Foundational Research

1. Workflow: Unconstrained rundown of their workflow and creative process, walking through some of their previous or current projects in full. Focus particularly on their Pre-Conceptual and Discovery processes, in addition to their Composition workflow. Prioritize questions exploring their biases, motivations and creative intent.
2. Archetype: Based on their workflow and preferences qualitatively analyze, compare and make adjustments to their default creative, technical and conditioning degrees of intent.
3. Tooling: Make note of the primary tools in their workflow, uncovering the limitations and pain points that the participant faces, while making note of essential features and required technical capabilities of the tools

Live Model Testing

1. Qualitative Feedback: Have the participant test the earliest version of the model, collecting their immediate feedback on the output quality. Broadly explore their intent, preferred modes of conditioning, and collect samples of their optimal capacity for input (e.g. prompts, sketches, instructions)

Graphics Customer Discovery

1. Intro

• Poly Background
  • Textures tool → New graphics tool: Generate vector assets and sets
• Outline → ask to record screen → get started
  • Intro (5 mins)
  • Workflow walkthrough (30 mins)
    • Tooling
    • Metacognition
    • Mental models
  • Live model testing (10 mins)

1. Workflow walkthrough

• Warm up questions
  • Ask about their creative background, which disciplines they’ve designed for and what their current focus is
  • Bring up interesting projects that they’ve worked on, or anything of interest from their background
• Exploratory questions
  • Pre-conceptually: What do you do from the very start of your project, blank canvas — to creating your first frame?
  • What sources do you use for inspiration? How do you organize references to help induce inspiration?
  • What’s the relationship between finding references and assets? Do you try to find assets that match the references, or is it a concurrent process?
• Domain-specific questions
  • Branding: Why does one asset pair with another?
  • Visual Design: What makes a set consistent?
  • Illustrator: There’s so many flat 2D illustrations out there, how do you create (or follow) a style? Particularly in illustration sets- line tracing?
  • UI Design: Visual design workflow (both brand identity-wise and UI) from 0-1 vs working within existing brand guidelines and design system
  • Icon Design: What constitutes an icon style — both visually and technical attributes?
  • Set Completion
• Metacognitive questions
  • In any given asset, which of the following modes are most important and why (color, concept, style, content, composition, technical attributes)
  • How do the references you use practically influence your designs? Do you extract certain elements of their style, try to replicate the technical attributes, etc.

1. Model Prototype Testing

• Broadly explore their intent, preferred modes of conditioning, and collect samples of their optimal capacity for input (e.g. prompts, sketches, instructions)

Demo Examples

1. Wrap Up

• Depending on their level of interest, applicability of their workflow, and quality of their feedback, bring up the Round 2 discussion
  • Deeper dive into mental models and alignment for their workflows, plus testing for the next iteration of the model prototype