Discovery research and define phases

The process of Discovery research and define for Abstract Communication for Long-distance family relationships

Overview

This project is intended to improve communication with our relatives. Inspired by our current events, I wonder in which ways we can connect more, but without actively interfering in our daily routine. Our social interactions change and our search for human connection has grown.

Families and friends are looking for more ways to feel connected, beyond a phone call. In this way, I am thinking more about passive ways of constant communication for long-distance relationships between families, especially aimed at communication with elderly generations.

Discovery research

Research goals

In this phase of the process, I worked on a survey to better understand what are the communication behaviors of the potential users. I developed a survey to gain insight on how frequent people communicate with their relatives, wich relatives they are more connected with and with which they want to be connected to, and what methods of communication they prefer.

I also did two interviews to gain more knowledge about the feeling to be connected and which ways they feel that they could enhance that connection.

User Surveys

The survey was filled for 57 people. I shared the 11 question survey on my older sister's Facebook and although there is a variety of responses, the survey was generally around a population probably define by my sister's network. My survey is in Spanish because most of the network is Spanish speaking people.

These are some of the findings for the survey:

Most of the people who fill the survey are from 35–44 years old

Most keep frequent communication with their parents and siblings

The people that they talk frequently is divided between middle adult age and senior adults

55.6% talk daily with their relatives. 35.2% talk frequently during the week.

Link to Survey

User Interviews

In the process of the interview, I talk with Jeanelly to give me a different insight into how they feel is their communication process with their relatives.

Interview with Jeanelly
Jeanelly lives in Texas and her mother lives in Puerto Rico, while her father lives in Florida. She keeps constant communication with her parents. The questions were oriented about how she feels about the quality of communication, what other options she could consider and what other ways she can envision her communication?

From the interview, her main constraint that she mentions is that she doesn't like when their parent don’t answer the phone. That worries her about how they are. Her ideal way of communication would be something that let her communicate with their parent as if they lived together.

Findings

• Users mostly communicate with their relatives through phone calls
• People communicate with their parents and close relatives.
• These close relations communicate on a daily basis to make sure that they are ok.
• They wish to have better communication with their friends.
• Most of them feel that the distance affects the relationship.

Define

The surveys and the interview let me highlight the possible, their behaviors and motivations. I concentrated on the people that most fill the survey, woman below 45. This Persona, Empathy Map and Experience Map was developed from the discovery phase.

Persona

Empathy Map

Experience Map

I decided to make my experience map on the process of making a phone call, since the survey indicates this is the principal form of communication.

Insights

Based on the survey,

• people are looking for a connection with their relatives
• People would like to be in constant communication with close relatives
• They would like it to be easy
• Constant communication relieves anxiety about their well-being

Define the Problem

One of the main issues is not knowing how well your relatives are doing. Sometimes they don’t answer the phone, and you don’t know why. For the caller, they want to establish an ideal flow of communication, but things like work, and the attention needed for a call, can postpone those interactions. On other occasions, the receiver doesn't answer the call because don’t have a strong affinity to digital devices.

1. Is there is a better way to establish intimate communication with your relatives?
2. How can the product solve the feeling of loneliness?
3. It is possible to open a channel of constant communication to be as present as possible to each other?
4. How can technology be intuitive for the elderly?

Photo used in Persona by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash