• All Methods
    • Strategize
      • 5D Framework
      • Break Down 4
      • Business Model Canvas
      • Competitive Analysis
      • Could, Should, Must
      • Dot Coding
      • Eisenhower Matrix
      • Future Trends
      • Golden Circle
      • HEART Framework
      • How Might We
      • Innovation Board
      • Knowns and Unknowns Framework
      • KPI Tracking
      • Minimum Viable Product
      • One-Minute-Pitch
      • Stakeholder Map
      • SWOT Analysis
      • User Stories
      • Value Proposition
    • Observe
      • 5 Whys
      • 6 Thinking Hats
      • AEIOU Framework
      • Challenge Assumptions
      • Content Audit
      • Contextual Inquiry Plan
      • Emotional Journey Map
      • Empathy Map
      • Field Study
      • Focus Groups
      • Jobs-to-be-done
      • Journey Mapping
      • Mental Models
      • Mobile Diaries
      • Mystery Shopping
      • Netnography
      • Observation
      • Personas
      • Poems
      • Product Love Letters
      • Search-Log Analysis
      • Social Media Monitoring
      • Surveys
      • User Interviews
    • Ideate
      • 6-3-5 Brainwriting
      • Bodystorming
      • Brainstorming
      • Card Sorting
      • Collage
      • Crazy Eights
      • Dark Horse Prototyping
      • Mind Mapping
      • Moodboards
      • SCAMPER
      • Service Blueprints
      • Storyboards
      • Walt Disney Method
      • Worst Possible Ideas
      • Wow-How-Now Matrix
    • Validate
      • A/B Testing
      • Click Dummy
      • Concept Testing Plan
      • Eye Tracking
      • High-Fidelity Prototyping
      • Hypothesis Testing
      • Lessons Learned
      • Low-Fidelity Prototyping
      • Pluralistic Walkthrough
      • Poster Session
      • Remote Usability Test
      • User Testing
      • Wizard of Oz
      • World Café
    • Warm-up
      • 5 Whys
      • Brainstorming
      • Break Down 4
      • Crazy Eights
      • Destroy and Defend
      • Emoji Challenge
      • Impromotion
      • Mind Mapping
      • Product Pitch
      • The Aliens Have Landed
      • Touch Blue
      • Two Truths and a Lie
      • What's on your Desk?
  • Workshop Bundles
  • About us
  • Meet the Creators
  • Get Support
  1. UX Strategy Kit
  2. Methods
  3. Poems
beginnerobserve
PoemsPoems is great to structure your field research during user and environment observations.
60 – 120 min1+ Participantsworkshopsolousers
+2
Open in FigJam
Summary
By Observing the surroundings of your user you can learn a lot about them personally, the objects they use, the environment they’re living in, how and who they message and what services they use. The Poems method helps you to edit and structure all new information.
Step-by-step
  1. Recruit test candidates.
  2. Use the Poems templates and fill-out the cells for each of the five subjects:
    1. People: Who are they in touch with? What are these people's roles, behaviours etc.
    2. Objects: With what devices, tools, helpers are the users interacting with?
    3. Environments: Where are the users spending their time and which effect does their surrounding have on them?
    4. Messages: Observe their messaging and communication behaviours. How do they communicate on a personal and professional level? What are their social interactions? What kind of language is being used?
    5. Services: Which frameworks, apps or services do they use? What do they use it for and why? How do they use it?
  3. Make sure to fill-out the Poems templates and pay attention to what is happening. Refer to the Observation method for more details.
  4. When performing this method at a larger scale, you will start to develop an overview of the pain points and behavioural patterns. The interpretation is up to you and your team and depends on the potential of your product.
What you need
  • Poems template
External resources
  • POEMS
    by The Design Exchange
Do you have a question?
These methods might seem simple, but applying them in a real project is another story. We’re there to help. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at the User Experience Strategy & Design team.
Ask Away!
Explore similar methods
Empathy Mapobserve
1+ Participants
45 – 90 min

Collect information about how the emotional and mental world of your user looks like.

SCAMPERideate
1+ Participants
50 – 85 min

Stimulate new ideas and challenge existing ones.

User Interviewsobserve
5+ Participants
2 – 5 d

First-hands insights and observations from real or potential users.

Destroy and Defendwarm-up
4+ Participants
30 – 50 min

Praise and criticize.

Surveysobserve
50+ Participants
5 – 30 d

Method for collecting quantitive data on a certain topic.

© Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, 2023.
Follow us
  • Dribbble
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Behance
Categories
  • Strategize
  • Observe
  • Ideate
  • Validate
  • Warm-up
Learn more
  • About Us
  • User Experience Strategy & Design
  • Liquid Design System
Legal
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Imprint
Follow us
  • Dribbble
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Behance
This website uses cookies to give you the best, most relevant experience. Using this website means you’re OK with this. You can change which cookies are set at any time – and find out more about them in our Cookie Policy.