The importance of gatekeepers in accessing closed communities for successful experience design
In this presentation I will be referencing recent user research I conducted within a small community of graffiti writers and street artists. Central to the presentation is the essential need for a trusted relationship with ‘gatekeepers’ for access to authentic research data.
While gatekeepers are sometimes found within large corporate organisations, they are of particular interest and importance when working with marginalized or small communities, such as ethnic groups, prisoners, youth, families, the homeless, or drug and alcohol research, for example.
UX projects with closed or marginalised communities are infrequent and the need to identify, connect with and work with a trusted intemediary, or Gatekeeper, can not be overstated.
The project we will discuss involved a number of user research techniques including ethnographic methods such as shadowing, observation and discussion as well as more traditional design research methods such as design walk throughs, competitor analysis and usability testing.
This presentation will be of interest and use to practitioners who:
- are involved in user research activities
- are interested in conducting user research
- are conducting user research with small, hard to access and closed communities
