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Tutorial 12
Field Studies: The Personal Touch
Kate Gomoll, Eric Bond
Gomoll Research & Design, M&I Data Services
June 30, 1999, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Successful user-centered design starts with good research. To create a usable application or web site, you need in-depth knowledge of the work you are trying to support, the environment where the work takes place, and the people who do the work. You'll learn about selecting users, cataloging tasks, and developing forms and surveys. You'll see examples of how data from field studies can be visually expressed through one-page deliverables and storyboards, and you'll garner tips for fitting this process into your organization. This course is a hands-on workshop; You'll learn the techniques as you plan and run your own field study.
Kate Gomoll is the founder of Gomoll Research & Design, a consulting firm that specializes in helping companies to incorporate user feedback in their design cycles. Kate has conducted field studies for many companies, including Netscape Communications, WebTV Networks, Tele-TV Systems, GE Medical Systems, M&I Data Services, Apple Computer, and Hewlett Packard. For six years, she has taught field study methods as part of a 3-day workshop for UCLA Extension, and she has taught this tutorial at the UPA '96 and UPA '98 conferences. Kate has a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, and an interdisciplinary MA in Professional Writing from Carnegie Mellon.
Eric Bond is an interaction designer in the Technology Strategy Group at M&I Data Services. He concentrates on creating model-level designs for financial applications and in thoughtfully introducing new technology into user environments. In addition to his experience with creating and conducting field studies, Eric contributes a strong designer's perspective to the process of gathering and analyzing field data. He co-wrote this tutorial and has taught it at the UPA '98 conference. Before joining M&I Data, Eric worked as a technical writer, editor, and designer of online support tools at Oracle, Apple Computer, and Taligent. Eric has an interdisciplinary MA in Professional Writing from Carnegie Mellon.
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