101.30 GO ALONG
The Go Along is a qualitative research method used to conduct place-based interviews. Walking along with a colleague or a person you’re designing a space for can help you better understand the environment through their eyes while you’re both actively experiencing it.
Source: This activity is inspired by Margarethe Kusenbach.
INSPIRATION
GO ALONG
Preparation
This is a two-person activity.
It will take about an hour.
You might want a notebook, a camera, and even a recorder (video or audio).
Instructions
Take a colleague, community member, or friend on a 003.10 Site Visit, but treat the experience like an 005.20 Empathy Map.
Ask "Where do you go to come back to yourself, fill up, rest, or restore?" and then follow them there, asking questions along the way. Questions should give you a deeper understanding of why they go to this place and what they do while they're there.
Tips
If the person seems a little nervous, ask them to first walk you through how they leave for the day. Ask questions just as you would if you were trying to design something about leaving.
Extend
Visit several places in one go along.
Process what you learned using this template.
Ask people across a range of different experiences and identities to do this.
Consider
What stressors does this person encounter?
What do they find restorative?
How often do they take the time to visit? What enables them to come? What prevents?
How could the library make it easier for this person to visit this place (or places like it) more often?
Is the library making it hard to visit this place?
