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WHAT IS A CULTURE PROBE!!??

Also known as diary studies, cultural probes are a way of gathering information about people and they’re activities. Unlike traditional field studies or usability testing, this technique allows users to self-report.

This article is about the process 3 European Designers went through to understand and get to know a community of Elderly Citizens, to increase their presence in their own community.

They explained their techniques and goals in achieving success with this project. The probes were part of a strategy of pursuing experimental design in a responsive way. The packages of maps, postcards and other material were designed to provoke inspirational responses from the Elderly. They left them behind and waited for the probes to gather information over time.

What the designers learned about the elderly was only half the story, the other half is what the elderly learned from the probes. Although the probes didn’t directly lead to their designs, they were influenced by their preexisting conceptual interests to the sites.