Cultural Probes | Dr Claire McAndrew

Academic practice, 12^th January 2011

Cultural Probes is a method of obtaining and gathering information from the end users of any design. Using a set of objects and following instructions, the individuals provide valuable data that informs the design process.

Unlikely other methods, this one is very open and almost user-conducted, in the sense that the “observed” assumes the role of presenting himself through several tasks that allow him to respond creatively. The designer provides some guidelines, but the process is then freely assumed by each of the person.

Through this method the designer collects raw information that provides him with a more spontaneous, intimate and unexpected view of his target group. The results are not to be analysed in a quantitative way, but instead they remain unprocessed and the designer focuses on its singularities.

What the designer seeks with this process is not the summarised information or its categorization, but instead the individualities of the single elements from the target group. This way, innovative ideas may be generated and unthought-of considerations may arise from the responses and situations created.

The method is used to explore several contexts – from private to public – and its results are used in an array of design projects – from household appliances to communications that aim at improving the sense of safety.

The strength of the Cultural Probes is providing insights of some aspects of the target group that other more controlled-end methods do not explore.

However, the use of the information may not be as rigorous and non- biased by the designer’s views as intended. Some ongoing discussions are whether or not the results are more used as a source of inspiration for the designer; the method is pointed out as non-scientific and subjective.