Activity 3: Translate Insights
Having involved people and worked with them to gain insights, this activity looks at interpreting, selecting and analysing relevant user information.
User insights can help you focus and improve the end results and solution. You now need to identify conflicting interests, possible barriers and main obstacles for achieving the vision and ambition of the project. Once these are established, they can become a source of innovation. Mapping and clustering insights is an important part of this activity. This is about making sense of research data. Refer back to the vision and objectives of the project when describing insights.
METHODS
- Review data: Assess the data that has been captured, and look for patterns as well as gaps in the research. Do not get lost in the details but make sure that the findings represent the broader picture. Look over the raw material, such as photographs, videos and transcripts, to review.
- Cluster data: Organise the data into groups and create a framework that allows the project team to access information readily. Separate and archive information that may be useful in the future, even if it is not directly relevant to the current project.
- Represent data: Visualising the data you have gathered is an important milestone and can support the research integrity of the project, providing an evidence-base for decisions. Good representation is equal to good communication. Be visual and qualitative in the way you present material. This can be done by using photos, video clips, quotes or themes.
- Translate into directions: Look at how the user feedback can generate new solutions and new directions at the briefing stage. Present the findings in an comprehensible way for architects, developers, contractors and sub-contractors. This forms a basis for further decision-making.
END RESULT
Completing this activity will ensure that user knowledge and insights are not only gathered but actively embedded within the project’s objectives and approach. The data that you gather, select and present will be in a usable, translatable format with project directions now verified with users. You will have gathered insights through user involvement and created a working document of these that you can revisit throughout the process. You can also create an “insight bank” which digitally captures your user research.