# Effective Research and Design Strategies Wed, 29 Jan 25 ### 1. CONTEXT & OVERALL THEME - **Session Aim**: Understanding how designers “see” the world, and why breaking down products/services in layers (from interface to business to market) is crucial. - **Core Idea**: Good design research begins with curiosity and an ability to switch between different “layers” (user needs, business context, technical feasibility, etc.). --- ### 2. THINKING IN LAYERS & WHY IT MATTERS - **Definition**: “Layers” refer to the multiple levels involved in any product—UI elements, flows, user behaviors, business objectives, market forces, etc. - **Onion Metaphor**: Peel away each layer to find deeper structures; can be overwhelming (just like cutting onions), but clarifies hidden complexities. - **Examples**: - **Food Delivery Apps** (Swiggy, Zomato): Multiple layers—rider app, restaurant app, user flows, business models, stock market implications. - **WhatsApp Bot** for Bangalore Metro: - **User Layer**: Convenience, no separate app needed. - **Company Layer**: Reduces overhead of maintaining multiple platforms. - **Google Currency Conversion**: - **User Layer**: Fast answer, direct results save time. - **Business Layer**: Potential trade-off with ad revenue but improves user trust. **Actionable Tip**: In your own design tasks, always list out each “layer” that might be relevant (interface, user jobs, business objectives, etc.) and see how they connect. --- ### 3. DESIGN RESEARCH METHODS & THEIR EFFECTIVENESS - **Observe the Status Quo**: Ask “What happens if this product or feature didn’t exist?” This reveals core problems the product is solving. - **Identify Jobs To Be Done**: Understand precisely what users need to accomplish—this shapes features and prioritization. - **Personas & Context**: - **Personas**: Who exactly uses this? (e.g., housewives selling on WhatsApp groups in the Meesho example.) - **Context**: Economic, social, or technological factors that define constraints and possibilities. - **Rapid Tools**: Use AI/ChatGPT to speed up knowledge gathering—ask it to break down a product in layers, highlight user problems, flows, and business angles. **Actionable Tip**: When starting a new design or product, spend time on these research activities—structured mind-mapping (e.g., in FigJam) clarifies your understanding and can be shared with teams. --- ### 4. EXAMPLES SHOWING LAYERED THINKING 1. **WhatsApp Bot (Bangalore Metro)** - **User Need**: View routes, buy/recharge tickets quickly. - **Company Need**: Reduce cost of standalone apps, improve customer satisfaction. 2. **Google Quick Answers** (e.g., “100 USD” → INR) - **User Need**: Immediate result, no extra clicks. - **Business Consideration**: Balancing ad revenue vs. user experience. 3. **Swiggy Genie** - **User Need**: Quick pickup & drop of items. - **Business Layer**: Better fleet utilization, expand service offerings. 4. **Meesho** - **User Need**: Help home-based sellers create an online store, manage inventory, payments, etc. - **Business Layer**: Marketplace for suppliers & resellers; huge market potential once trust and logistics are solved. --- ### 5. DESIGN STRATEGIES DISCUSSED - **Context Switching**: Good designers switch quickly between user-level details (flows, UI) and higher-level priorities (market, revenue). - **Discovery & Documentation**: - Conduct structured research (take screenshots, talk to real users, compile references). - Summarize insights into a shareable deliverable (FigJam boards, sticky notes, short reports). - **Benchmarking**: Compare similar products to find best practices or gaps you can fill. - **Storytelling**: Convey your research and design rationale clearly—strong narrative helps team alignment and stakeholder buy-in. **Actionable Tip**: In your design process, maintain a “discovery doc” or FigJam board capturing all these layers and references to quickly onboard others and revisit your own insights. --- ### 6. BREAKOUT EXERCISE INSIGHTS - **Activity**: Small teams audited a product/app (e.g., Razorpay, Zeta) by: 1. Collecting screenshots and identifying key features. 2. Checking “Who are the users? What’s the main problem? Why does it exist?” 3. Mapping these findings onto sticky notes or ChatGPT prompts. - **Result**: Faster group understanding; reveals hidden complexities when everyone shares viewpoints and layers. **Actionable Tip**: If you’re in a solo or small team setting, replicate this exercise for every project start—set a short, fixed time to “map the product,” then share results. --- ### 7. KEY TAKEAWAYS & NEXT STEPS 1. **Always Start with Discovery**: Before designing screens, invest time to thoroughly grasp the product’s context and user problems. 2. **Use Layers to Avoid Tunnel Vision**: Don’t get stuck only on visual design—go deeper into user journeys, business models, and technical constraints. 3. **Leverage Tools** (e.g., AI, mind-maps, breakout discussions) to accelerate and structure research. 4. **Make Research a Deliverable**: Turn your findings into concise, visual references (FigJam boards, short shared documents) that teams can revisit. ![[Session 3, Effective Research and Design Strategies.png]]