Learning from Users: User Research Methods for Technology Design

Developing technologies that fit users’ lives and work requires a deep understanding of the practices and context of users. However, design and development teams often lack the tools to conduct user research by themselves. In this training course, Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS introduces participants to user research, co-design, and evaluation methods, to enable participants to start learning effectively and consistently about their users. Through the analysis of practical examples from years of experience in designing technology-mediated solutions for several user groups, including non-mainstream audiences, we are able to provide best-practices from real-world scenarios.

 

Target audience

 

> Professionals starting or consolidating a career as User Experience Researcher, User Experience Designer, or Interaction Designer;

> Professionals from Design, Engineering, Informatics, or related fields, looking forward to learn more from the users they are designing or developing for;

> Students from the areas of Design, Engineering, Informatics, or related fields interested in complementing their training on user research methods or in following a future career in User Experience or Interaction Design;

 

Objectives

 

> Familiarise participants with user research methods;

> Enable participants to experiment with user research methods through hands-on exercises and projects;

> Prepare participants to employ user research methods on their own projects.

 

Contents

 

Date	time	event
01/09	15:00 — 17:00	Introduction the course and Human-Centred Design
04/09	10:00 — 13:00	Ethnography and Design
	14:00 — 17:00	Observation
05/09	10:00 — 13:00	Interviews I
	14:00 — 17:00	Interviews II
06/09	10:00 — 13:00	Participatory Design
	14:00 — 17:00	Qualitative Data Analysis
07/09	10:00 — 13:00	Usability Testing I
	14:00 — 17:00	Usability Testing II
08/09	10:00 — 13:00	Field Trials & Ethics I
	14:00 — 17:00	Field Trials & Ethics II

 

 

Lecturers

 

Ana Correia de Barros is the Head of the Human-Centred Design department at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS, conducting research on assistive products and inclusive design strongly informed by qualitative fieldwork. With a background in industrial design, she holds a PhD in industrial engineering and management from UBI, was a researcher at IADE, led the R&I area at a rehabilitation centre (CRPG) and lectured at different universities.

Francisco Nunes is a senior researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS. With a background in informatics, he holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from TU Wien. Francisco is an expert in user research, ethnographically informed design, user-centred design, participatory design approaches, and evaluation of technologies, especially in the healthcare domain. He has lectured at University of Porto, TU Wien, and University of Copenhagen.

Ricardo Melo is a senior researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS. With a background in communication design and multimedia, he holds a PhD in Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto. Ricardo is an expert in communication design, user experience, interaction, interface and game design, accessibility and usability. He currently lectures at the University of Porto and the Polytechnic Institute of Porto.

 

Registration

 

> 75€ for students based in low- or middle-income countries, unemployed professionals, or people currently under financial strain;

> 150€ for students

> 300€ for professionals

 

Classes will take place in person, with the option to attend online (synchronously), and have between 10 and 30 students. Registration is done online at registration-form until August 31^st. Payment is done by bank transfer to the following account PT50 0035 0328 0001 9909 5308 9. In the unlikely case that not enough registrations are received, we will reimburse all prospective students who registered. If you have any questions please email info@fraunhofer.pt.

 

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