07. Sampling for Design Research
07. Sampling for Design Research
Part of Milestone B — packet due Thu Oct 22, 2026, by 4:10pm ET (Timeline).
Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
Students will learn about sampling for design research.
Random, purposive and mixed sampling will be analyzed.
Students will perform a sampling exercise and reflect on the benefits for the type of product that they choose.
Sampling Discussion in Class 9/25/25
Sampling Discussion in Class 9/25/25
Goes until 13:38 then moves into Part B: Providing Feedback for Your Sector Teams
1. Review: Sampling for Design Research Slideshow and Video
1. Review: Sampling for Design Research Slideshow and Video
2. Do Your Sampling Exercise
2. Do Your Sampling Exercise
a. Read the Overview
a. Read the Overview
This assignment isn’t supposed to take a bunch of time and you don’t need to actually talk with people. You can follow along with an idea of a place in your head or it might be beneficial to go to a public place and sort of play along.
I’m going to write this from a perspective of imagination but if you’re feeling up to it, venture forth into the world and find a cozy spot to observe people.
b. Follow the Instructions
b. Follow the Instructions
Read below
Make a copy of the template
Rename the template with your name
Add your name and your answers
Get the link
Submit the link on D2L
c. Learn about Sampling
c. Learn about Sampling
Sampling means to pick a sample out of a larger population (like picking a sample of 3 jellybeans from a jar of 100 jellybeans).
We sample out of necessity, because we lack the time and resources that would be needed to study everyone or everything we want to study. We need to choose a small subset to actually talk to or observe.
Large studies rely on random sampling.
In user experience research, samples are often very small.
The smaller the sample, the more important it is to choose wisely.
Small samples usually use purposive sampling.
Purposive sampling means to have reasons why you pick the sample you pick.
This sampling assignment will help you experience the difference between random and purposive sampling as applied to your project and what is the best technique to use.
d. Practice Sampling
d. Practice Sampling
Think about your idea for your project/product. This can be any user experience: an app, a game, an AR scavenger hunt, a VR experience. But, this is the main project you are doing your analysis on and have already started your slideshow.
Imagine a public or semi-public location and imagine that you are planning to conduct user observation research there. This will be the same location you will use for all of your projects in the course, it can be any location you like -- a coffee shop, the library, a park... Wherever your users would go.
Imagine that place. This is not a real world exercise, you may go there but do not talk to anyone about your observations (yet). But, even if you are doing a VR project you want to think of a real world place that your users would be.
Sketch or diagram the location's floor plan. And imagine the people there and the characteristics of those people.
Put X marks where each person is and a 2-4 word description of each person. While you are jotting down quick words to describe people, do you notice anything happening?
Think about the product you want to design for this location in mind. For example, maybe you are planning an interactive game for that location with the goal of getting people interested in recycling. The game will be played via texting on mobile phones. The game will take about 5 minutes to play.
We are doing this observation at the early stage. We imagine that we would talk to three people who are likely to be interested in taking 5 minutes to play this game, either because they are interested in games or because they have stuff with them that should be composted or recycled. (But remember don't actually talk to them yet).
As you look at your diagram and the people, think about which people you see (or think about) that might be likely to play, you can probably come up with some general ideas about who would and who would not be willing to take the time right now to play a 5-minute game.
That is one example idea for this exercise, you will use the product you will be analyzing and making recommendations for. This same product will continue through all of the semester.
e. Use this Template: Sampling Exercise
e. Use this Template: Sampling Exercise
Use the slideshow template to copy and make your own and then fill in the blanks.
This is the assignment template, copy, rename, share, fill out, submit.
f. Submit your Sampling Work
f. Submit your Sampling Work
After creating your slideshow from the template
Post link to the D2L Assignment
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