Surveys

"to query (someone) in order to collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group or area."

(Survey Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster)

Traveling a significant distance to interact with a client can quickly incur a high financial and time expense. It is important to evaluate each scenario to understand the reason for choosing to meet in-person versus virtually.
Image Source: https://bigideasforsmallbusiness.com/5-things-to-know-about-business-travel/

PURPOSE:

This format is most helpful when the project poses a significant travel distance (greater than 1 hour) between client and designer. An informed blend of in-person and virtual participation can reduce project costs while still garnering the necessary support and involvement each step of the way.

DESIGN PHASE:

Surveys can be useful in multiple phases of the design process:

Exploring: To gather initial insights and understand the needs and preferences of the community.

Envisioning: To validate ideas and concepts with a broader audience.

Designing: To refine design details based on community feedback.

Evaluating: To assess the effectiveness of implemented designs and gather feedback for improvements.

Implementing: To monitor ongoing satisfaction and identify any emerging issues.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Survey Platform: Online tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform.
Distribution Channels: Email lists, social media, community newsletters, in-person events.
Incentives: Small rewards or recognition to encourage participation.
Analysis Tools: Software for analyzing quantit
ative and qualitative data (e.g., Excel, SPSS).

ACTIVITY FORMAT:

Workshop: Distribute surveys during workshops to gather immediate feedback.

Open House: Set up survey stations where attendees can fill out surveys.

Focus Group: Use surveys to collect additional data before or after focus group discussions.

Individual Interview: Supplement interviews with survey questions for more structured data.

Street Presence: Conduct surveys in public spaces to reach a broader audience.

Social Media: Share surveys on social media platforms to engage with a wider community.

Online Meeting: Distribute surveys during or after virtual meetings to gather participant feedback.

SUGGESTIONS:

Project Suitability: Surveys are ideal for projects that require input from a large and diverse group of people. They are particularly useful in community planning, public health, and educational projects.
Participant Suitability: Surveys work well with participants who may not have the time or ability to attend in-person events. They are also effective for reaching a geographically dispersed audience.

Overview

Surveys involve asking a series of questions to gather information from respondents. They can be conducted online, in person, or via mail. This is a useful method for collecting a wide range of data, including things like opinions, behaviors, and demographic information.

Surveys help in understanding the needs, preferences, and experiences of a community. They provide a structured way to gather data that can be easily analyzed and used to inform design decisions. Quantitative data like ratings and multiple-choice answers can be gathered as well as qualitative data, like open-ended responses. This activity is most commonly used in research, marketing, and community engagement projects.

Organization and Process

Successfully planning and executing a community service project using surveys requires a comprehensive understanding of the survey design process and the trade-offs involved with each phase. Your team should carefully evaluate the project's goals and ensure that you never trade the convenience of online tools for the quality of data collected. This requires a thorough assessment of the intended purpose, ideal outcome, and potential trade-offs for each step of the process.

Types of survey distribution methods can include:

Email: Efficient for reaching a large audience quickly. Ensure the email is engaging and clearly explains the survey's purpose. Personalize the emails to increase engagement and response rates. Follow up with reminders to those who haven't responded.
Social media: Utilize platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to reach a broader audience. Create visually appealing posts to attract attention. Use targeted ads to reach specific demographics and encourage participation. Engage with respondents through comments and messages to build a sense of community.
Community events: Distribute surveys at local events to engage directly with community members. This method can yield high-quality responses due to face-to-face interaction. Set up booths or tables at events to provide information about the survey and assist participants in completing it. Offer incentives such as small giveaways to encourage participation.
In-person distribution: Hand out surveys in high-traffic areas such as community centers, libraries, and schools. Personal interaction can encourage participation and provide immediate feedback. Train volunteers to assist with survey distribution and collection, ensuring they are knowledgeable about the survey's purpose and can answer any questions.

As the project coordinator, it is your job to balance maintaining a productive relationship with the community without overextending time and resources. This might mean defaulting to more online surveys when in-person distribution is not feasible and identifying strategic points in the process to engage directly with the community.

Steps

1. Design the Survey:

o Define Objectives: Clearly outline what you want to learn from the survey.

o Develop Questions: Create a mix of closed-ended (e.g., multiple-choice, rating scales) and open-ended questions.

o Pilot Test: Test the survey with a small group to identify any issues and make necessary adjustments.

2. Choose a Platform:

o Online Tools: Use platforms like Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, or Typeform for online surveys.

o Paper Surveys: Prepare printed versions for in-person distribution.

o Distribution Channels: Decide how you will distribute the survey (e.g., email, social media, community events).

3. Distribute the Survey:

o Reach Out: Share the survey with your target audience through chosen channels.

o Encourage Participation: Use reminders and incentives to increase response rates.

4. Collect Responses:

o Monitor Progress: Keep track of the number of responses and follow up if needed.

o Ensure Anonymity: Assure respondents that their answers will be kept confidential.

5. Analyze Data:

o Quantitative Analysis: Use statistical tools to analyze closed-ended questions.

o Qualitative Analysis: Identify themes and patterns in open-ended responses.

o Visualize Data: Create charts, graphs, and summaries to present the findings.

6. Report Findings:

o Summarize Results: Provide a clear and concise summary of the survey results.

o Share Insights: Present the findings to stakeholders and use them to inform your design process.

Case Example

In my community design studio, we had a group project for the City of Cordele redesigning Westbrook Park, a pocket park in their downtown area. It was a relatively small and unremarkable area, and there weren’t a lot of people around to talk to about it. That’s why we chose to use surveys to ask questions and get feedback on our ideas and designs.

At the beginning, when we first met to discuss how we could reach out to the community, we weren’t sure how to, especially since Cordele is about 3 hours away from our studio in Athens. Then I randomly got a marketing email from a company that wanted me to take survey for feedback on their product. That’s when it hit me: that’s how we reach the people of Cordele. First, we designed the survey- we had a discussion about what would be most important, how long the survey should be, and how it could be accessible to people (either via URL or by QR code). We ended up going with a sort of mix, which could help get generations that were either less or more technologically savvy.

Then, we sent it out. I went to Cordele and had printed flyers with the survey’s QR code on it. I taped it up on buildings around the area, gave it to shops nearby the park, and even stuck some on car windows. After a week or so we had only about 2 replies. Then, we met with our stakeholder again, when she suggested we send her the link to send to the City of Cordele’s social media manager, so that he could post it on their Facebook. I was a little skeptical about Facebook but realized that the demographic we need to appeal to in Cordele is one that frequently uses Facebook. After that we were able to get way more responses and used the feedback we got from the survey to influence and complete our designs. Once we were done with those designs, we put them in a survey again so that we could get even more feedback on which design the population liked better, so we could move forward into creating a final design.

In making and putting out a survey, we were able to receive lots of community feedback from a wide range of demographics easily. The method worked really well for us since our site was too far to make day trips regularly.

A photo of our survey on Microsoft that shows analytics such as time spent on the survey, how many responses we got, and how long the survey had been available at that time.

This is what we sent out on social media in order to allow different residents of Cordele to participate in the survey. It was simple yet effective and technologically advanced to make it easy to complete.