The Autodesk office in San Francisco's Financial District overlooks the renovated Ferry Terminal and is across the street from the Embarcadero. With all the trendy restaurants, coffee shops and gourmet foods around, I can think of no better place to work in SF. It's no accident that this location is filling up with more Autodeskers. Autodesk had initially taken over the 5th floor around 2001 but less than a year ago added the 2nd floor, bringing the total space used to 90,000 sq ft. The One Market office, as it is known, houses a product gallery, usability labs, is the home of Autodesk Labs, and serves as the office of Jeff Kowalski, Autodesk's CTO.
Jason Medal-Katz, "curator" of the product design gallery, ready to greet
visitors to Autodesk's first customer research open house.
To show itself off, the One Market office had scheduled its first ever design research open house. The guest list filled up fast but Autodesk was kind enough to fit me in at the last minute and even supply me with a personal guide
.
It's not modern art. Jennifer Ha of Autodesk shows a cross section of the suspension cable used to support the self-anchored suspension bridge due to replace part of the old Bay Bridge.
Most impressive is the product gallery, which is as attractive and interestintg as the best industrial design gallery I've seen. Displays include a model of the new self anchored suspension (SAS) bridge across the San Francisco Bay (replacing the hideous truss section damaged by the 1989 earthquake), models of concept cars, a actual size dinosaur made of Lego bricks (Maxine is 62,000 bricks and counting), even a Ford Shelby Mustang (on loan from Ford) which had to brought in by removing glass panels in the wall. A video show how that was done. If you are wondering what relevance all of that has to Autodesk, a placard will describe what software was used in the creation. In a surprisingly magnamanious gesture, Autodesk lists even rival software along with its own.
Author contributes to finishing Maxine, a Lego dinosaur.
About 250 people showed up, with several going gaga for the technology on display, such as the Boom Chameleon. Beer and wine flowed and there were plenty of snacks around.
Autodesk enacted an abbreviated focus group session during the open house. For the initiated, focus groups are how the major league software vendors solicit user input. Think of a cross between a movie screening - where every titter and groan is recorded and analyzed -- and an interrogation room complete with one way glass and closed circuit cameras. Participants are given no money but gifts range from iPods to Amazon gift certificates.
Erin Bradner, User Research Manager, facilitates a focus group session at
Autodesk's customer research facility, determining usability -- and willingness
to pay -- for a 3D visualization application.
Though most focus group session take longer, I got a good idea in about half an hour how Autodesk elicits user feedback. About a half a dozen of us took turns using an experimental interface that allow movement of buildings in 3D by manipulating coaster-like shapes with checkered patterns. All except two mechanical designers -- who felt the interface was a bit sloppy -- were impressed. "Wow, that's great" was not enough, though. Users were gently probed for specifics. Towards the end, the users were asked what they would pay for such an application. Maximum was a $100. Tough crowd. I was thinking higher.
A second staffer also took notes but Autodesk is not content with pen and paper. The session is recorded and observers can also see the session behind one-way glass. For tonight's session, product managers were present, and I'm sure eager to see real life testing that either confirmed or altered the usability preconceptions they might have had.
Says Erin, "The take away for all of us is the relationship we’ve built local customers who are committed to participate in future studies in San Francisco."
For more information, see http://usa.autodesk.com/company/autodesk-gallery
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