SOFT Add/remove

Purpose:

The purpose of the SOFT model is to investigate a system e.g. a company, a production, workflow etc. You will be investigating both the Space, Organization, Finance & Technology, hence SOFT, within the system. The SOFT model will help you gain an overview and accumulate a good amount of research prior to moving on to development phases.

Step by step Facilitating tips Materials needed Goes well with Download template (pdf)

Tips to include participants who are not able to:

See

If participants can not see, the method could be performed orally as long as you either record it or make another group member, a facilitator or a helper write it down ensuring that the data will not get lost. It should be saved in a way that is easy to access from time to time.

Focus

If participants have a hard time focusing, make longer breaks between filling in the four categories, and keep the suggestions for filling in categories simple and brief.

Speak

If participants are not able to speak, all communication about what to put on the template can be done through sign language or in written form.

Hear

If participants are not able to hear, all communication about what to put on the template can be done through sign language or in written form.

Think

If participants have a hard time being analytic and reflective, keep the time for filling in each category brief, and include photos and other relevant appendix to help stimulate reflection.

Hold

If participants are unable to hold, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing on the template. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members.

Move

If participants are unable to move, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members. The participants should though still explain their own ideas to not feel excluded.

Touch

If participants are unable to touch, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing on the template. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members.

Overview

Input

Research

Output

Overview of system

Complexity

Moderate to Complex

Time

Ongoing

Participants

You and your design team. If used in a workshop; groups of 3.

Activity

  • Be analytical
  • Be reflective
  • Interact with users

Step by step:

  1. Divide participants in groups of 3.

  2. 4 areas need to be investigated: Space, Organization, Finance & Technology.

  3. You should be investigating the following within space:

    1. Workspace
    2. Physical properties
    3. Layout
    4. Distributing workspaces

  4. You should be investigating the following within the organization:

    1. How is the organization put together?
    2. What is the organization’s goal?
    3. How is the work distributed?
      • Division of labor
      • Roles & responsibilities
      • Coordination
      • Cooperation
      • Management
      • Reward System

  5. You should be investigating the following within finances:

    1. Wage costs
    2. Purchases
    3. Income
    4. Investments

  6. You should be investigating the following within technology:

    1. Machiner
    2. Equipment & assistive devices
    3. IT systems
    4. Communication tools

When doing this method you should consider:

If you decide to use the SOFT model within a workshop it would be a good idea to only choose one of the four areas meaning either space, organization, finances or technology as the method can be overwhelming.

If you decide to work within space, we recommend you to use the method ‘physical model’. If you decide to work within organization, we recommend you to use the method ‘flow model’ and/or ‘sequence model’. If you decide to work within technology, we recommend you to use the method ‘artifact model’. You could also decide just to focus on the work practices within the sytem, if so, we recommend you to use the cultural model.

 

Materials needed:

Organized folders for data, pens, paper, computer, images