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Bose User Research
Lab Development
Preface
The User Research team secured a space to build a new usability lab and observation room. I took the initiative to manage the renovation of the rooms to fit the researchers' needs.
Some of my responsibilities were to oversee renovation decisions, configure a new camera streaming set-up, furnish the rooms with modular layouts for flexibility, and create a proposal to pitch to the management team for the allocation of funds.
Goal: Determine a configuration that is most functional and cost-effective for both rooms.
TL;DR I pitched a design & budgeting proposal for the new lab and was approved $3000 to renovate and furnish the lab.
Project Planning
To begin the renovation process, I first created a timeline of what had to be done to complete the project in a timely manner.
To start with the first step, I communicated with the contractors to understand what changes were possible and the expected time frame and cost for each request, while informing my team of that information to assure we were all aligned.
After compiling all changes the team wanted to improve from the original state and prioritizing those alterations, I was able to present our requests and get a quote from the contractors.
1
Meet with contractors to align and get a quote.
2
Decide which renovation plans to proceed with.
3
Conduct study to gather info on the use-cases of the lab.
4
Design the lab and create a proposal with budgeting plans.
Renovating the Structure of the Lab
After confirming renovation plans with the contractors, the restoration of the two rooms were underway. Some construction work included:
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soundproofing of the ceiling
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wall demolition for the one-way mirror
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relocation of the lab door
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patch and paint for holes in the wall
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re-painting the room
One-way mirror
Observation
Lab
Research: Focus Group Study
Goal: Determine the needs of user researchers and how they would ideally use the space to help with the design of the usability lab and observation room.
Protocol
All eight participants were User Researchers on the team. The study was conducted with one or two participants for each session.
1. Participants completed a Qualtrics survey that was segmented into the following four sections:
- Lab Space
- Lab Configuration*
- Video Recording & Streaming
- Inventory/Storage
*During the open discussion of lab configuration, the moderator provided blank templates for participants to draw their most frequent lab configuration, most unique lab configuration, and their ideal lab configuration using the layout of the new lab.
2. After the completion of each section, the moderator facilitated an open discussion to give participants an opportunity to provide detailed feedback.
Analysis
Quantitative data from the satisfaction and agreement scales were analyzed and organized into a visual chart.
Qualitative data was sorted and compiled to recognize top comments for suggestions or improvements that could be made.
Below, I included participant-drawn diagrams of how they would ideally set up the lab and observation room. I noted common characteristics of the drawings to incorporate into the final design.
Design
Based on the qualitative data, I chose furniture that fulfilled the needs of researchers and used those pieces to design the room in multiple configurations.
The ability to rearrange the room in to multiple configurations was crucial to accommodate for different types of studies, varying number of people in the room, and maximizing camera angles.
I recorded the 3D visuals I created using fly-in cameras built in the software to capture the view of the room from all angles. I did this to help paint the picture of those configurations for those audience members viewing my proposal.
Overview
Console Tables as a Desk
Notetaker Present Using Console Table
Budgeting Plans: Furniture, Decor, Equipment
I presented a breakdown of the projected costs accrued from furniture, decor, and equipment with the corresponding images of the product.
I hyperlinked each item image to the product link for the audience to quickly access product specifications if needed. I also had alternatives for each item in case items sell out or if the alternate option was preferred.
I listed considerations for each item to convey my thoughts on why an item was recommended. I included dimensions of each product so that the audience can refer back to my deck later and quickly measure out item dimensions using a measuring tape and painter's tape to outline the placement of the item.
Result
After presenting my proposal to management and facilitating further discussion between the research team and managers, the User Research Team was approved $3000 to furnish the room and an additional sum to install the Logitech Conference Cameras for our preferred recording/streaming method. Orders for selected items were placed shortly after.
At the culmination of my co-op, I was ecstatic that I had the opportunity to work on a project that combined my passions - interior design, user research, and 3D visualization - and that I was able to leave a lasting mark with the Bose Research Team.
Additional Project: Lab Inventory
After gathering feedback from researchers, there was also a significant need to improve the lab inventory system, which included borrowing lab equipment and prototypes. This was important as there were multiple research labs across the state and it was difficult to keep track of which equipment was at which facility.
I took the initiative to create a new process - checking items in and out using a barcode system. The barcode system consists of a storage app on lab devices and a label maker to print out barcodes.
My responsibilities included:
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constructing the naming convention of barcodes
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printing the barcodes to label on the equipment
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organizing the data into a master spreadsheet
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writing instructions on how to add new items to the system
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designing an infographic on the new system
Result
Following the implementation of this new method, I hosted a team meeting to introduce the barcode system across our two offices.
With this system, users can see where the item is located, who is currently borrowing the item (useful paper trail!), the expected date of when the item will be returned, and any additional information about the item. This eliminates any unnecessary mass communication to find an item while keeping track of where items are and who is in possession of them.
Through this project, I honed in on my attention to detail and data organization to make sure every item was accounted for and I enjoyed traveling between campuses getting to meet more people on my team. I am glad that I was able to create and implement a system that is still being used today by the Research Team.
Team Credit: J. Pham, User Researcher
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