Short answer
When seeking to understand a user's perspective on a subject or product, consider using a tangible object as a discussion prompt to uncover deeper insights and contextual understanding.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- The Qualitative Report (2020)
- Method
- Qualitative research using a stimulus-based interview technique.
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Presenting academics with a tangible object to discuss can act as a catalyst, revealing nuanced aspects of their subject's identity and their own thought processes more effectively than traditional interview methods. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in The Qualitative Report. Using Qualitative research using a stimulus-based interview technique., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When seeking to understand a user's perspective on a subject or product, consider using a tangible object as a discussion prompt to uncover deeper insights and contextual understanding.
Physical objects unlock deeper insights into academic subject identity and thought.
Presenting academics with a tangible object to discuss can act as a catalyst, revealing nuanced aspects of their subject's identity and their own thought processes more effectively than traditional interview methods.
The Qualitative Report · 2020
Key Findings
- 01Physical objects provide a concrete focus for discussion, leading to more immediate access to subject-specific contexts.
- 02Academics often related their subject's language and thought processes to their own academic identity when discussing the object.
- 03The teapot acted as a 'portal' to reveal disciplinary perspectives, such as hygiene and patient safety for Nursing, and material properties for Engineering.
Application
Design takeaway
When seeking to understand a user's perspective on a subject or product, consider using a tangible object as a discussion prompt to uncover deeper insights and contextual understanding.
How to apply
In a design project, if you're researching how users interact with a kitchen appliance, provide them with a physical example of a similar appliance or a related kitchen tool to discuss their experiences and needs.
Project actions
- 01When planning your research, think about what physical object could best represent the topic you're investigating.
- 02Consider how the object's characteristics might influence participant responses.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a novel and effective method for qualitative data collection.
- +Can uncover unexpected insights related to identity and context.
Limitations
The choice of object is subjective and might not be universally relevant. The study focused on academics, so findings might not directly apply to younger users or different professional groups.
Reliability & validity
Reliability could be enhanced by using multiple researchers to analyze the qualitative data and ensuring consistent application of the stimulus. Validity is supported by the triangulation of findings across different academic disciplines, suggesting the object's effectiveness is not discipline-specific.
Think critically
How might the cultural background or prior experiences of participants influence their interpretation and discussion of a given physical object?
Design Principles
"Use tangible stimuli to anchor abstract discussions and reveal user identity and context."
This approach offers a powerful alternative for qualitative research, particularly when exploring complex or abstract subject domains. By grounding discussions in a physical artifact, researchers can elicit richer, more context-specific data that reflects the participants' authentic perspectives and disciplinary lenses.
What This Means for Your Design
If you want to understand what people think about something, give them a real object to hold and talk about. It helps them explain things better than just asking questions.
How to use in your project
- 1.Describe how you used a physical object as a stimulus in your user research, explaining how it helped you gather richer data on user perspectives and subject-specific contexts.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
To gain a deeper understanding of user perspectives and subject-specific contexts, a physical object (e.g., a [describe object]) was introduced as a stimulus during user interviews. This approach facilitated richer qualitative data by providing a tangible anchor for discussion, revealing insights into user identity and thought processes that were not readily accessible through traditional questioning alone.
Source
The Qualitative Report
Using Physical Objects as a Portal to Reveal Academic Subject Identity and Thought
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about physical objects unlock deeper insights into academic subject identity and thought?
- When seeking to understand a user's perspective on a subject or product, consider using a tangible object as a discussion prompt to uncover deeper insights and contextual understanding. Evidence: The Qualitative Report (2020).
- Why does "Physical objects unlock deeper insights into academic subject identity and thought." matter for design?
- This approach offers a powerful alternative for qualitative research, particularly when exploring complex or abstract subject domains. By grounding discussions in a physical artifact, researchers can elicit richer, more context-specific data that reflects the participants' authentic perspectives and disciplinary lenses.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When seeking to understand a user's perspective on a subject or product, consider using a tangible object as a discussion prompt to uncover deeper insights and contextual understanding.
- What were the main findings?
- Physical objects provide a concrete focus for discussion, leading to more immediate access to subject-specific contexts.. Academics often related their subject's language and thought processes to their own academic identity when discussing the object.. The teapot acted as a 'portal' to reveal disciplinary perspectives, such as hygiene and patient safety for Nursing, and material properties for Engineering.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research using a stimulus-based interview technique..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from The Qualitative Report.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- In a design project, if you're researching how users interact with a kitchen appliance, provide them with a physical example of a similar appliance or a related kitchen tool to discuss their experiences and needs.
- What are the limitations?
- The specific object chosen may influence the types of responses elicited. The study was conducted with academics, and results may differ with other participant groups.