Designer: Discovery Game

Lens: Type:
Designer: Discovery Game:

Observe in detail. Where are the opportunities to design to better experiences?

Your goal is to discover what frustrations the user experiences when they complete their assigned activity. Notice when the actor’s characteristics cause them difficulties. Pay attention to how the conditions in the pretend-setting are inconsistent with the actor’s makeup. The more sensitive you are to their situation, the more likely you will be to pick up on ways you could design to improve their situation.

Designer Steps

  1. The actor will show you their screen so you will know the scene’s setting as well as the actor’s characteristics.
  2. The actor will read other aspects that define their makeup as well as the activity they must complete. Only the actor will know these.
  3. The actor will act out a scene—completing an activity as the character they have been assigned.
  4. As the actor completes their assigned activity, notice the following
    1. Context frustrations: How aspects of the setting are inconsistent with the activity being completed
    2. People frustrations: How the actor’s makeup creates frustrations when they complete the activity
    3. Positive alignments: How aspects of the context and the person enhance the activity the person is trying to complete
  5. Record your observations. Use the evaluation tool below to help you evaluate real and perceived aspects of the person’s experience.
  6. Share the frustrations or alignments you observed with the group. Note what you could design to reduce frustrations or to further enhance alignments.

Design Prompt

Your design role is...

Position Title
Designer

Designer

Organization Type
Innovation Startup

Innovation Startup

After the actor finishes their activity, ask them two questions to get answers to your questions.

AoE4D Field Evaluation Stack

Use this evaluation version of AoE4D to guide your analysis of the experience design scene.

Context
Location

Where and when is this scene located?

People

What effect does this location have on the person's experience?

Design

How is the design affected by the place where this scene is located?

Laws

What laws affect what goes on in this setting?

People

How do laws in this setting affect the ways people behave and feel?

Design

How do laws in this setting impact ways the design functions?

Size: Context

What is the size of the space that surrounds the people and the design?

People

How does the context's size affect the person's experience?

Design

How does the size of this space affect how well the design functions?

Non-User Actors

What are the other actors in the scene, including people, animals, natural and human-made objects?

People

How do others in the scene impact the person's experience?

Design

How do others in the scene affect how well the design functions?

Available Resources

What resources that people and design rely upon are available such as light, funding, or wi-fi?

People

How does an abundance or lack of available resources affect the person's experience?

Design

How is the design's function affected considering resources that are readily available in this scene?

Climate

What real conditions (weather, temperature) and perceived conditions (social unrest, economic prosperity) are in this setting?

People

How does the climate in this scene impact the person's experience?

Design

What impact does the climate have on how well the design functions?

Sensory

What conditions in the setting activate a person's senses, such as sounds, smells, and sights?

People

How do sensory conditions in the scene affect the person's experience?

Design

What impact do sensory conditions have on how well the design functions?

Context
Time

How much time is available to complete the activity in this scene?

People

How does the amount of time allowed for the activity affect the person's experience?

Design

Is there enough time allotted for the design to work correctly? How does the amount of available time affect how the design functions?

Interconnections

What components in the scene depend upon and affect one another, impacting the whole scene by the ways these components behave?

People

How is the person's experience affected by how each part of the scene works together?

Design

How do dependencies in the scene affect how well the design functions?

Hierarchy

What are the real objects or perceived attitudes that get the most attention in the setting?

People

How do parts of the setting that vie for attention affect the person's experience?

Design

How does the hierarchy of stimuli and systems affect how well the design functions?

Social Norms

What are socially accepted behaviors in this setting?

People

How do socially accepted behaviors in this setting affect the person's experience?

Design

How well does the design "fit into" the social norms in this setting? How does that affect its ability to function successfully?

People: Self
Age

How old is the person?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people in this age group's experience?

Design

How do the design's age requirements or presentation of age impact the user's experience?

Sex

What is the person's sex?
(Sex is not binary, though a person's sex has ramifications in some societies.)

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people of this sex's experience?

Design

How do the design's requirements or presentation of a person's sex impact the user's experience?

Race

What is the person's race?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people of this race's experience?

Design

How do the design's characteristics and functionality affect a person of this race's experience when using it?

Gender Identity

What is the person's gender identity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people of this gender identity's experience?

Design

How do the design's requirements or presentation of a person's gender identity impact the user's experience?

Size: People

What is the person's physical size? This can include the size of their parts such as fingers or ears.

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with these physical dimensions?

Design

How do the design's requirements or presentation of a person's physical size impact the user's experience?

Condition

What is the person's current physical and mental condition?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences in these physical and mental conditions?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they are in this condition?

Habits

What are the person's habits? What tendencies do they demonstrate, both intentional or not?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with these habits and tendencies?

Design

How do the design's requirements and operation affect the user's experience considering their habits and tendencies?

Movements

In what ways does the person physically move?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who move in these ways?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they move in this manner?

People: Self
Language

What languages does the person use to communicate?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who communicate via these languages?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they communicate via these languages?

Culture

What is the person's cultural background? What groups do they belong to and represent?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who represent these cultures?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who represent these cultures?

Values

What are the person's deeply-held values?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who hold these values?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who hold these values?

Self-Concept

How does the person perceive themself? What comprises their identity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who have this view of themself?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who have this view of themself?

Worldview

What is the person's impression of how the world "works"? How do they feel the "world" treats people and other beings?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who "see the world" and perceive how it "works" in these ways?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who "see the world" and perceive how it "works" in these ways?

People: Relational
Sexual Orientation

To whom are the person emotionally and/or romantically attracted?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences of this sexual orientation?

Design

How do the design's characteristics and presentation of sexual orientation impact users' experiences?

Relationships

What relationships in this person's life guide their decisions and shape their experience?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with these relationships?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences who have these relationships in their life?

Knowledge

What information, skills, and memories does the person know?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who do or do not have a specific knowledge and experience level?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences with a specific knowledge and experience level?

Personality

What is the person's demeanor and temperament?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with this personality type?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences with this personality type?

People: Relational
Attention

Where is the person's attention focused? How much of their attention is dedicated to this actvity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with this level of attention for the activity?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience with this level of attention?

Attitude

What is the person's attitude about the activity they are doing?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with this attitude about the activity?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience with this attitude about the activity?

Subjective Norm

What does the person think important others will think about them while they do the activity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences when they are concerned about what others will think about them?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they are concerned about what others will think about them?

Abilities

How physically, mentally, or financially is the person able to do the activity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who have this level and combination of abilities?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience with this level and combination of abilities?

Intention

How dedicated is this person to completing the activity? What are they intent on doing?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences, considering where their intent lies?

Design

How do the design's requirements, characteristics, and goals impact users' experience considering where their intent lies?

Role

In what role is the person acting during this scene?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences considering the roles they are acting out?

Design

How do the design's requirements, characteristics, and goals impact users' experience considering the roles they are acting out?

Sensations

What physical sensations are the person feeling?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences while they are feeling these sensations?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences while they are feeling these sensations?

Mood

What emotions are the person feeling?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences while they are feeling these emotions?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences while they are feeling these emotions?

Design
Style

What is the design's style? How does this style communicate a feeling, time period, or trend?

Context

How do conditions in the setting align with the design's style, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How does the design's look, feel, sound, and other stylistic characteristics affect people's experience?

Material

What material is the design made of?

Context

How do conditions in the setting align with the design's makeup, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How does the design's material makeup affect people's experience when they use it?

Size: Design

What is the size of the design?

Context

How conditions in the setting align with the design's size, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How do the design's dimensions affect people's experience when they use it?

State

What is the design's condition? Can the design be configured into different states?

Context

How conditions in the setting align with the design's current configuration and condition, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How do the design's current configuration and condition affect people's experience when they use it?

Operation

What steps are involved to use the design?

Context

How do conditions in this setting align with the design's operation, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How does the design's prescribed operation affect people's experience when they use it?

Design
Purpose

What is the design intended to do?

Context

How do conditions in the setting align with the design's intended purpose, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How does the design's purpose align with the user's goals, and how does this affect people's experience when they use it?

Accessibility

Who has access to use the design and who is denied access?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's ability to access the design, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How is access to the design limited to people with a specific ability, background, or makeup, and how does this affect people's experience when they use it?

Usefulness

How relevant is the design for the person in this scene?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect the design's relevance, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How is the design relevant for the person, and how does this affect people's experience when they use it?

Usability

How intuitive is the design for doing the activity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting impact the design's ability to be used, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How intuitive is the design for the person who uses it, and how does this affect their experience?

Affordances

What can be done with the design—including what it was intended and not intended to do?

Context

How do conditions in the setting impact can be done with the design, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How do the design's intended and unintended functionalities affect people's experience when they use it?

Meaning

What does the design mean to the person who uses it? Does it have a special meaning?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect what the design means to the user, and how does this affect the experience?

People

How does the design's intended meaning affect people's experience when they use it?

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Sources

References and sources that support the inclusion of this Aspects of Experiences for Design component.