Trying Out Generative Research for Myself

Today we have three exercises that are examples of generative research.  These are sample techniques that can be used to help generate insightful information about consumers.

1. Close to You

This exercise required me to place pictures of things that are important to me into two categories: What I Can't Live Without and What I Care About.
Some highlights:

• I can't live without pets.  Growing up I had two dogs and two cats.  My husband and I currently have three cats and I can't imagine life without them.  They add enjoyable chaos and extra love to our home.
• I also can't live without fun.  I think laughter is essential to daily life and enjoy finding the humor in everyday situations.
• Besides the more obvious "can't live without" factors such as my husband, my family, and my friends, I also can't live without knitting.  I have been knitting avidly for five years and I love it.  Knitting helps keep me patient and I love having a hobby that creates usable works of art.  If I don't have time to knit, I don't sleep as well and I'm definitely grouchier.
• I care about giving back to my community.  I am a huge animal lover and so most of my giving back is through nonprofits like Austin Pets Alive!  Currently, I walk dogs and write cat biographies for their website.  The photo is of one of my favorite dogs from the shelter who is now happily placed in a forever home.
• I also care about stories. I love to read and also enjoy a good story from a friend about something that happened in their lives.  I am a story fanatic and can't get enough of interesting and creative tales.  This goes along with my passion for movies and television as well (represented separately by a picture of a movie theater marquee).

2. Digital Ecosystem

This exercise shows the main places where I get my information digitally.  A single line means I use this source, and a double line means I use it often.

The two main places I get my news are Slate and The Skimm.  Slate is an online-only news magazine that covers national and international topics.  I subscribe to their "Daily Slatest" email digest and often browse the stories on their site to stay informed about everything from current events to entertainment.

The Skimm is an email newsletter that provides brief summaries of current events in everything from politics to sports in a fun and easy-to-read-quickly manner.  I love it because I can get up-to-date on current happenings in just a few minutes each morning.  The newsletter is female-oriented as well and makes a point of explaining typically "masculine" topics in a smart and accessible way.



 3. Typical Weekday

This exercise had me draw up my typical weekday and then draw lines for the types of information I might receive or access at that point in the day.  I used color coding to make it easier to see the differences in each time period.  I chose a Tuesday because as a student, my weekdays can vary rather wildly!

The time when I get the most information oddly enough is at the gym in the morning.  This is mainly because I watch CNN while I run on the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes so that covers many major categories in a short period of time.

I found it interesting that my two at home/doing homework time periods come out looking rather different as I'm more concerned about weather and traffic in the morning when I will head to class in a bit and more focused on my schoolwork in the afternoon.

Since I have three classes back-to-back on Tuesdays, I don't get a very wide variety of information during that time period.  It's mostly profession- or business-related with some checking of my calendar or lists of school events.

From dinnertime onward is when I like to relax with my husband and that's when I get to read more about entertainment and hobbies (such as knitting-related websites and forums).  While this divide between relaxing and homework may be a little less delineated than how I represent it here (sometimes I take a short break to peruse non-school-related information!), I tried to focus on the primary types of information I pursue or receive in each part of my day.