25 Jul Lesson 1: Attention as Discipline

Reference: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

 

Learning Objectives

• Train sustained observation: notice rhythm, pause, hesitation.
• Separate “what was said” from “how it was said.”
• Build a personal practice of attending before interpreting.

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Headline

“Pattern appears when you stay long enough to see it.”

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Narrative & UX Interpretation

De Keersmaeker’s choreography is built from repetition, variation, and the precise use of time and space. Watching her work teaches you to track micro-shifts: a held breath, a delayed entrance, a repeated phrase that suddenly fractures.
In UX research, the same discipline applies: insight often hides in timing and cadence, not in statements. The user’s pause may matter more than the answer. Attention is the first method.

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Developing Critical Thinking

• Don’t jump to “why” too soon—first map “when” and “where” something shifted.
• Treat pauses and repetitions as data, not noise.
• Ask: What pattern emerges only when I stop steering?
• Compare your notes with another researcher’s—what did each of you miss?

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Anchor & Process Grounding

• Anchor: Contextual Inquiry / Observational Research (NN/g).
• Grounding Move: Before every session, define which behavioural signals you will log (pauses, eye movement, return clicks). After the session, review them before reading the transcript.