Discovery operations guide

Research weeks are often quite full with all that you’re hearing, seeing, and experiencing. Research week snapshots provide you a guide for how you can space out your interviews/observations. Include: 

• Research site type
• Team size
• Transition time needed
• Time blocks for daily and weekly synthesis

Realistically space out and plan your research events for an effective and productive site visit.

Remember to consistently record and organize your schedules as you review and evolve your plan.

Planning research days

Research day snapshots provide guidance for planning your daily research events. Days in the field move fast, so it’s important to give yourself ample time for preparation, downloading, and transitioning.

While booking interviews with participants and observation time, consider:

• Transition/meal/prep time: Down time between each interview or observation is essential to enable you to mentally transition from what you just learned and prepare for the next session.

• Daily and weekly synthesis: Allocating daily download time will enable you to absorb what you’re learning, while it’s fresh, and reduce your mental load during weekly synthesis. This will also allow you to adjust your protocol based on what you’re learning.