Previous 1. Technology research
Next 1.2 Five How
Back to school! Literature research and expert interviews are all about immersion and learning something new. At this point, you vaguely know the technology you work on. As a designer, you are not specialized in the field, so we must make up for it with our ability to research. In the same way, we analyze users in a user-based process, we now study the technology.
Step 1: Find a low threshold entry point. This could be a YouTube video that explains the technology or applications. It should be as tangible as possible and make you want to learn more. Create a literature list. Visualize and note your findings.
Step 2: Look for the sources cited in the literature in Step 1 and read the academic papers and listen to the lectures you find. Other references to find documents or lectures include Google Scholar, edX, Twitter, Reddit, and topic-specific blogs.
Step 3: At this point you looked at at least 20 different sources and written a lot of notes and sketches. Rate each source and note any specific details. If you tracked down experts from the papers you read, they could make great interview partners.
Tipp:
Since reading academic papers can be a challenge, it is good to know there is a paper about “How to read a paper“.(12)
If you stumble across any experts in the field, make sure to interview them. There is a short guide on how to conduct expert interviews.
Conducting Expert Interviews? Here's Everything You Need to Know
There were enough sources when I researched indoor solar cells, better known as Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). To stay up to date, it is essential to look at the dates the articles have been released.
Physics:
Efficiency in experiment
Machine Learning Experiment
12 Keshav, S., 2007. How to read a paper. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, 37(3), pp.83-84.