Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

15
Jade Davis [email protected] Elizabeth Simister [email protected] Beyond Wireframes EMPOWERING LONGTERM PROJECT SUCCESS AFTER THE DESIGN WORK ENDS UserFocus Conference • October 17, 2014 Presenta<on is on Slideshare – Go to www.designforcontext.com/publica<ons @design4context #userfocus2014

description

Jade Davis and Elizabeth Simister Presentation at User Focus, the UXPA DC Chapter conference, Washington, D.C. – October 17, 2014 Whether you are an external consultant or internal UX resource, there will be situations when you can’t be there throughout the full project. And, let’s be honest, the delivered designs and what actually gets implemented and maintained aren’t always the same things. At some point, the UX designers wrap up and hand over, and the project team implements, maintains, expands, and continues the work. Often this is quite an undertaking, as team members deal with their day jobs as well as constantly shifting priorities. It can be challenging for teams to hold the line on needed improvements, advocate for user needs, foster the “big picture” over the long haul, and build on the UX work that was done. With one presenter coming from a UX background and one coming from the client side, we will discuss practical ways UX experts can help set the project team up for long-term success and maintain the value of the UX investment. UX practitioners will hear specific ideas about how to provide support, empowerment, and the needed resources that will be useful long after they’ve moved on to other things. Project team members will hear what they can do to continue to sustain the quality and tell the stories that advocate for users.

Transcript of Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

Page 1: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

©  Design  for  Context

Jade  Davis   [email protected]

Elizabeth  Simister   [email protected]

Beyond  Wireframes  EMPOWERING  LONG-­‐TERM  PROJECT  SUCCESS  AFTER    THE  DESIGN  WORK  ENDS    

1  

UserFocus  Conference  •  October  17,  2014  

Presenta<on  is  on  Slideshare  –  Go  to  www.designforcontext.com/publica<ons

   

@design4context      #userfocus2014  

Page 2: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus  2014 2  

©  Design  for  Context

COMMUNICATIONS  MANAGER  Communica<ons  exper<se,  focused  on  making  projects,  implementa<ons,  and  users  successful.  

Jade  Davis  

INTERACTION  DESIGNER  User  experience  research  and  design  exper<se,  as  an  in-­‐house  resource  and  consultant.

Elizabeth  Simister  

Page 3: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus  2014 3  

©  Design  for  Context

UX  work  has  a  long  half-­‐life  and  project  

teams  face  many  challenges…  What  else  

can  UXers  do  to  empower  them  for  long-­‐

term  success?

PERSPECTIVE  

Page 4: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus  2014 4  

©  Design  for  Context

STRATEGIES  

ThoughTul  communica<ons  and  documenta<on  can  

support  project  and  implementa<on  teams  in  <mes  

when  you  aren’t  there.

Page 5: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 5  

©  Design  for  Context

●  Keep  full  view  of  micro  and  macro  levels  

● ArKculate  connecKons  between  the  specifics  of  the  design  and  the  larger  vision  

● Draw  a  picture  and  share  it  

Big  picture  in  mind,  always  

Vision  

Org  /  Business  Strategy  

Specific  Project  ObjecKves  

Project  Approach  

Design  Approach  

Design  Specifics  

Page 6: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 6  

©  Design  for  Context

● Nurture  champions  ●  IdenKfy  influencers  in  each  segment  of  the  project  team  and  stakeholder  group(s)  

●  CulKvate  understanding,  ownership,  and  advocacy:  ● Use  stories  and  soundbites  that  resonate    

● Encourage  a  shared  narraKve  

● Use  props  

 

PlanKng  seeds  

Page 7: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus  2014 7  

©  Design  for  Context

Provide  materials  that  help  the  team  

maintain  the  design  and  its  intent  over  

<me,  and  expand  as  needed.

DOCUMENTATION  

Page 8: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 8  

©  Design  for  Context

● Break  the  work  into  manageable  pieces    ● Prevent  overwhelm  

● Contextualize  today’s  work  with  the  larger  goal  

●  Provide  a  larger-­‐scale  conversaKon  piece    ● Help  maintain  alignment  

● Aid  decision-­‐making  and  prioriKzaKon  

●  Sparks  more  substanKal  discussions      

Map  out  the  journey  

Page 9: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 9  

©  Design  for  Context

Original  Roadmap  

Category  

 Length  of  Time  and  Themes  

Short-­‐term   Mid-­‐term   Long-­‐term  

Search   Update  and  improve   Take  advantage  of  semanKcs,  taxonomies  

Enhance  with  visualizaKons,  new  features  

Specialized  sub-­‐sites   Improve  organizaKon  and  interacKon   Accommodate  sub-­‐sites   Provide  greater  integraKon  and  

opportuniKes  

MulK-­‐pla`orm   Incorporate  responsive  design,  pilot  concepts   Provide  valuable  offering(s)   Extend  capabiliKes  

PersonalizaKon   Improve  visibility   Foster  sustained  involvement   Extend  responsiveness  

AnalyKcs   Set  foundaKons  for  ongoing  analysis   Improve  analyKc  capabiliKes   Extend  responsiveness  

 

Page 10: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 10  

©  Design  for  Context

Evolving  Roadmap  

Category  

 Length  of  Time  and  Themes  

Short-­‐term   Mid-­‐term   Long-­‐term  

Search   Update  and  improve   Take  advantage  of  semanKcs,  taxonomies  

Enhance  with  visualizaKons,  new  features  

Specialized  sub-­‐sites   Improve  organizaKon  and  interacKon   Accommodate  sub-­‐sites   Provide  greater  integraKon  and  

opportuniKes  

IntegraKon  with  other  systems   Keep  up  with  current  key  players   Provide  valuable  offering(s)   Extend  capabiliKes  

MulK-­‐pla`orm   Incorporate  responsive  design,  pilot  concepts   Provide  valuable  offering(s)   Extend  capabiliKes  

PersonalizaKon   Improve  visibility   Foster  sustained  involvement   Extend  responsiveness  

AnalyKcs   Set  foundaKons  for  ongoing  analysis   Improve  analyKc  capabiliKes   Extend  responsiveness  

Page 11: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 11  

©  Design  for  Context

Personas  and  Scenarios  Grant  -­‐  PracRcing  engineer                      28  years  old      KNOWLEDGE  Engineering  subject  maber  ●●●○○      EXPERIENCE  Years  of  job  experience  ●●○○○      TECHNOLOGY  Computer/web  knowledge  ●●●●○    

DEMOGRAPHICS  &  CHARACTERISTICS  •  Can  travel,  but  might  do  it  less  now  •  Busy  

WORK  /  RESPONSIBILITIES  

•  Working  engineer  •  Master’s  not  PhD  RELATIONSHIP  TO  TRADE  ORGANIZATION  

•  Not  acKve  member;  not  enough  Kme  to  volunteer  •  Abends  local  chapter  meeKngs  

BACKGROUND,  KNOWLEDGE  &  EXPERIENCE  

•  Very  familiar  with  the  industry      

GOALS  &  MOTIVATIONS  

•  Networking  •  Wants  to  get  licensed  /  keep  license  

USE  OF  TECHNOLOGY/WEB  

•  Tech  savvy  

IMPLICATIONS  FOR  SITE  DESIGN  OR  CONTENT  Membership  in  trade  organizaKon  could  help  him  with  career  development  and  networking  (conversion)    

Create  a  list  of  references  WHO  Research  Project  Assistant      WHEN  At  any  Kme      FREQUENCY  Daily,  potenKally  mulKple  Kmes  a  day        ENVIRONMENT  Online      TRIGGER  Primary  researcher  requests  a  list  of  potenKal  publicaKons  that  can  be  used  as  references  

SCENARIO  

In  preparing  to  publish  a  research  arKcle  in  a  peer-­‐reviewed  journal,  the  Research  Project  Assistant  begins  to  create  a  list  of  references  that  either  in  support  of  the  research  or  against  the  research  so  that  when  the  primary  researcher  is  ready  to  begin  wriKng  the  arKcle,  she  has  a  list  of  relevant  references  to  use.  

PROCESS  VARIATIONS  

•  Depending  on  the  journal  in  which  the  references  will  appear,  they  will  need  to  created  in  various  formats,  such  as  APA  or  Chicago.  

PERSON  VARIATIONS  

•  Some  Research  Assistants  keep  a  list  of  previously  used  references  on  hand  with  secKons  marked  so  that  when  the  researcher  is  preparing  a  new  arKcle  similar  to  a  previous  arKcle  she  all  ready  has  the  needed  references  

DATA  CONSIDERATIONS  

•  None  

Page 12: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 12  

©  Design  for  Context

Style  Guide  

Page 13: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus2014 13  

©  Design  for  Context

Decision  Tree  What  kind  of  content  is  it?    

Product  markeKng?  

Help  content?  

“About  us”  info?  

Other?  

Future  product?  

Current  product?  

Product  Overview  

page  

“On  the  horizon”  area  

Org  strat.  and  goals?  

Dept.  details?  

Our  people?  

Clickable  org.  chart  

“2014  Vision”  page  

Dept.  home  page  

Help  repository  

Call    webmaster  

Page 14: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

@design4context      Beyond  Wireframes  UserFocus  2014 14  

©  Design  for  Context

SUMMARY  

Keep  a  big  picture  mindset,  and  encourage  others  to  do  the  same

Help  team  members  tell  meaningful  stories

Create  ar<facts  to  support  evolu<on  over  <me  

Page 15: Beyond Wireframes: Empowering Long-Term Project Success

©  Design  for  Context

Jade  Davis   [email protected]

Elizabeth  Simister   [email protected]

Thank  you!  BEYOND  WIREFRAMES:  EMPOWERING  LONG-­‐TERM  PROJECT  SUCCESS  AFTER  THE  DESIGN  WORK  ENDS    

15  

UserFocus  Conference  •  October  17,  2014  

Presenta<on  is  on  Slideshare  –  Go  to  www.designforcontext.com/publica<ons

   

@design4context      #userfocus2014