UX-IID-2: Cultural Probe Reading

1. 1999 Cultural Probe

I guess the author tried to get some feedback or insight from local people who are bored with this meeting. But when the author represents them a pack of plastic envelope, people seemed to be interested.These cultural probes were intentionally designed to arise some inspirational response from elderly people. Probes make them express their free thoughts more easily. Probes consist of these items.

• Postcards: attitude towards their life, cultural environments, and technology
• Informal, friendly mode of communication
• Maps: attitude towards the environment.
• Cameras
• Small booklets for pictures about their lives
• Media diary for recording

Why the author did this?

• The author should gather information about the elderly who lived in the area
• The new method of research through design

Not precise analyses not carefully controlled. More open to random possibilities, observe things with no prejudice or lmit. They tried to be like , encouraging elders to do what they want with the probes. The Humanized relationship was important. The return rate was also important. The author had a brief grasp of what elders really think and feel.

But I wonder, how can you be sure of the derived guess is valid? There are so many possibilities with the guesses but we cannot know which one is better because there is no metric. Can any conclusion be made at all?

2. 2004 Cultural Probes and the Value of Uncertainty

Using scientific approach to understand Cultural Probe is misleading. It’s an approach with uncertainty, subjectiveness, embracing limited human knowledge.No deceiving or controlled environment. Just embrace them. Probe is not the whole process of designing, it’s just one of th1. e steps that helps and nourishes the other steps.

I think in order for probe study to work, there should only be target people, but not a purpose or goal. Maybe the caveat of this approach is that we can unconsciously ignore or undervalue the true conclusion, in order to find something unexpected and seems to be a new insight. Probe solves the area of unexplainable by number(or ‘I feel like it’) problems by human sense of empathy. It would be effective when finding the intersection area of knowledge, goal between target customers and myself.

3. TaskCam

TaskCams are designed as self-documentation tools for participants of user studies.

Cute, easy to use but somewhat old fashioned.
Why not use apps?
Oh maybe it’s for the whole age generations.