Assignment 3: Design Safari

Bingo!

As I had never played bingo before I decided to go to last week to a local bingo hall, with 2 other design students and my flat mate in order to carry out observational research. I looked at social grouping, the space people occupied, the ‘type of people’ there, services and noted many other relevant observations.

Initial observations

• Chatter during the intervals
• Quite silent during the game, few people saying I need only one number or I need 2, quiet, almost whispered comments were made.
• Groans when someone else won the game
• No one really seemed to notice us, but we were the only group of four people our age. Easily the youngest group in the room.
• Felt quite out of place.
• We were quite unsure of ourselves, not sure quite what to do, how to act, how to play etc
• Bright, garish decoration/furnishings.
• Green, blue and red coloured seating zones.
• Various seating levels. Balcony, the area under the balcony, main floor etc
• Lots of elderly people, 80/20 female/male split

Services

• Notes were changed for coins at the tables so people could play the electronic table top interval computerised games
• Table service
• Help when needed
• There was place to park mobility scooters.
• After registering we were given ‘New to the Game’ booklets then told how and where to purchase our ticket books. Next a member of staff showed us around. We then chose where we wanted to sit and the member of staff briefly explained how to play and what order the tickets would be played in. We were then reassured if we had any problems plenty of staff would be on hand to help. The interval games were not explained to us, however we quickly worked this out by ourselves.

Social Grouping and the space people occupied.

• Many of the players were quite elderly. Perhaps because it’s quite an expensive activity. Can be enjoyed by the less mobile? Social activity?
• A few middle aged players, normally 2 women together.
• There were both elderly male and female players but in general more of the players were female.
• There were some single players, mostly elderly men on their own. Perhaps live alone?
• Young players seemed to be with mums/grandparents. Perhaps keeping a family member company?
• Casual dress, most people were quite scruffy.
• A lot of people seemed to go for a cigarette in the intervals if they were not playing the interval games.
• Few people seemed to use the bar or food facilities. Some people had a jug of beer on their table. Promotion/don’t need to leave the game can stay seated for a reasonable length of time.
• People seemed to be spread out as far as possible, even groups of 3-4 people were spread over two tables side by side, which would seat 8 people. People seemed to like to spread their tickets out, may help them to concentrate? Like to have their own space rather than cramped up? Little time for conversation between games.

Actions

An elderly lady who was sat a couple of tables away on her own, but perhaps knew the man and lady at the neighbouring table caught my attention. As she had everything laid out neatly around her, tickets in front of her, an assortment of pens on her right, her coat folded on the seat opposite her and her handbag placed on top. In the middle of the table facing her was sat a little teddy, perhaps a dog. Good luck teddy?

A middle aged lady who puzzled me a bit was someone who was sat close to us with her friend. The lady seemed to get very agitated when she didn’t win and also agitated at her friend who she seemed to be new to the game and so was asking for help. When she did win she simply called out house and received her money, she didn’t seem happy or excited as I would of expected.

The experience was interesting and i think i will take more mental notes of peoples behaviour in the future. I could also see how such observations could be used in design. For example how could bingo ticket sales be increased? Why not advertise to younger people, student nights? And how about more incentives for men to play? Food and drink sales i think would increase if there was waiter service.