L2 Inquiry - Context

L2 Inquiry Overview

L2 Inquiry - Research

Ko ia kāhore nei i rapu, tē kitea

He who does not seek will not find

How can you help? How can you make a difference? Even if it is just small....

Focus / Context

How do you decide on the focus of your inquiry?

The scope of your inquiry could have a global, national, or local focus. It could be how the issue is dealt with in your community or your suburb, school or home. The community can be global, national or local.

Some starters to help you decide what your focus might be ....

What ideas am I interested in?
What do I know about the topic?
How do I know about it?
What experience do I have with this topic?

What do I want to know?
What am I wondering?
What are my questions?
What am I feeling?

Places to find Big Picture Ideas

If you are keen to solve an issue check out some of these places...

United Nations SDGs

Galaxy Zoo

ECan

Task 1 - Write your Focus or Context

Write a short statement, story, or guiding question that explains what you want to explore and why it matters. Keep it about the topic, audience, or issue, do not describe what you will make yet.

For example.....

I love gaming and I’m interested in gaming communities and what makes them welcoming (or unwelcoming) for different people.
I’ve always drawn, and I want to explore how visual storytelling can communicate a message clearly to an audience.
I want to help.... [people in my school community better understand [topic] or access [information/support] more easily]
The underrepresentation of trans people in fictional media, and how limited representation affects people’s sense of identity and belonging.

Essential or Big Question

You now have a focus area. Next, write one “big question” that you will investigate and try to respond to through your project. Your key question should be clear, researchable, and focused on the need/issue and the people involved, not the specific solution yet.

For example.....

How can I create a brand identity that appeals to my target audience and communicates the right message across different platforms?
How can I design an engaging game experience for a specific player group, with mechanics and feedback that feel fair and enjoyable?
How might I help my grandparents with a task they find difficult, in a way that is accessible, simple, and suits their needs?
How can I help my pony club solve a real problem (e.g., communication, event info, safety, member resources) in a way that’s practical and easy to use?

How might we raise awareness about mental health in a way that is supportive, accurate, and appropriate for a teenage audience?
How can transgender representation in fictional media be respectful, non-harmful, and challenge transphobia without becoming tokenistic or limiting?
How might we help [user group] complete [task] more easily and confidently?
What information do [audience] need to make better choices about [topic], and what makes that information easy to understand and trust?

Task 2 - Write your Big Question

Based on your area of focus what is the main question (also known as essential or big) you are trying to find answers to?

How to answer your Essential or Big Question

Break it down by asking more questions. This will help you unpack your big question...

You have your main question but you need to ask a whole lot of questions to be able to answer this question. In the end you should have a range of questions that you are going to follow up in research.

Think about what you do know and don't know - where are your gaps?

Try and elimate any bias or assumptions you may have.

These questions and your research will help you write the proposal for your DT outcome and also guide your Design and Development.

The intention is that you don’t just gather “facts.” You explore:

General research = What’s out there?
Implications = Why does it matter? Who’s affected?
Conventions = What rules or norms should guide how I design or present my outcome?

An easy way to make sure you get a wide lense is to split your research into 3 parts...

Part A - User & Human Perspective

Purpose: Understand the people who will use, be affected by, or interact with the outcome.

General Research: Explore your topic/theme from a human angle. What do people care about? What problems or opportunities exist for them? What similar outcomes already exist, and how are they used?

Implications: Think about the people who might use or be affected by your outcome. How could it impact their lives, communities, or cultures? Will it be accessible and usable for different groups of people?

Part B - Technical & Practical Perspective

Purpose: Investigate tools, methods, and feasibility of creating the outcome.

General Research: Investigate how outcomes like yours are built. What tools, software, or processes are used? What works well, and what doesn’t? How do different technical approaches compare?

Implications: Consider the practical side of your outcome. Will it function reliably? Is it safe to make or use? How sustainable is it? Will it still be useful in the future?

Conventions: Look at the technical standards or methods used in your digital area — e.g., schematic diagrams, data models, CAD drawings, naming conventions, usability heuristics, or genre conventions. These are the “rules of the craft” that make digital outcomes consistent and professional.

Part C - Wider Implications & Perspectives

Purpose: Understand the bigger picture, responsibilities, and ethical impacts of the outcome.

General Research: Zoom out and explore the bigger picture around your topic. What are the global or societal issues connected to it? What do experts, policies, or current debates say?

Implications: Think about responsibilities and impacts beyond just the user. Are there legal rules you need to follow? Ethical issues like fairness or bias? Do you need to protect your own work (IP) or respect others’? How might privacy, sustainability, or future proofing influence your choices?

Your Questions

Now you need to work out what questions you are going to ask to direct your research...

Writing strong research questions

Good research questions are open and neutral.

Better question starters

“What do people find difficult about…?”
“What would make it easier to…?”
“What do users expect from…?”
“What matters most to… and why?”
“What are the risks or responsibilities when…?”

Avoid (or rewrite) these

Leading questions: “Don’t you think…?”
Closed questions: “Is it good?” (yes/no)

If you need a survey, include a mix:

a few quick multiple-choice questions (easy to answer)
at least one open question (explains why)

Types of Questions

Expanding Question
What kind of physical activity do you engage in with your family?

Leading Question

Do you think your family undervalues cycling?

Closed Question
Is cycling a focus for your family?

Closed & Leading Question
Do you think your family should cycle more, or do you think you do enough?

Task 3 - Write your Questions

Based on your area of focus what is the main question (also known as essential or big) you are trying to find answers to?

These might help you get started:

Part A

User & Human Perspective

Who is this for, and what do they actually need?

Who are the primary end users, and what are their goals in this situation?
What problem, need, or opportunity am I responding to (from the user’s point of view)?
What does success look like for the user (quick, clear, enjoyable, accurate, safe, accessible)?
What frustrations or barriers do users currently face with existing solutions?
What are the different user types (beginner vs expert, different ages, abilities, languages, access to devices/internet)?
What assumptions am I making about users — and how can I check these are accurate?
What motivates users to engage with an outcome like this (purpose, fun, convenience, identity, learning, community)?
What feedback have I already gathered from people, and what patterns are showing up?

Part B

Technical & Practical Perspective

How could this be built well, and what will make it actually work?

What are the main features/components my outcome will need to function as intended?
What tools/software/materials are commonly used for outcomes like this, and why?
What are the pros/cons of different technical approaches (time, complexity, quality, performance, reliability)?
What skills will I need to learn or practise to create this successfully?
What constraints do I need to plan for (time, hardware, file formats, storage, performance, cost, available equipment)?
What will I need to test, and how will I know it’s working (criteria, measures, user testing, technical checks)?
What risks could cause failure (bugs, weak structure, low-quality assets, fragile parts, unsafe operation), and how can I reduce them?
What conventions or “rules of the craft” apply in this area to keep it consistent and professional?

Part C

Wider Implications & Perspectives

What responsibilities and impacts sit around this outcome?

What ethical issues could come up in my context (representation, stereotypes, consent, manipulation, bias, misinformation)?
What privacy or data considerations apply (collecting info, storing it, sharing it, tracking users, filming people)?
What legal rules might apply (copyright, licensing, attribution, music/images/fonts, terms of use, safety standards)?
Who else could be affected beyond the end user (whānau, school community, wider audience, people represented)?
How might this outcome include or exclude certain groups, and what could I do to improve accessibility and inclusion?
What cultural considerations should guide decisions (respectful use of imagery/language/stories, avoiding tokenism, consultation)?
What sustainability considerations matter (materials, waste, energy use, repairability, longevity, e-waste)?
How might this outcome need to adapt over time (future-proofing, updates, changing needs, new devices/platforms)?
What perspectives do experts, organisations, or current debates raise about this topic, and how should that influence my choices?
What rules, guidelines, or constraints must I follow for this context and audience?

Something interesting....

Why might you look at colours - have you ever seen the logo wheel --->

What do you notice?
What types of companies or businesses are in green? What types of worlds do we associate with green - clean, environment? Why do you think they have done this?
What category do you notice is in Yellow/Orange/Red?
Colour Psychology is really interesting if it's relevant to your project