2.4 Research
Alex Hass
Step 2: Conduct Research
Gather and analyze information What else do you need to know? The information you collected in the first stage is just a starting point — now you need to do more research in order to fine-tune your goals and process. Check every assumption, ask more questions, and add detail.
Research practices may involve:
- Competitor analysis: analyzing the competition to see what they do and determine their strengths and weaknesses
- Ethnographic research: observing user behaviour and culture
- Site research: observing and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a space to optimize the effectiveness of the design experience you will be creating; site research is necessary to any design project that is situated in a built environment
- Marketing research: analyzing behaviour in terms of consumer practices, including demographic profiling (grouping people based on variables such as age/income/ethnicity/location to create profiles generally describing their thinking/behaviour)
- User testing: measuring the ability of the product or service to satisfy users’ needs
- Co-creation: inviting end-users to brainstorm solutions with the design team before the concept phase of design begins
Incorporating Research into the Design Process
Research should be a part of all design process, but what kind of research is done, and who does it, will be determined by the scope and budget of the project. Some information may be publicly available, for example, through corporate publications or previously published marketing studies or market data, but a design company may need to partner with a research firm in order to do targeted in-depth research.
At the very least, design research should include:
- A literature review (gathering and reviewing all existing material that is relevant to your subject)
- Collected details (existing materials, corporate guidelines) of your client’s business and the services the client offers
- Information on the target audience (What do they want? need? expect?)
- Analysis of competitors (Who are they? how are they different? how are they the same? how do they advertise or make information available?)
- Estimates and technical advice from subcontractors (e.g., printers)
Some things to consider:
- Is a full design audit required? Much like a SWOT analysis, which assesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, a design audit applies the same stringent methodology to analyzing your competitors’ visual presence in the marketplace.
A graphic design audit is a fantastic and relatively easy way to get a clear picture of how your competitors are perceived, what key messages they are communicating and how you look when placed alongside them. It’s also a valuable exercise that informs you about the type of communication your customers are receiving on a regular basis from your key competitors. (Clare, 2006)
- What are the implications of the audience profile in relationship to the project goals?