Cognitive mapping

What it is

“A drawing exercise”: Users are asked to produce a visual representation of their mental models.

Example of a cognitive map of the concept 'My digital life'

Why this method

  • Exploratory and discovery-based round.
  • Helpful for exploring research questions with ambiguous aspects that are tough to communicate verbally.

How to use

Checklist:

  1. A stack of blank paper and a black pen, two more pens in contrasting colours.
  2. A silent timer.
  3. Scripts: an encouraging intro

Time: at least one day (prepare, carry out and analyse the research), 6-10mins (per test)

Participants: 6 to 12

Steps:

  1. Give your participants the paper and pens and do the intro.
  2. The drawing exercise: Start a silent timer and keep quiet when they draw. After 2 minutes and again after 4 minutes, gently take the pen they’re using ang give them the next one. Mark the colour order, e.g., 1 black, 2 blue, 3 red. Tell them when they’ve got 20 seconds left.
  3. Ask the participants if they’d like to explain what they’ve drawn. Prompt for extra details when needed.
  4. Ask whether if they’d draw it differently if they did it again.

Tips & variations

  • It’s fine if the participants spend slightly longer or shorter than 6 minutes.
  • Don’t speculate: let everything be in their words if some of the drawing is skipped over during the explanation.

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