There is an opportunity to use the technological devices and tools at our disposal to evolve and reinvent self documentation. By employing web-based self-doc tools, we can shift into another key set of benefits: Data uploaded to the web is sharable in nature and can create transparency as they engage clients in the process. They enable more real-time communication between researcher and participant, creating the opportunity to probe for further insight. Further, the growing presence of mobile technology enables people to be untethered from the home or desk for the first time, giving them (and us!) the opportunity to engage with this methodology in a highly mobile context.
This workshop will take attendees on a journey to the frontier of web-enabled documentation tools, a world where there is much to learn and explore. We’ll support an active and collaborative session, facilitate a mobile journaling exercise that engages attendees in the online self-doc experience from both sides: researcher and participant.
Structure
- Breakout activity Present activity instructions, divide into teams, and engage in a mobile self-doc (30 min)
- Presentation Explore the evolution of self-documentation, assess the benefits and challenges of using an online approach to self-documentation (45 min)
- Discussion Share experiences in using new approaches to self-docs (15 min)
- Analysis activity Regroup, share data captured from self-doc, analyze together (30 min)
- Wrap-up Present findings, share thoughts and experiences, discuss opportunities for the future (30 min)
Location
gravitytank, 114 W. Illinois St. Just 4 blocks west of the Intercontinental Hotel
Target Audience
Cool kids or any EPIC attendee who wants to experience a mobile-enabled self-documentation study first hand, and participate in a discussion about its benefits and challenges.
Organizers
shelley sather | ASSOCIATE, research | gravitytank
Shelley unearths insights and synthesizes learnings from the field for clients ranging from Nintendo to Land O’Lakes to FootJoy to Dow. She has a BA in English Literature from Northwestern University and is a graduate of Miami Ad School’s Boot Camp for Account Planning.
carey stansbury | ASSOCIATE, research | gravitytank
Carey collaborates with client teams to uncover meaningful opportunity through the use of qualitative research. She graduated from Syracuse University's Industrial and Interaction Design program, with a concentration in Communication Studies.
michelle curry | LEAD, research | gravitytank
Michelle collaborates with client teams to discover unmet user needs and helps translate those insights into tangible, real-world product and service innovations. She has a BA in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences from Northwestern University. She taught high school mathematics in Kenya as a member of the Peace Corps.
NOTE: This workshop will take place onsite at gravitytank, 114 W. Illinois, 3rd floor. It is a direct, 5-10 minute walk from the main conference venue. Maps will be provided.
