IDEO Method Cards 'Refresh'

Overview

The ‘refresh’ of the IDEO Method Cards qualified the supposition that the original Cards could be improved in a number of ways and extended to a larger digital audience. The design process used was a linear set of steps:

1. Investigate: examine the current product IDEO Method Cards in both paper and digital format (currently only available for iOS based devices)
2. Ideate: From a design and development perspective balance the factors involved in improving the interaction and visual design with the potential to expand the product to a greater audience
3. Prototype: Design and develop a working mobile prototype that can be evaluated by users. The target platform was Android as an IDEO Method Cards product does not exist as of yet for this very large segment of the general population.
4. Evaluate: The prototype was tested with 6 participants, 2 of whom had used the IDEO Method Cards previously and had extensive design backgrounds.

The findings documented in this report highlight a number of improvements that could further the product and achieve the goal of an improved design (‘refresh’) as well as extending the availability of said product to a far greater number of users.

Background

About: IDEO Method Cards

The IDEO Method Cards were created in 2002 by IDEO, a ‘global design consultancy’, as a paper based “51-card deck to inspire design” (“Method Cards for IDEO”). In 2010, an iOS specific application was released based on the deck. While the design remained consistent with the original, IDEO incorporated useful functions that capitalized on the interactive qualities of a mobile based interface.

Design Problem

The design problem at hand is to take an existing, outdated product and, through a competitive analysis of the product and heuristic analysis, apply HCI principles along with user testing to create a fresher and more useful product available to a greater breadth of users. At it’s core, the IDEO method card principles remain the same. For example, one ‘method’ is “Flow Analysis” and, as do all cards, their is a respective “How?” and “Why?” as to applying the method to solve a design problem. The presentation layer of the principles and consideration of user interaction with the interface, however, will be re-written and prototyped. This is a design tool kit to be used with the one indispensable piece of equipment most adults carry with them at all times, their mobile and/or tablet devices.

Note: As the IDEO Method Cards are proprietary material, the prototype and app created are private and not distributable.