Contextual inquiry

A user-centered product development requires understanding the user and being able to put yourself in her shoes. With contextual inquiry, we observe users in their familiar environment when handling the product, ask them about their experience, and thus gain valuable insights for the remainder of the project.

Spiegel Institut supports socially disadvantaged children in Mannheim

Since 2017, the institute has actively worked with “Aufwind”, a social institution for parents and children, to combat child poverty in Mannheim. The institute not only provides financial support but also assists in creative change. Working with two Mannheim artists, it organized a creative day for children at the institution. It therefore succeeded in the truest sense of the word to help children “ascend”, a play on the institution’s name in German, in their everyday lives.

The successful completion of the research project on social- and emotion-sensitive assistance systems

Our daily lives present us with a range of sensors that enables us to access a world of technology with increasing levels of comfort. However, how can information from sensors be integrated to optimize technical assistance systems in vehicles, for example, in order to adaptively respond to the driver’s emotional states or social interaction?

Growing up in a shopping mall – entertainment offers for children in Chinese shopping malls

When conducting user lifestyle studies, Chinese parents normally have a standard answer when describing their weekend activities: taking their child to the shopping mall for a day of learning and entertainment. Let’s explore the offerings in shopping malls and why they are preferred by the Chinese parents and children.

What do Chinese consumers expect from an auto show?

Although I've never attended an auto show in China, I've read media reports about them.

I am always amazed by the wealth of technical information about new cars that one can obtain from an auto show until my colleague, who recently visited a car exhibition in China, told me:

 "You don't get this information on-site. Reporters receive the press release directly from the marketing department of the car manufacturers."