Fast, cheap & somewhat in Fast, cheap & somewhat in controlcontrol

10 lessons from the design of 10 lessons from the design of SlideShareSlideShare

Rashmi Sinha

SlideShare & Uzanto

http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi/10-lessons-http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi/10-lessons-oz-iaoz-ia

working at a startup…

traditional UX methods or agile design

SlideShareSlideSharelaunched Oct 2006launched Oct 2006

Presentations are hard to Presentations are hard to share share

Large-scale sharing like pictures/video

Office 2.0?

Large-scale sharing like pictures/video

Office 2.0?

on slideshare...on slideshare... Users drive navigation (tags, popularity)

Popular content floats to top

Slides as microcontent

Mash up slides with audio

Users drive navigation (tags, popularity)

Popular content floats to top

Slides as microcontent

Mash up slides with audio

What What people share people share on SlideShareon SlideShare

Venture capitalists share advise

Ministers share sermons

Teachers share lesson plans

Entrepreneurs share business plans

Venture capitalists share advise

Ministers share sermons

Teachers share lesson plans

Entrepreneurs share business plans

10 Lessons from 10 Lessons from SlideShareSlideShare

1. The1. The alpha alpha as theas the first reaction first reaction

2. The2. The beta beta is theis the market probe market probe Research is about hypotheticals, quick feedback to real thing

Research is about hypotheticals, quick feedback to real thing

the risk of failure?the risk of failure?

social sites as social sites as complex systemscomplex systems

HowHow developed developed should theshould the Beta Beta be?be? Get basic concept across and no more

Leave room for flexibility

Get basic concept across and no more

Leave room for flexibility

3. You don’t need personas3. You don’t need personasWhen you know your users by

name

They want to visit your offices

They email you everyday

When you know your users by name

They want to visit your offices

They email you everyday

Get into aGet into a conversation conversation with with

users users Answer emails personally

Monitor blogs, subscribe to RSS

Customer service as user research

Answer emails personally

Monitor blogs, subscribe to RSS

Customer service as user research

4. Launch 4. Launch first,first, refine refine laterlater

Avoid analysis - paralysis

Look at best practices, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

Avoid analysis - paralysis

Look at best practices, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

5. 5. Just in timeJust in time design design

Design – development hand in hand

Deliverables editable by everyone

Design – development hand in hand

Deliverables editable by everyone

Feedback emailFeedback email

Personal emailsPersonal emails

Blog postsBlog posts

Shadow AppShadow App

Web analyticsWeb analytics

Phone conversationsPhone conversations

User forumUser forumSlideshows about SlideShare

Slideshows about SlideShare

Get yourself aGet yourself a shadow shadow appapp

Simpler than web analytics

Track crucial metrics daily

Measure project success, iterate

Simpler than web analytics

Track crucial metrics daily

Measure project success, iterate

6.6. designer-developer designer-developer role is role is

crucialcrucial

Easier communication

Reduced design work

Easier communication

Reduced design work

7. Under invest in 7. Under invest in visual designvisual designusers feel ownership of space

unpolished look is fine

users feel ownership of space

unpolished look is fine

8. Pay attention to 8. Pay attention to technical technical simplicitysimplicity

Complex > slower, riskier, harder to

maintain

Complex > slower, riskier, harder to

maintain

9. Single biggest win:9. Single biggest win: make app make app faster faster

10. There is something about 10. There is something about social social websiteswebsites

Design for individual

Usability

Interaction

Engagement

Design for individual

Usability

Interaction

Engagement

Design for crowds

Social networks

People interacting

Wisdom of crowds

Design for crowds

Social networks

People interacting

Wisdom of crowds

Forget the ipod!Forget the ipod!

Give up controlGive up controlThis is messy!This is messy!

Beyond hand-crafted Beyond hand-crafted IAIA

Plant seeds, let people Plant seeds, let people connectconnect

emergent architectureemergent architecture(or Social IA)(or Social IA)

Finally...Finally...

sometimes sometimes process / methods process / methods become become baggagebaggage

when to let it go

programmers are switching to agile methods

when will it be time for designers?

when to let it go

programmers are switching to agile methods

when will it be time for designers?

CapitulateCapitulateCollaborateCollaborateor or InitiateInitiate

Marianne SweenyMarianne Sweeny

be be experimental. experimental. createcreate

somethingsomething

Mashup RSS feeds (Yahoo Pipes)

Build your own social network (Ning)

Play with an API (Google Maps)

Read Emergence, Wisdom of Crowds

Mashup RSS feeds (Yahoo Pipes)

Build your own social network (Ning)

Play with an API (Google Maps)

Read Emergence, Wisdom of Crowds

Share slides athttp://www.slideshare.net/tag/ozia07

you can find me at http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi

Do you need Do you need traditional traditional UX methodsUX methods to design a to design a

SlideShareSlideShare??

YESYES:: When When feedbackfeedback becomes abecomes a torrenttorrent

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization. Diff user groups

Users have specific expectancies from product

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Designing completely new features

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization. Diff user groups

Users have specific expectancies from product

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Designing completely new features