Not only is videotaping essential at the beginning of the design process as needs are identified, but it is also key throughout the process as students gain an understanding of a particular user context and as prototypes are developed. Disposable Camera Studies Disposable camera studies is a new method at ID that enables students to gain insights about places they cannot access, such a people's homes. Because they are so inexpensive, students can give disposable cameras to users so they can document their environments and objects in context. Because this method involves the subjectivity of the participants instead of the student doing the research, students get a glimpse of life through the users' eyes. Observation with Prototypes ID students give their prototypes to users as a means of observing typical interactions.
Students use video ethnography and field notes to document their observations.
The insights they gain allow them to determine what works, or doesn't, and why, so they can refine their concepts. These processes extend far beyond the focus groups and surveys applied in traditional marketing. Physical Human Factors Understanding physical human factors helps students design products, environments, software, and systems that fit the physiological capability of users. This area of study expanded greatly during World War II when, to build submarines, aircraft, and tanks, the armed forces needed to understand what men could and could not tolerate. NASA research also led to important understanding about physical needs in extreme environments.