Universal Methods of Design

SYNTHESIS / ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE

17 Content Analysis

Content analysis is the systematic description of form and content of written, spoken, or visual materials expressed in themes, patterns, and counted occurrences of words, phrases, images, or concepts.

Qualitative research methods that collect rich descriptions such as open-ended responses, narrative descriptions, and visual expressions are often characterized as an “attractive nuisance.”¹ On the one hand, the material contains deep accounts of compelling information critical to design inquiry; on the other hand, lengthy text, interview transcripts, and ambiguous images can be challenging and ...