Also, diary reports can be another effective mechanism. Because, many time people don't do what they say. They say something else due to social compulsion/obligation, then they go on to do something entirely different. That's why I want to see what people are actually doing, and not just saying, where & why are they putting their money on?

Since my projects concerns with the climate on a large scale, not actual user experience, questionnaires apply.

My challenge is both technical(does the schoolyard have enough activity and sunlight to make energy harvesting viable?) and contextual (do schools truly struggle with daylight and power reliability as much as expected?).

When paired with quick semi-structured interviews, i can also capture the why behind what you see (teachers can explain energy costs, students can share how they play).

Whether I’m organizing a donation drive or planning a self-care workshop for high school girls, I make it a point to watch how individuals engage with the experience. I look for subtle behaviors, hesitations, and patterns that reveal their true needs. This helps me design programs that are not just well-meaning, but genuinely effective and inclusive.

I don’t rely solely on interviews or feedback forms. I go into the community, I observe, I listen with my eyes. It’s a method I’ve come to trust deeply, because it grounds my work in reality—not assumptions.

1. Interviews: To learn the perceptions and motivations of farmers and their concerns regarding the adoption of biochar and the usage of digital tools.

2. Surveys: In order to collect higher information about awareness, access and the desire to implement such solutions on a large scale.

3. Observation (Field Studies): To determine the current residue management and the current soil practices by farmers, which assists in establishing feasible entry points to the use of biochar.

I really need to do surveys and interview mu esteemed users l also need to do serious observations

On the life styles and behaviours of the users

This method helps me reach more people to see how aware they are of eco-design and eco-friendly living. Purpose: To get a sense of how familiar people are with eco-design, how they feel about sustainability, and whether this awareness affects their buying choices.

Deep-Conversation Interviews (already done)

Talking with people who are genuinely interested in furniture design gives me deeper insights into what motivates them and how they make decisions. Purpose: To explore how much interest and awareness of eco-friendly furniture influences their design preferences and choices.

I want to undertake a research with the general objective of generating the first baseline on the social appropriation of green hydrogen among Mexican youth — measuring awareness, access, and engagement levels — through a Participatory Action Research process that simultaneously activates youth leadership, fosters intergenerational collaboration, and co-creates systemic recommendations for education, outreach, and policy.

Therefore, the interviews would allow me to explore students' emotions, thoughts and experiences. Whereas the surveys would give me surface level opinions (quantitative data).

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Through the interviews , I was able to understand the community challenges of how the mangrove loss has affected their livelihoods.

Through observation, that is field visits I was able to see degraded sites of mangroves, dried wells and connected the dots from the previous responses of the interview.

Interviews & Focus Groups:

• Why: Gathers deep beliefs, motivations, and pain points.

• How: 20–45 minute conversations with residents, shop owners, and service providers.

• I will Use open-ended questions around purchasing, storage and disposal habits.

• Field Observations / Walkthroughs:

  • Why: Captures real-world practices not spoken about in interviews.

  • How: Observing grocery trips, fridge organization, and waste sorting at home and in small eateries.

  • Why: Engagdesigning solutions and redistribution pathways.

These Research Techniques have revealed even more opportunities to deepen our understanding of our users. Moving forward, surveys and questionnaires will help us assess the viability of our proposed solutions, while role-plays will serve as a valuable tool in refining and testing these solutions in real-life contexts.

• Because they are the primary users of cooking fuel and fertilizer.

• This will help me understand their daily challenges with waste management, fuel costs, and fertilizer access.

• By visiting households, farms, and marketplaces, I can directly see how organic waste is generated and disposed of.

• This grounds the project in reality rather than assumptions.

My project focus on logistics sector and I want to know how much emissions are decreased through my studies

I would begin with interviews--to narrow down the problem space by adding rich, qualitative information--then use surveys to confirm results and understand the extent to which they were applicable. This combination guarantees that I am able to strike a balance between empathy and evidence, but also retain the presence of women and youth farmers as the centre-stage in my project.

To analyze the perspectives their ideations and processes on how they turned it into Action.

1. Surveys/Questionnaires – I can reach a broad group of people quickly (e.g., community members, youth, local organizations) to gather quantitative insights about awareness, behaviors, or needs related to my project.
   Why? I already have access to networks through NGOs and volunteer groups, making it easier to distribute surveys and collect data.

2. Interviews (Semi-structured) – Speaking directly with key stakeholders (community leaders, NGO partners, educators, or youth participants) allows me to gain deeper qualitative insights into barriers, motivations, and expectations.
   Why? I have existing relationships with community partners and youth groups, so interviews would provide rich, contextual data.

Once the prototype is refined, small-scale pilot testing with selected users will provide practical, real-world feedback on performance, usability and compostability, ensuring our product fits both market and environmental requirements. These methods are most suitable now because we already have access to potential users through networks like GrowthAfrica and Bevisioneers program.

These methods fit well because they allow deep, qualitative understanding of local realities, require relatively low resources, and build trust with the community. Surveys or self-reports wouldn’t capture the depth and complexity of the challenges as effectively in this context.

Then have a roleplay and walkthrough as my project is still in an idea phase and I want to understand what my users thinks will work.

Lastly, I want to conduct interviews to have qualitative data and create a working project for my users

Then I could go ahead and invite them to act out role plays and walk thoughts to help me get some importance aspects I could have misssed out through interviews. As I do this I’d also be using observation.

Interviews will provide valuable insights into user experiences, particularly around accessing fresh tomatoes and the available alternatives. They will also help me better understand consumer needs when it comes to convenience.Surveys and questionnaires will allow me to quantify these challenges, capture customer demographics, and track levels of satisfaction among households and kitchens.

By combining in-depth perspectives with data-driven analysis, this approach will ensure the solution is both relevant and responsive to real consumer needs.

A few good conversations reveal why people behave a certain way, which surveys or analytics can’t capture.

Example: Someone might say, “I’d never let a stranger run my errand because I worry about trust.” That tells you to prioritize verification features.

I want to understand how people manage organic waste and use biogas in their daily routines. By having them record their activities over several days or weeks, I can see patterns, challenges, and opportunities to make the system easier and more effective.

I can use surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to determine what keeps these individuals from getting the nutrients they need.

Interview farmers about the impositions that waste wool causes them

Interview construction managers about what they consider to make up a good product

Industry experts, professors, and startup mentors can validate feasibility and refine the technical & business model before large-scale investment.

• To test IoT-based emission monitoring + SaaS dashboards on a smaller scale, gather real-time data, and validate customer value.

• Current Access: Partnerships with academic labs or smaller industrial partners open to innovation pilots.

would give me more insider thought process about why he Likes the product and how he/ she selectsaccording to their needs.

I will also use the interview approach with teachers and students because I need deeper conversations to explore their motivations, challenges, and practical ideas. This will provide richer context beyond surface-level responses and help me design training modules that truly fit their needs.

Getting information through observation will also help develop my idea because I can directly see how these households use and dispose of plastic waste. Through observation I can tell whether plastics are increasing or reducing on the landfill.

Focus groups with local artisans/designers – helps surface barriers and opportunities in upcycling production at small scale.

These methods feel most suitable right now because they allow me to capture lived experiences, everyday routines, and subtle gendered dynamics around water collection and cost, insights that surveys or remote tools might miss. They’re also trust-based, which is key when engaging women and youth who’ve historically been excluded from decision-making on water access.

• Why: I can easily access elders and small-scale farmers in GaMolepo to learn about their past experiences with farming, challenges (like water scarcity), and willingness to adopt sustainable practices.

• What I’ll learn: Deeper understanding of motivations, struggles, and cultural values around farming.

2. Surveys & Questionnaires (Quantitative)

• Why: Helpful to reach more households quickly and get measurable data on interest in farming, preferred crops, and resource needs.

• What I’ll learn: Trends across the community, such as % of people who would participate in Farm Sente or average household food insecurity.

3. Observation (Field Studies)

• Why: By visiting old farms, gardens, and household plots, I can see the real conditions—soil quality, water access, and current farming behavior.

• What I’ll learn: The gap between what people say (e.g., “farming is impossible”) and what actually happens (e.g., some still grow small crops).

I also think noticing the way your user approaches and thinks about the problem without your intervention is a good source of data.

At this stage, I want depth over volume. Before building or optimizing anything, I need to understand what people actually feel, struggle with, and value. Interviews help me uncover motivations and real pain points instead of relying on assumptions.

If I understand the problem deeply first, I can design better solutions later.