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Friday, November 12, 2004
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Re: the validity of asking vs. observing:
New Yorker writer Malcolm
Gladwell gave a talk at PopTech about a subject in his forthcoming book
on human nature. This MP3 file has some great stuff in it about
Herman-Miller's Aeron chair (which everyone hated when they first saw
it but has gone on to become the best selling office chair and winner
of lots of design awards) and Pepsi vs. Coke ("sip tests" are no good
because people like sweeter drinks if they're having only a sip, but
they prefer less sweet if they are drinking a whole can).
. .
Lots of excellent stuff in this half-hour talk. I can't wait for the book. Link
[Boing Boing]
Yeh, I listened to Gladwell's little talk, it is good--follow the
link for the MP3. What interests me is how what he's describing is a
corollary to the idea that you can't just ask users what they do, or
might do, in a given situation. You have to observe them. People are
notoriously poor reporters of their own actions. Which is why it's so
important to do task analysis by observing people in action, and not
just ask them about their tasks. They'll never report accurately all
the steps they take, or the workarounds and kludges required to
accomplish their work. Observe them and you'll find out the truth. Same
goes for surveys: it's ok to ask what people think they'll do in a
certain scenario, but you won't really know until they actually have to
do it, to make a decision, to make a choice. It's contextual inquiry,
what Jared Spool calls "users in the mist."
2:23:25 PM 
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Dave Slusher's instructions for creating a podcast, posted here just in case I ever get the inclination to do it myself:
8:58:36 AM
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