Assignment 4 - Interviews

For Assignment 4 we were asked to construct an interview with a person who doesn't know you based around a chosen question that related to one of this semesters previous assignments. The question i decided to use was "What is most valuable to you?". The whole point of this was not to prove anything but how to access meaningful  in-depth data which can then be used through a design process.

I sketched up a mind map of how i would expand on my question and most effectively receive the best answer from my volunteer. I ended up with 9 basic questions, some having variable options depending on what is initially most valuable to them. . . 

I used my flatmates friend from class "Gavin" who i had only met twice before. . . 

The first stage of my interview was to choose an environment which would help Gavin feel comfortable and relaxed in answering my questions. I decided to carry out the interview in his own flat, accompanied by my flatmate, as this would ease any feeling of any awkwardness / shyness. At first i decided to play along with the kind of question i  was about to ask, telling him "its a difficult question but everyone has something . It could be from a family member to a physical object". Next, i asked the first question : What is most valuable to you? After slight hesitation and with a slight smirk on his face he answered "My Car". From this i began asking simple questions like "When and where did you get it?". Once i reached question 4 "What makes it yours?" i began to gather a sense of what Gavin's current life is like and perhaps how being a student has effected the way he treats his possessions. As he answered "my personal registration plate and not having to share it with anyone" suggested that it means a lot to him to have something with your own mark on it that can only be used by yourself and having to share e.g with your student flatmates.  I noticed after this question he seemed more relaxed in the interview, giving more in-depth answers, adding extra bits of information. Thus showing that easing slowly into personal information takes time and carefully planned previous stages. 

Gavins answer to question 6 "Do you like it as much now from when you first bought it?" surprised me as he portrayed he wasn't fully happy with his valuable possession. I was expecting a different answer. The final two questions ended well.  I received a deeper insight into why his car his most valuable to him. The fact that his Dad bought it for him and that he would only trust his family with it shows that he believes they simply have the right to. It also shows how Gavin perceived the word "value", meaning he chose his most expensive possession but shows personal insight because he would only let his family the right to use his most expensive object, not his friends.

Overall, i believe my interview technique worked fairly well. I learned that there is always a key word in the main question that will play a major roll in what you have learned at the end. Also, that different people will have a different understanding of how they perceive this word. In my case, the word "value" was important as i can understand now that its difficult to describe a personal feeling towards something which the interviewer may not feel the same about. Also, that it takes time to understand someones personal feelings and that you have to explore it at all angles. 

Assignment 3 - Casino

From this assignment my aim was to understand the concept of Ethnography , an idea that helps in designing enviroments for others. In order of doing so, i visited the local Gala Casino with a group of friends because this was an unfamiliar enviroment to me, making me feel awkard and more observant of the way a people behave inside a  Casino.

 I reluctantly decided not to drink alchohal before entering the Casino, as this would of probably affected my observation skills. This was my first ever visit to a Casino. Beforehand, all i knew was  from what i had seen in one of my favourite movies, "Casino",  starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. The film shows an indepth understanding of how a Casino works, alongside the usual Martin Scorsese themes of Greed, deception, money, power, and murder  between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife.

I decided at the cash machine outside the Casino , since this was my first time and to experiance this in full  that myself should try my hand at a small £10 limit gamble (which i would soon loose a quick 30minutes later). Before entering the main gambling rooms of the Casino, i was comfronted by a 20stone Bouncer at the entrance who demanded for my I.D . This was all done without a smile or any form of pleasentness. Straight away this made me feel uncomfortable and rather intimidated. At this point, i started to think if this was all an act of the Bouncers roll in the Casino so from the second you enter , it was made clear that the rules of the Casino will not be broken.

My next stage was to become a member of the Casino which meant filling out a small form and once again showing proof of identity. This idea of "Members Only" and physically having a members card with my name on it made me feel more at ease. Thus more confident in spending my money gambling.

Entering the main hall of gambling i was hit with buzz of noise and flashing lights. It was hard to stay focused on anything because of what was happening around me. I walked around for around 30seconds before making my first bet on the Roulette table (loosing my first £5) , the only game i was familiar with. I felt that i had to sit down as there was little movement around the gambling areas. The colour Blue seemed to be everywhere, a tactic used by the Casino because Blue has a relaxing effect on the mind and body making you more confident and calm. After my first loss , i decided to sit out of the way and observe.

There was a lot going on to keep your head on track making you feel sick and dizzy. However, I noticed there was no windows in the main hall, making it all seem very personal which led onto observing the type of people inside the Casino. Apart from the common group of drunk students who were simply grabbed in by the bright lights and chance at doubling their student loan , there was a much deeper side. There was alot of Asians gambling at high stakes. I believe this is due partly to the Asian culture being very big on the concept of "Luck" and "Fate" . Two major factors which were being shown all around the Casino. However, the Asians did seem most happy out of all groups which shows that they may just accept a loss as its just the way it was meant to be.

Most gamblers looked as if they were kidding themselves on, certain they were always going to win. Mainly,  the older male which dominated most of the Casino. In a way, it was a sad sight . I eventually gathered the feeling some of them were gambling their families away by the look of it . In one case, a middle age man sat with his head down talking to himself fiddling with his small stack of poker chips.

It was eay to tell who was winning. I found whoever was standing seemed to be the happiest looking and most animated. The seating arrangements around the machines and tables were backless stools , not designed for comfort. This portraying the quick snappy decisions the Casino want its customers to make. Oppositely, the bar and restraunt area is simply a gimic to the customer , making them feel comfortable before entering the mind-controlling gambling arena. 

Ethnography allows us to understand beyond what we just simply see infront of us. It gives us an insight into how the world is designed for different purposes , showing varying patterns and behaviours that we can understand both immediately and reflectively.