While designing a custom web analytic project at work, Ive found myself increasingly intrigued in data sets. At work I’m thinking about data sets particular to the web, and at home I’m thinking about data sets specific to.just about anything, such as
Q: Number of cookies eaten today? A: 3
Q: Ratio of plants to humans? A: 13:2

My most recent analytic love affair involves Dot Surveys seen at the new-ish Divisadero/Grove Farmers’ Market (in my SF hood). Its still TBD if it will be a permanent fixture or if it was just a summer fling, but it seems that the organizers are using a lo-fi research method to find its staying power. Dot Surveys are a form of Rapid Marketing Assessment (RMA), and are being used to quickly but effectively gauge the market attendees. A few large pads of paper stand near the entry, each displaying simple questions and possible answers. The interactivity is intuitive. The users (market-goers) receive a sticker and place it under the answer that resonates with them. The result is a fairly fun&simple experience that delivers quantitative data to the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association .

Some Q&As include:
Q: What would you like to see added to this farmers’ market? A: Meat, Cheese, Olive Oil, Crafts
Q: How did you get to the farmers’ market? A: Walked, Biked, Drove, Public Transportation
Q: Would you come to this farmers’ market year-round? A: Yes/No

After chatting with the research volunteers for a bit, they shared a deeper layer of logic to the assessment!  The color sticker they hand out to each individual reflects another set of data! On this particular day, the sticker was indicative when the individual was attending the farmers’ market. I was visiting the market about 2pm (which was considered the last phase of the day), so I received a green sticker. (You can see in the photos, the green stickers are mainly placed towards the bottom of the paper). This extra set of data gives a bit more context to questions being asked. I was intrigued about this secret sticker data set so I asked a bit more and it turns out at other times they hand out certain colors based on gender and age range. The organizer said if he gave me a red sticker it would mean female in her 20s (phew! he thought I still looked like I was in my 20s!! )

Obviously the lo-fi RMA method is only appropriate for certain circumstances, but I cant get over how simple&effective it can be. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Google analytics, but colored-stickers-code simple Q&As, really get the job done here.