Cultural probes is a design approach that speculates around the user’s thinking.
The purpose of Cultural Probes is to propose new methods of design research, rather experimental.
Cultural probes has an open-ended structure. This means that the questions asked to users allow different type of answers. This could be very stimulating for the designer.
This experiment can also crate particular situations that might inspire the user.
It is important to provide participants with a variety of items so that they can better express the experience. This way people are stimulated to deeply investigate the potential of design.
Cultural probes is a valid process of research that extensively inquiry into users’ thoughts. Through this method it is also possible to emphasize relationships between participants and so generate more powerful stories.
By using Cultural Probes we can disclose elaborate and multilayered patterns that are the direct result of people’s routine and aspirations, appearances and inner truths.
There are a lot of ongoing discussions around the Cultural probes method. Partly due to the fact that in the cultural probes method, information and inspiration are always in contrast.
If we consider Design as a social science, the Cultural probes method can potentially become a scientific approach of the design field.
If we attempt to control too much the outcomes, for example by asking unambiguous questions, the experiment risks to loose both originality and fascination.
Another important thing that must be taken into account is that is good not to summarize too much the result gained from the exercise. This would certainly trivialize people’s individuality.
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