http://philmckinney.com/archives/2008/06/podcast-observation-skills.html Unleash personal creativity, ingenuity and innovation by asking better questions leading to killer ideas resulting in killer innovations Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:08:34 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 http://philmckinney.com/archives/2008/06/podcast-observation-skills.html/comment-page-1#comment-546 pau Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:12:07 +0000 http://killeringenuity.com/archives/2008/06/podcast-observation-skills.html#comment-546 Great insights! In this line, I like IDEO's Tom Kelley concept of "VUJA DE', that is, a "dejà vú" other way around: "Vuja de happens when you enter a situation you've been in a thousand times before, but with the sense of being there for the first time.' (the term was originally coined by Bob Sutton). As it is stated in your post, analysis will greatly help understanding the picture, user needs. But also will leaving out your assumptions and see with fresh new eyes. And how do you get to do so? Great insights!
In this line, I like IDEO’s Tom Kelley concept of “VUJA DE’, that is, a “dejà vú” other way around: “Vuja de happens when you enter a situation you’ve been in a thousand times before, but with the sense of being there for the first time.’ (the term was originally coined by Bob Sutton).
As it is stated in your post, analysis will greatly help understanding the picture, user needs. But also will leaving out your assumptions and see with fresh new eyes.
And how do you get to do so?

]]> http://philmckinney.com/archives/2008/06/podcast-observation-skills.html/comment-page-1#comment-545 Steve Portigal Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:11:27 +0000 http://killeringenuity.com/archives/2008/06/podcast-observation-skills.html#comment-545 Another great one, but a couple of "yes, and..." comments. Observation is really important (and the exercises to improve observation are consistent with some of the ones I have taught), but please don't forget the power and importance of asking questions. If you observe behavior, you can only infer so much, without beginning to ask why. Asking questions is a complex skill that also takes practice. Ethnography is not simply about observation, it incorporates a great deal of directed inquiry. Understanding what people say, what people do, and what they say about what they do (and why those might not all align) is where a lot of the deeper insight comes from. It's a common misconception that this is simply watching people, but it's definitely not. You have your own frame of reference about why people do things. If you watch people in a coffee shop and assess their clothing, hair style, socialization, and shopping bags, you have no possibility of getting beyond your own world view to understand their world view. You are likely not your customer and understanding their world view is absolutely essential. Another great one, but a couple of “yes, and…” comments.
Observation is really important (and the exercises to improve observation are consistent with some of the ones I have taught), but please don’t forget the power and importance of asking questions.
If you observe behavior, you can only infer so much, without beginning to ask why. Asking questions is a complex skill that also takes practice. Ethnography is not simply about observation, it incorporates a great deal of directed inquiry. Understanding what people say, what people do, and what they say about what they do (and why those might not all align) is where a lot of the deeper insight comes from. It’s a common misconception that this is simply watching people, but it’s definitely not.
You have your own frame of reference about why people do things. If you watch people in a coffee shop and assess their clothing, hair style, socialization, and shopping bags, you have no possibility of getting beyond your own world view to understand their world view. You are likely not your customer and understanding their world view is absolutely essential.

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