Rob, I'd say this is pretty risky. Unless you can see your participants interacting with the website in question, you have no way to evaluate their comments.
I can't count the number of times I've sat through sessions with people who couldn't complete most of the tasks I'd ask them to do with some piece of software. And then they'll say they think it's very good. Unless people have something they MUST do with the software and they can't get it done, they'll give you absurdly positive evaluations, and even if they've gotten frustrated they'll often couch their complaints in excuses and exculpations. Only a small minority seems to have the temperament to just tell you what you need to know. I'm not sure I quite understand the phenomenon, but it seems to be a combination of low expectations, denial, and misattribution by which they increase their own chances of success and happiness in life and decrease the likelihood you get an accurate picture of how well a site or an app really works. Anyhow, maybe you can set up a computer and ask them to show you how they use the website, ask them to do a few of the things the website is supposed to support. You'd vastly increase the amount of real knowledge you carry away with you. marijke Marijke Rijsberman http://www.interfacility.com http://landfill.wordpress.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rob Enslin Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 8:25 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Field research My questions to you. 1. Do you think this sort of field research is beneficial? (or am I wasting my time?) 2. What sort of questions will be of most benefit? (to yield maximum benefit 3. Is there anything that I should watch out for - avoid? Thanks, Rob ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
