is explained well , and the toolkit does better hand - holding in the process . I am Also going to find other kinds of visual thinking tools that either exist or have been generated by people itself .