The problem we identified was 'How to get rid of hiccups?', we chose this topic as it seemed like it would a fun and interesting topic, however we weren't sure how much information we would be able to find about it as it is a relatively small problem in comparison to other ailments. We changec our minds a couple of times as we thought that it would be easier to produce info graphic work on 'How to fight allergies', but ultimately decided that hiccups were something we hadn't seen any design work on and the general way to fight allergies is to avoid what your allergic to or take some Periton but with hiccups we could explore all the strange methods of getting rid of them.
What evidence did you find to support your decisions?
We found products that are specifically designed to get rid of hiccups ( Hiccups Away and the Hic-Cup) and further research into this revealed that hiccups can be quite a problem for elderly people and people that have undergone surgery. Research into the cause of hiccups informed us that hiccups are caused by an uneven balance of stomach acidity and that doctors have prescribed Pepto Bismol in sever cases of hiccups. This led us on to design promotional material for this product.
What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?
Our Secondary research was mainly internet research, it was easy to find qualitative research of the topic but quantitative research was difficult to find. We also conducted questionnaires and interviews to find out what methods people use to get rid of hiccups and if they have ever had a serious bout of hiccups.
What methods of research did you find useful and why?
Primary research methods of speaking to people and getting genuine results is a lot more useful than information found on the internet where specific information about when, where and who the results were obtained by. It would have been helpful if there was more material about our topic so we could have looked in books for information. The internet was the best source for evidence about serious bouts of hiccups. Visually I did a lot of research into Victorian Fat Face letterpress posters and Circus Posters because we were designing 100th anniversary Pepto Bismol style Posters, this was very helpful to understand how to make it look authentically victorian which was difficult as none of us had tried designing anything in a style which wasn't up to date.
How did these inform your response to the problem?
Our research informed us of silly ways to get rid of hiccups and, visually the choice of typeface', style of illustration and pattern was taken from looking into victorian publications.
What methods did you encounter as problematic?
The most problematic method of research was probably crawling through the internet until we found some relevant information that was from an unknown source that had some vague information and figures that we were basing a lot of our project on. This was unhelpful because we had no real backbone to base the project on, we could just find small problems people have with hiccups that we were trying to justify asa bigger problem, when we should have had good evidence for a problem that clearly needs a solution.
How did you overcome this?
We overcame this by conducting primary research that told us that people do struggle with hiccups and they are more of a problem than an annoyance in some cases.
What research could you have done that would have proved useful?
It would have been helpful if we could have found some leaflets and written publications that inform and instruct what hiccups are and how to get rid of them. It would also have been helpful to focus on advertising a product that was specifically for getting rid of hiccups rather than a product that is used for more problematic issues and also hiccups.
5 things I have learnt about the Design Process:
- Developing a lot of research early in the project is better than jumping into designing
- It helps to have a topic with substance
- Conducting primary research is more helpful than relying on the internet.
- Reviewing the body of research as you go through the process often changes the direction and outcome of the work.
- Discussing ideas in groups produces better results.
5 things I would do differently next time:
- Pick a topic with a lot of information on it.
- put more time into primary research
- Dont think about potential design solutions before I've got a lot of research
- More evaluation of research
- generate more research and relevant information.
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