Our workshop titled “Inspiring Creativity” then built on this by providing attendees a first-hand opportunity to practice Lextant’s Prime, Dream, Create approach to participatory design.

1. EPIC 2011
INSPIRING CREATIVITY:
Using participatory design to
understand people’s desires and
guide innovation

2. WHAT ARE
1. Introductions
WE DOING
TODAY? 2. Overview of Participatory Design
3. Hands-on activities
• Review homework
• Discuss ideal experience
• Create ideal solution
4. Re ection
5. Next Steps
6. Conclusion

3. WHO ARE Marty Gage
VP Design Research
WE? mgage@lextant.com
Taylor Lies
Design Research Director
tlies@lextant.com
Lindsey Messervy
Design Research Associate
lmesservy@lextant.com

4. WHAT A new perspective on people’s inherent creativity that
SHOULD YOU helps you move beyond ethnography
GET OUT OF
TODAY? An appreciation for desired experiences; their the
importance and usefulness
A new research method you can add to your arsenal

5. WHAT DEFINES A research and design method founded upon the idea of
designing with people, not for them
PARTICIPATORY
DESIGN?
A belief that all people can express what they want because
they are inherently creative
The use of exercises, tools, and stimuli to allow people to better
express themselves
Participants create something, not just talk or react;
it may be an experience, a product, an environment, a process, etc.

6. WHY USE People are inherently creative, but need help
PARTICIPATORY expressing their creativity
DESIGN?
Dreams, wishes, and future stories are important
to understand but can be difficult to express
The results are useful and relevant ideas and insights
because the intended users generated them

7. WHAT DOES
PARTICIPATORY
DESIGN LOOK
LIKE?

8. HOW DOES IT
WORK ?

9. HOW DOES IT PRIME 1. SELF-DOCUMENT – Make participants aware of their current
experience by immersing themselves in it
WORK ?
2. EXPRESS CURRENT – Allow them to describe current emotions
and experiences
DREAM 3. EXPRESS IDEAL – Allow them to describe the ideal emotions
and experiences
4. CONTRAST CURRENT WITH IDEAL – Focus on improving their
experience in the future
CREATE 5. CREATE SOLUTION – Explore how the desired can be delivered
6. DESCRIBE SOLUTION – Help them to discuss their ideal

10. Experience Thing
HOW DOES IT
WORK ?
How do I feel today? What does it do?
Current
What am I able to do? How does it act?
What is my experience like? What is appealing?
What issues exist?
How do I want to feel? What should it do?
What might I do? How should it act?
Ideal
What do I want my future What should it look, feel, sound,
experiences to be like? taste, and smell like?

11. Experience Thing
HOW DOES IT
WORK ?
PRIME PRIME
Current
Ideal

12. Experience Thing
HOW DOES IT
WORK ?
Current
DREAM
Ideal

13. Experience Thing
HOW DOES IT
WORK ?
Current
CREATE
Ideal

14. 1. SELF-DOCUMENT – Make them aware of their current experience
HOW DO WE • Use moment capture to help participants quickly note when they think, feel, act, or
PRIME ? interact with the research topic
• Use journaling to capture first thoughts and context. It also serves to get the participant
to begin to think about relevant current experiences.
• Always have the participant document their thinking, feeling, and what they wish for.
This prepares them for future activities and the interview.
2. EXPRESS CURRENT – Help them to discuss current emotions
• Use the homework activities to allow participants to document their current
experiences. Ensure there is a broad range of stimuli so as not to be leading and that
there are equal amounts of positive and negative stimuli.

15. ACTIVITY 1: PRIME

16. 3. EXPRESS IDEAL – Allow them to describe the ideal emotions and experiences
HOW DO WE
• Also, in the homework, use the collage activity to allow participants to document their ideal
DREAM ? experiences.
4. CONTRAST CURRENT WITH IDEAL – Focus on improving their experience in
the future
• Probe on each word and image stimuli to understand what it means to the participant.
• Start with the “current” part of the canvas and then move to the “ideal”. This enables the
participant to get the negative out of the way and focus on the positive.
• Get the participant in a dream-like state to capture the desired experience. Anything should
be possible – there should be no constraints or boundaries to what they desire.

17. HOW DO WE
DREAM ?

18. ACTIVITY 2: DREAM

19. 5. CREATE SOLUTION – Explore how the desired can be delivered
HOW DO WE
• Attribute activities use image, word, and sensory stimuli that serve to link ideal
CREATE? experiences to product attribute metaphors.
• Use the summarized themes from the participant’s ideal experience to build out their
ideal solution.
• Once you are ready to present the sensory stimulus, lead with smells since this engages
the participant’s memory, directly links experiences to ‘things’, and allows them to really
‘settle into’ a dream-like state.
• Allow the participant to place the actual stimulus piece on the canvas but you should
also place a sticker that represents the object on the canvas for data entry purposes.

20. 6. DESCRIBE SOLUTION – Help the participant discuss their ideal solution
HOW DO WE
• Once the canvas is built, ask the participant to designate boundaries between an clusters
CREATE? or groups that exist. Try to understand what unites those stimuli as a group.
• Probe on each word and image stimuli to understand what it means to the participant.
Use the stimuli as tools to help understand their ideal solution and drive down to the
feature and attribute level.
• By the end of the activity, you should have a clear understanding of how a solution will
specifically provide the experience that the participant wants.

21. ACTIVITY 3: CREATE

22. WHAT DO Questions?
YOU THINK,
SO FAR? Comments?
How do you think you could use participatory design?

23. WHAT DO WE
DO WITH THE
DATA?

24. WHAT DO WE
DO WITH THE
DATA?
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

25. WHAT DO WE
DO WITH THE
DATA?
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

26. Title Definition #
obligation to respond I feel obligated to stop what ever I'm doing and respond to people no matter the situation 101
overly dependent I rely heavily on my phone, I am lost and unable to manage without it 102
WHAT DO WE everything at fingertips I am able to do anything on my phone, I'm as capable as I am at my desk (computer) plus some 103
direct functionality I have immediate and direct access to what I need, every task is simple, easy and quick 104
DO WITH THE customized for me my phone is customized to my needs, I have the ability to make adjustments and personalizations
that are unique to me
105
DATA? in control
contextually sensitive
I am in control of things that are going on in my life
my phone recognizes where I am and what I am doing and changes how it works and behaves
106
107
help when I need it if something goes wrong with my phone I can immediately fix it with help 108
limit access I can limit how much access people have to me so I can focus on what I am doing or who I am with 110
too accessible I am too accessible to people and as a result I am always being interrupted at work and at home 111
simplified physical int. physically using my phone is simple and effortless 112
complex physical int. physically using my phone is difficult and complex 113
multi-tasks I am able to do multiple things at one time 114
use full potential I know everything my phone can do so I can use it to it's fullest potential 115
unaware of potential I don't know everything my phone can do and I am not sure if I am using it to its fullest 116
accessible and responsive I am accessible to everyone, I can be responsive to peoples needs, others can rely on me to get the 117
answers they need, and I am able to deal with things as they come
organized and on-track my phone helps me make sure I am doing what I need to be doing and not missing a thing, it 118
organizes my life and my information so I don't have to remember everything
desk behavior my desk usage and tendencies are… 127
work anywhere anytime No matter where I am, I'm connected, accessible and able to get things done 128
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

27. ALL PARTICIPANTS
Powerful 27 87%
Durable 25 81%
Practical / Functional 25 81%
WHAT DO WE Comfortable
Sleek / Smooth
Professional / Serious
22
21
20
71%
68%
65%
DO WITH THE Small / Compact
Unique / Different
Hip / Trendy
20
19
18
65%
61%
58%
DATA? Attractive
Discrete / Understated
17
16
55%
52%
Future / High-Tech 16 52%
Intelligent /
Responsive 16 52%
Reliable / Capable 16 52%
Timeless / Classic 15 48%
Fun / Exciting 14 45%
Luxurious / Expensive 14 45%
Relaxed / Casual 11 35%
Well constructed /
Designed 11 35%
Intuitive / Easy 10 32%
Simple 10 32%
Organize 9 29%
Secure 6 19%
Aggressive / Decisive 5 16%
Personal 5 16%
Approachable 3 10%
Traditional 3 10%
Clean 2 6%
Engaging 2 6%
Sporty / Athletic 1 3%
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

28. WHAT DO WE
DO WITH THE
DATA?
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

29. WHAT DO WE
DO WITH THE
DATA?
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

30. WHAT DO WE
DO WITH THE
DATA?
Data Entry Code & Normalize Find Patterns De ne Patterns Identify Themes Translate Findings

31. WHAT WE You can empower people to be more creative,
HOPE YOU expressive, and articulate
TAKE AWAY
FROM TODAY People can talk about the future experiences
and solutions they want
The ideas and insights that people generate
themselves are very valuable

32. Marty Gage
VP Design Research
mgage@lextant.com
Taylor Lies
Design Research Director
tlies@lextant.com
Lindsey Messervy
Design Research Associate
lmesservy@lextant.com

33. WHAT
COMPANIES
ARE USING IT?