Bullet Proof Communication Techniques: A UX Strategist's GuideSarah B. Nelson, Principal of User Experience

user experiencehuman

50% of our job0% of our training

“The frightening and most difficult thing about being what someone calls a ‘creative person’ is that you have absolutely no idea where any of your thoughts come from, and you have no idea where they’re going to come from tomorrow.”— from “Art and Copy”

image of meeting roomimage of meeting room

work smarternot harder

essentialsbasic communication skills

ideascreative ways to communicate

essentialslisteningknow yourselfunderstand others

essentialslisteningknow yourselfunderstand others

1. Meet the person next to you2. Choose a Listener and Speaker3. Speaker: Speak for 1.5 minutes4. Listener: Just listen. Don’t comment or speak.

Talk about an object that you have or want to have that you love.* thanks to Kevin Brooks for this great exercise

Let’s do this*

essentialslisteningknow yourselfunderstand others

“Emotional Literacy is made up of ‘the ability to understand your emotions, the ability to listen to others and empathise with their emotions, and the ability to express emotions productively. To be emotionally literate is to be able to handle emotions in a way that improves your personal power and improves the quality of life around you. Emotional literacy improves relationships, creates loving possibilities between people, makes co-operative work possible, and facilitates the feeling of community.”— Charles Steiner

Fear

essentialslisteningknow yourselfunderstand others

essentialsbasic communication skills

ideascreative ways to communicate

participatory design

Designing with users, not for users.

Users aren’t designers.stakehold

erseither

VP Marketing designer engineers

CEO

VP Call Center

CFOdesigner

designer

ideasgo visualditch the deckcreate experiences

apps-on.com

uistencils.com

other visual toolsworksheetsposterspaper dolls

persona idea number

considerations for other personas

clear space for ideas

compelling title

designer

operationsCFOdesigner

other visual toolsworksheetsposterspaper dolls

These posters were used to add detail to a concept

then evaluate its desirability to users, feasibility for

implementation, and viability in the marketplace.

other visual toolsworksheetsposterspaper dolls

ideasgo visualditch the deckcreate experiences

Discovery2 weeks

Foundation Engagement

Customer Research2 weeks

Analysis & Vision1 week

Concept Development4 weeks

Your CustomersWho are they?What do you know about them?

What do they want from Rackspace?

What do you want them to experience?

Your BusinessHow will you measure success?

What KPIs are you using and are they the right ones?

What outcomes are you striving for?

What is the competitive landscape?

Your OrganizationWhat attributes are unique to Rackspace’s culture?

How will that culture a!ect the success of this project?

Who needs to be involved? And how?

Talking with Your CustomersWhat is our hypothesis about our identified customers?

What specifically do we need to know from them?

How are they experiencing Rackspace now? Fanatical

Support?

Understanding the MetricsHow do people actually behave on the site?

Where are the bumps? What’s working?

Where are the opportunities?

Understanding the CompetitionHow do customers think about your competitors?

Where does Rackspace sit in their mental model?

Where space could Rackspace occupy if it doesn’t already?

Analyzing the resultsDid our hypothesis hold up?

What opportunities exist?

Imagining the FutureWhat do these findings mean from a design and

business view point?What could a re-imagined Rackspace.com look like?

What implications are there for product o!erings and

other Rackspace experiences?

What should the core aspects of the experience be?

Concept Development and Testing

What is the best model for expressing the Rackspace

brand while delivering on the needs of customers?

Do our ideas work?Will customers accept this?

Will it meet our success criteria?

Customer Interviews

Metrics Analysis

Customer Identification & Prioritization

Interviews and Workshops

Value Proposition Articulation

Brand, Visual, and Message Articulation

Competitive Analysis

Sketch and Concept Workshop

Concept Development

Customer TestingPersona Workshop

Hot Studio | Proposal for Rackspace Strategy and Research Engagement | April 27, 2011 | prepared byt Dan Harrelson, Julie Kim, and Sarah B. Nelson

Experience PrinciplesWalk in the customers’ shoes

Focus, focus, focus

Collaborate and include

Hypothesize, make and test

Volvelle image

ideasgo visualditch the deckcreate experiences

design the process1) visualize the outcome2) know the attendees3) design it, then forget it

design the process1) visualize the outcome2) know the attendees3) design it, then forget it

design the process1) visualize the outcome2) know the attendees3) design it, then forget it

design the process1) visualize the outcome2) know the attendees3) design it, then forget it

thank you

sarah.nelson@hotstudio.comwww.hotstudio.com

sarah.b.nelson@gmail.comwww.sarahbnelson.com@sarahbeeesarahbnelson.tumblr.com