Cross impact analysis: an alternative way of qualitative data analysis of repertory grid technique

Abstract

User research in understanding people's needs and expectations is a critical part of the design process. Researchers have sought to find methods that help them to collect data and lead the design process properly. To achieve this, several methods have been borrowed from other disciplines, one of which is repertory grid technique (RGT). While RGT has been widely used in user research, a common understanding of how the qualitative data of RGT should be analysed is still missing. This paper explores the qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods of RGT and suggests using cross impact analysis (CIA) for data analysis of qualitative data. It compares the results of suggested qualitative data analysis with the results of quantitative analysis. The paper further discusses the potentials of CIA and makes suggestions about usage of it.