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Design research by proxy: using children as researchers to gain contextual knowledge about user experience.

Published: 27 April 2013 Publication History

Abstract

This paper explores the use of participants as research collaborators in the domain of contextual user research. In participatory- and co-design, users participate increasingly early in the design process. When conducting user research in order to gain contextual knowledge about the lives, experiences and wishes of users, collaborators can be of help in setting up, conducting research and analyzing the data. A case study was conducted to investigate if and how children are able to perform as research collaborators. Children conducted interviews with other participants, and in doing increased their knowledge about people close to them, and about themselves. The gained insights were personal and the used personas proved to be a valuable tool. In the role of researcher, the children discovered similarities and differences between themselves and others. Besides gaining valuable insights from their participants, they accessed and shared their own experiences, so while listening to others, the children got sensitized themselves. In other words, the current study found that next to gathering more data, "super-sources" are created when children become research collaborators.

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  • (2024)Using Psychophysiological Data to Facilitate Reflective Conversations with Children about their Player ExperiencesProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36771128:CHI PLAY(1-33)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
  • (2023)Exploring the practice of 10-11-year-olds as co-researchers: using a hybrid approach in educational research to promote children as interviewersInternational Journal of Social Research Methodology10.1080/13645579.2023.226668327:6(775-789)Online publication date: 6-Nov-2023
  • (2023)Teen as research-apprenticeInternational Journal of Child-Computer Interaction10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.10054935:COnline publication date: 1-Mar-2023
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  1. Design research by proxy: using children as researchers to gain contextual knowledge about user experience.

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    cover image ACM Conferences
    CHI '13: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
    April 2013
    3550 pages
    ISBN:9781450318990
    DOI:10.1145/2470654
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    Published: 27 April 2013

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    Author Tags

    1. children
    2. co-research
    3. contextual user research
    4. design research
    5. research collaborators

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    View all
    • (2024)Using Psychophysiological Data to Facilitate Reflective Conversations with Children about their Player ExperiencesProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36771128:CHI PLAY(1-33)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
    • (2023)Exploring the practice of 10-11-year-olds as co-researchers: using a hybrid approach in educational research to promote children as interviewersInternational Journal of Social Research Methodology10.1080/13645579.2023.226668327:6(775-789)Online publication date: 6-Nov-2023
    • (2023)Teen as research-apprenticeInternational Journal of Child-Computer Interaction10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.10054935:COnline publication date: 1-Mar-2023
    • (2022)Brave and Kind Superheroes – Children's Reflections on the Design Protagonist RoleProceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2022 - Volume 110.1145/3536169.3537783(87-97)Online publication date: 19-Aug-2022
    • (2022)Exploring Failures in Child-Computer Interaction.Proceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3501712.3535299(492-497)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2022
    • (2022)Uncovering Children's Situated Design Capital – A Nexus Analytic InquiryProceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3501712.3529732(408-421)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2022
    • (2022)The Co-Creation Space: Supporting Asynchronous Artistic Co-creation DynamicsCompanion Publication of the 2022 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing10.1145/3500868.3559459(18-22)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2022
    • (2022)Usability on Children: a Meta-analysis Review2022 IEEE 8th International Conference on Computing, Engineering and Design (ICCED)10.1109/ICCED56140.2022.10010548(1-6)Online publication date: 28-Jul-2022
    • (2021)Using participatory design approaches in educational researchInternational Journal of Research & Method in Education10.1080/1743727X.2021.190298145:1(60-72)Online publication date: 24-Mar-2021
    • (2020)Embedded assumptions in design and Making projects with childrenProceedings of the 32nd Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/3441000.3441077(178-188)Online publication date: 2-Dec-2020
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