Researchers can unobtrusively collect information using fly-on-the-wall observation, where there is no direct participation or interference with the people or behaviours that are being observed. This is a different approach to other types of observation (eg participant observation), intentionally avoiding direct involvement and therefore minimising the biases and influences that such involvement brings. However, the inability to connect with those observed or to probe behaviours and motivations can limit this approach.This makes such observation relatively less structured and more flexible than other approaches, although often guided by frameworks such as AEIOU which will be described in another article).
Designers and researchers can fall into one of two categories when conducting such observation according to John Seizel: secret outsiders or recognised outsiders. Secret outsiders are typically viewing out of sight of the view of participants and are ‘observing at a distance’. In this case, any influences are minimised but it can be difficult to pick up on nuances of interactions between participants and environment as well as social interactions. Recognised outsiders are made known to participants as is their role as an observer. However, they still make sure that they appear natural and unobtrusive in the environment.
Despite such efforts, it is well known that people change their behaviours when being observed . The ‘Hawthorne effect’ was famously discovered in a study of worker productivity in response to changes in lighting conditions. In the original study, productivity of workers increased whatever lighting or other changes were made in the environment, suggesting that change in itself had led to the increase, or the increase reflected the interest shown in the workers.
Observation methods should always reflect the situation and the research objectives. Fly-on-the-wall observation is appropriate for building understanding of public spaces and activities or work activities (where observation is likely to have minimal disruptive or influence effects). If there is a likelihood that people will alter their behaviour and verbal responses when an observer is present, then fly-on-the-wall may be the right observation approach.
Design ethnography, observation, participant observation and shadowing will be the subject of future articles in this series.
REFERENCES
Universal Methods of Design by Bella Martin & Bruce Hanington (2012)
Inquiry by Design: Environmental, Behaviour.Neuroscience in Architecture, Interiors, Landscape and Planning by John Zeisel
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John Cleese talks about the basis of creativity in our unconscious mind in this great video clip (thanks to @heartofinnovation for drawing my attention to this). He also highlights some great tips for creating the right conditions for creativity :
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“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” - Edward de Bono
“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.” - John Cleese
Is there a secret?
The secret to creativity is not to overcomplicate the creative process. At heart, most of us know what’s really required. There is no magic solution or silver bullet. No one can guarantee a ground-breaking idea either, and the secret to success is to keep doing it!
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“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” - Mary Lou Cook
“Stay young, stay foolish.” - Steve Jobs
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“Words form the thread on which we string our experiences.” - Aldous Huxley
Two interesting articles I read today focus on the impact of language on our behaviour, providing evidence that the way we frame choices and how we describe those choices shape our subsequent behaviour.
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“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein
“Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.” - Steven Wright
I really enjoyed Dave Trott’s article “A creative mind is an enquiring mind” and recommend everyone to read it. He is right that curiosity is what makes us creative, having an open mind, pursuing diverse interests, challenging assumptions, and above all asking lots of questions. We are naturally born to be curious, and as children are enthusiastic in asking ‘why?’ (and just as importantly ‘why not?’). The key to creativity is to keep the child within us, the enjoyment of playing, and to never be afraid to ask ‘why?’. Albert Einstein was known for his playful side and his childlike enthusiasm for new ideas and challenges – similarly Dave Trott describes the sheer fun and enjoyment that four modern scientists had in talking about some of their favourite heroes and ideas.
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“Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare
Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey
Coming out of chokey
Reasons to be cheerful part 3” – Ian Dury & the Blockheads
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Football fans will enjoy an article by Gregg Fraley, which I saw yesterday after writing on the same theme. He writes about the importance of expecting and accepting failure and of persistence in achieving your innovation goals (remember Nikola Tesla’s description of Thomas Edison). I like the description of experimentation as planned failure and learning, and of thinking beyond getting things perfect every time. Psychologists and others have shown that we learn more from mistakes than from failure – we all know that failure is more likely to change our future behaviour than success!
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