Published: November 9, 2024
Context:
After completing my first artistic research journal entry, I was curious how I could continue to incorporate research in my work. At first I was pretty sure I would continue with another comparative analysis, focusing on how performing my a cappella poetry at events had affected my sales. While that is still an area of interest, I was able to stumble into a slightly different topic related to my work with ADSS.
Sometime in the late summer 2024, I was able to conceptualize a framework, which would provide a replicable process for how folks interact with poetry, and maybe art at large. I’m calling the concept a “versescape” and it has a few components: performance of my a cappella poetry poems, a opportunity for the audience to react to guiding questions following each performance through their device, and then short discussion following those first two pieces. At the end of the event, the audience would be able to shop my poetry apparel.
Versescapes are meant to build community through art and technology. Through my research, I want to continue to explore the intersection of poetry and experience design, using the research to create impactful poetic experiences, enhanced by technology.
As I began thinking through this idea, I thought about how my first journal entry focusing on comparing how different environments affected how people engaged with my poetry is right aligned with this versescape vision. Versescapes, a combination of experience design and poetry, can iterate as a grow as an artist, and as a researcher.
For this entry, I discuss my process designing a post-versescape survey alongside Naomi, my UX mentor from ADPList.org.
1) Research Objective
My mentorship meetings with Naomi were split into three, 30 minute sessions. Upon signing into the first one, I had a loose idea of what I wanted to accomplish. These were the original 3 main goals I shared with Naomi, as a possible starting point.
A 2nd case study or some other type of research method involving how performing my “a cappella poetry” impacts sales.
Design potential post-versescape survey for long-term longitudinal data regarding the impact of versescapes on attendees.
Begin preparing a possible UX portfolio.
With the mentorship time being something I could feel free to guide, I decided that designing the post-versescape survey would be accomplishable in the time we had, while also being beneficial as I had started to reach out to venues for hosting a versescape event.
We started with common UX research questions any researcher should be able to answer:
What are my research objectives?
Who will take the survey? Who are the participants?
How will I find them?
How will I run the survey?
Google forms, Mentimeter?
How long will it be?
How will I analyze the data?
What are my survey questions?
How will I share the data?
This whole process was like going from having a general idea of what I was doing, to realizing, as I started to dig in more, that I needed to get clear about the particulars. That started with my research objectives.
What was the point of the survey? To make versescapes better? To continue to compare how the environment affected engagement?
As we closed out our first session I had my first key learning.
Key Takeaway (Meeting 1):
Setting a clear research objective is essential to designing a cohesive and effective study.
Going into our second session, I was asked to brainstorm 10+ research objectives and how I wanted to collect the data.
Possible Objective Brainstorm
improving versescape experiences
collecting data on how poetry impacts audience members
collecting demographic information on versescape attendees
asking questions to understand how environment affected the impact of the poetry (group setting, technology, performer asking questions)
learn about how experience may impact sales
learn about how different mediums (visual designs, clothing) impact interest in poetry
understand if poetry made attendees change how they think about poetry
understand if poetry made attendees think differently about the themes in the poetry
understand if the experience met their expectations
reflection on how entire experience affected them
With each brainstorm option, much like my creativity, I wanted the brainstorm to be free from my inner critic. I wrote down ideas that were just average, ideas that just came to mind, and ones that took me a minute to think of. Allowing the brainstorm to be conducted that way allowed me to see the different paths I could go down. For example, if I selected #1, I could have been solely focused on improving the audience experience, without digging deeper into how versescapes compare to typical audience engagement at poetry readings. I ended up selecting #4, as I felt it carried a through-line from my first research paper. I wanted to continue to focus my research on how the environment can impact engagement, with a focus on the technology and the group setting.
When I began to think about how I was going to collect the data, I began looking into surveys. I was familiar with Google Forms, but then thought I wanted something with sleeker design. While I was exposed to many, many different types of survey platforms (Surveysparrow, Jotjab, Youform), I will save that story and say I’ve decided to go with Google Forms for now. It’s free and has a lot of flexibility within the form that I find useful.
2) Brainstorming Questions
Going into my second meeting with Naomi, I had a research objective selected, and by this time, I had actually selected Jotjab as my survey tool. It would be linked from the versescape Mentimeter deck I already created and easily allowed me to export data.
My original research question:
Understand how environment affected the impact of the poetry (group setting, technology, performer asking questions)
One thing Naomi very quickly pointed out after reading my objective was that usually anytime a researcher is trying to “understand” something, a comparative study is taking place. Because of the research objective I created, it forced us to rethink how I would collect the data. At first I felt like I then wouldn’t be making any progress from my first research paper, since it was also a comparative study. But, leaning into Naomi’s expertise, and this journey, I put that fear aside.
Naomi helped me rethink how this research would work. Instead of solely having a post-versescape survey, I would have a post-versescape survey and a post-open mic survey. Two separate surveys, that allow me to collect data after I perform at an open mic, compared to after one of my versescapes.
While I’m more confident in folks providing feedback after a versescape, I admit I am nervous about asking folks to complete a survey after performing at an open mic. It brings an element of analyzing that creatives may shy away from. While I haven’t tested this out yet, it’s something I’m aware of.
Going into my third and final meeting with Naomi, I was asked to brainstorm possible research questions. Naomi suggested I use an AI tool to help me brainstorm. Alongside ChatGPT, I created this initial list:
Which type of event did you attend (Open Mic or Versescape)
How did you feel overall after the poetry performance? (Open-ended)
Which poem impacted you the most, and why? (Open-ended)
How did the setting (open mic or Versescape) influence your experience of the poems? (Open-ended)
Did the use of technology (visual displays, interactive polling) enhance your engagement with the poetry? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
How would you rate your emotional connection to the poems performed today? (Scale 1-5)
Did seeing or hearing other audience members’ responses or interpretations change your understanding of the poems? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
How comfortable did you feel engaging with the artist during the performance? (Scale 1-5)
Did the artist’s prompting questions help you think more deeply about the poems? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
How likely are you to attend another event like this in the future? (Scale 1-5)
What emotions did the performance bring up for you? (Open-ended)
Did hearing the poems performed a cappella change the way you understood them compared to reading? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
How did the group setting (with other audience members) affect your engagement with the poems? (Scale 1-5)
Would you say the setting felt intimate and personal? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
How did the event compare to your expectations? (Open-ended)
Was the poetry experience enhanced by the physical environment (lighting, seating, etc.)? (Scale 1-5)
Do you feel the experience allowed you to connect with others in the audience? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
Were you inspired to think differently about any of the topics presented in the poems? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
Did you feel comfortable sharing your own thoughts or responses during the event? (Scale 1-5)
Do you think the performance style (a cappella) fit well with the content of the poems? (Scale 1-5)
Would you recommend an event like this to friends? (Yes/No, with optional explanation)
Questions in bold were the questions I liked the best.
Key Takeaways (Meeting 2):
Comparative studies allow for understanding of how different variables affect outcomes.
The experience of the person taking the survey should be taken into account when designing research questions. Specifically considering their type and length.
3) Final Surveys and Future Considerations
For the final meeting with Naomi, we mainly focused on selecting questions for the survey. We made the decision early into our conversation, it would be best to split the questions into three groups: open mic specific, versescape specific, and common on both. Originally I was trying to word the questions so they would apply in both contexts, but this distinction allowed for my freedom and flexibility.
With Naomi, I began to group my favorite questions into those 3 buckets.
After my final meeting with Naomi, I began to continue to look over these questions, and marked a few questions to delete as I brainstormed other questions. You’ll notice that each question does list possible option choices as I aimed to have the survey be something that could be completed in approximately 2 minutes.
During the last few minutes of our final meeting, we began to discuss looking at the data and how frequently I would analyze it. While I have more questions on this, I know I’ll need to get started collecting data before that’s a real issue.
I’ve continued to use AI to help me refine the questions after my final meeting with Naomi, and was able to create two separate surveys with these questions as my final first set.
Key Takeaway (Meeting 3):
Multiple surveys can have similar questions to allow for comparison on common data points to answer one aligned research question across forms.
4) Final Reflection:
I’m very pleased with the final outcome of my post-open mic and post-versescape surveys. Each I believe will provide valuable data on how people are experiencing my poetry and also how technology can possible enhance or hinder engagement.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be mentored by someone who is in the world of UX. While I could have created a survey myself, the types of questions and the overall alignment of my questions to my goal of continuing to explore the intersection of poetry and experience design has been enhanced by Naomi’s support. I have already put in applications for future mentorship opportunities in the world of UX.
As I engaged with open mics and venues for my versescapes, communicating that I won’t be collecting personal data will be key. I want to use this anonymous data to better understand how environments and technology impact engagement, but also use the learnings to continue to evolve versescapes. My anxiousness about asking this of local open mic spaces is only alleviated by hoping that others can understand, and I can clearly articulate the value of better being able to understand audiences.
Looking forward to sharing more in future entries, as I’ll be documenting the planning and creation of my first true versescape.
From love,
Towards togetherness,
In forgiveness,
ADSS