- Now that we have a better idea
of what we need to solve our problem,
let's take a look at how we can further define
which research tools we'll use
and the order that they should be done.
The Research Logic Model is a graphic tool
developed and evolved by graduate students
at Kent State University's
Visual Communication Design program.
This tool helps to organize
how you engage with your research sources.
Think of it as taking your KWHL table one set further
and creating more of a literal plan to follow.
A Research Logic Model organizes
your research methods and tools into a logical order
by looking at three main categories.
Purpose: What are you trying to achieve?
Actions: Specific tasks needed to achieve each goal, and
Outcomes: What you hope will be the result of each action.
Let's go back to our previous scenario
of designing a way finding system to help navigate people
through a busy train station.
We have already listed out what we need to know
and identified possible research tools and sources
that can help us get that information.
Now let's see how the research logic model can help us
organize our research strategy in greater detail.
We should plan broad research tools first,
such as a survey or observational note-taking.
These tools help us to gain a better overall understanding
of the context we're studying.
Then we might dig deeper with something like interviews.
We can use what we've already learned from the previous step
to ask better directed questions to our participants.
Let's see how this works.
Here's what the basic model should look like.
Your tool or technique up at the top
and then the three categories,
Purpose, Actions, and Outcomes to the left.
For our scenario, a good place to start our research
on our train station project might be
by conducting secondary research.
The purpose is to gain contextual information
of the train station, way finding systems,
and public transportation.
The actions would include conducting a literature review
of the documents, such as books, journals,
and other publications about our train station
and way finding systems throughout public transportation.
Finally, the intended outcome is that
we hope to achieve a better understanding
of our station and of way finding systems in general
that work to successfully navigate people
through busy public areas.
Okay, so there's one tool applied to our problem
and what we think we'll learn from it.
What should we focus on next?
We could try to understand more specific problems
of our train station.
Ethnographic research can help us do this.
A good method to consider here would be
observational note-taking.
Here we can observe users within the actual environment,
without affecting their natural behavior.
So the purpose would be to learn how
people navigate through the station
and also to identify which areas they seem to struggle most.
The actions would include observing, taking notes,
walking through the train station,
while blending in as much as possible.
The projected outcomes would be to discover
which areas are difficult to navigate
and common destinations that are hard to find.
Okay, so let's take it one step further.
We assume that now we have identified
certain spots in the train station
where people have difficulty navigating.
Next, maybe we want to verify that information
and find out more about the experience of this train station
by talking to the people who use it.
Notice how we're getting more specific?
For this objective, we decide that interviews
would be a good tool to use.
The purpose is to find out what the experience is like
and whether they have any other struggles
finding their way around that we didn't already observe.
The actions would include
identifying potential participants,
coming up with good interview questions,
and conducting the interviews.
The outcome from this could be to have more user empathy
for what it's like to actually navigate the experience.
As you add more tools to the table,
remember, go through the same process
of articulating their purpose, actions, and outcomes.
Think carefully about the order of your research tools.
Try to create a plan that will allow a broad tool
to inform the actions of a more specific tool next.
Just like the design process,
this research table isn't mean to be
followed in a strictly linear way.
I've had to revisit my plan multiple times
and choose different research tools
because of one problem or the other.
A research logic model is a living document
that can and should be freely modified as needed.
You should remember that all the categories,
purpose, actions, and outcomes,
can be adapted as needed.
Sometimes I've added an extra category
with the actual outcomes listed in it.
This allows me to document my findings
and realize how successful a particular tool was.
The model can also double as a production schedule.
Feel free to add a component of time across the top,
to help keep yourself on track with your time and budget.
The research logic model is a tool
that I almost always use.
The process of performing
and collecting research is difficult,
I'd say downright overwhelming at times,
and this model helps me to organize my tasks,
place them in a sensible order,
and approach my research process one step at a time.