# 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.).
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### 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.
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### 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.
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### 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.
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### 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.
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### 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.
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### 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]]