Empirical research is often considered to be the first phase of 'data collection'. This is the unobtrusive or obtrusive observation and documentation of a range of people using the same product. The naivety of empirical research is the idea that you can access the 'truth' about some thing simply by observing it. You cannot. You are always observing users from your own cultural perspective and making judgments on that basis. So what you are looking for here are rather design suggestions. Empirical research is in this sense a prospective, 'brainstorming' activity. You are looking for generalities as well as specific differences to learn as much as possible about how people use certain things that can, in turn, contribute to the design process. The good thing about observation is that you will often spot problems that users are not even aware of. This is because we tend to adapt ourselves to things and learn to accommodate even bad design.

Here is a set of suggested questions to answer when observing users:

• What are they using the product for?
• What problems, if any, do they appear to be experiencing while using the product?
• How does their body accommodate the product (do they need to squint, bend over etc.)
• How tolerant is the product of their use or misuse?
• What ancillary products do they need to use this product?
• Do they focus on the product while they use it, or
• Use it whilst doing something else?
• What are they not noticing about the product?
• What are they taking a while to notice?
• How do they handle the product?
• What other influences effect the user, for example are they dangerously diverted in this product environment (e.g. using a mobile phone while driving)?
• Is their use intermittent or continuous?
• How do they stop using the product? Do they display care in putting it away?
• How does the product look—well treated or
• Is it being run fast and hard until it falls apart?