Wrangling Complexity through Cat-herding

Class 2: Wrangling

Complexity through Cat herding

Instructor: Abby Covert

Last Class we...

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Last Class we...

• Defined Information Architecture and the intents on information architects

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Last Class we...


• Discussed the differences and intersections of interaction design, graphic design, user research and content strategy

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Last Class we...


• Discussed the differences and intersections of interaction design, graphic design, user research and content strategy

• Got our first assignment, which is due today

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everything is complex

I intend to because I believe

facilitate understanding organize meaning, create clarity and establish truth

put the what before the how

make the unclear clear

information architect

understanding is always good but it is equally important to not understand

clarity is a prerequisite of truth

I am an

by: Abby Covert & Dan Klyn

architecture frames problems, design solves them

support goals, makers and users

Complexity

part of something that is complicated or hard to understand

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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals

Information Architecture

Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses

Layers of Complexity

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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses

• Comfort with context• Access/Interest/Trust• Reading & Grade level• Aesthetics & Taste


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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses


• Budget• Reach• Competition

• Distraction• Loyalty• Channel Limits


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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses




• Scope• Talent• Tools• Integration

• Scalability• Quality Assurance•maintainability


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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses


• Tone• Brand• Context

• Production Budget• direction






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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses




• Flow• Clarity•Models

• Structure• Tasks






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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses






• Goals • Research• Competition






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Users

Stakeholders

Strategic Goals


Design

Makers

Markting

& Their Bosses






• Goals • Research• Competition

• REturn on Investment• Growth towards goals• Reputation• The bottom Line






?#?$%!

What happens when complexity is not dealt

with properly?

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When complexity is ignored...

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User satisfaction


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User satisfaction

StakeholderSatisfaction


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User satisfaction


MAKER Satisfaction


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User satisfaction


MAKER Satisfaction

Sometimes all 3 at once...


Herding Cats

Models for exploring complexity in groups

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3 Methods we will learn about today

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• Frame-storming

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• Frame-storming • Shared vocabulary

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• Frame-storming • Shared vocabulary• Performance Continuums

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Frame storming: Brainstorming with a framework meant to explore complexity

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Example Frameworks

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How people hear about your offering(s)

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How people explore your offering(s)

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How people opt into your

offering(s)


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offering(s)


What could detract from this person

proceeding at this point?

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offering(s)


Who else could entice this person at this point?



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offering(s)


How people use your offering the

first time




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offering(s)


How people use your offering the

first time

How people use your offering

over time




Context

Context

Context

Context

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Context

Context

Context

Context


What happens

Context

Context

Context

Context


What happens

What happens

Context

Context

Context

Context


What happens

What happens

What happens

Context

Context

Context

Context


What happens

What happens

What happens

What happens

Person

person

person

person

Context Context Context Context

Person

person

person

person


What happens

Person

person

person

person


What happens

What happens

Person

person

person

person


What happens

What happens

What happens

Person

person

person

person


What happens

What happens

What happens

What happens

Rules of Frame storming

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group– Admit what is fact

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group– Admit what is fact– Document Assumptions

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group– Admit what is fact– Document Assumptions– Identify Opportunities

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group– Admit what is fact– Document Assumptions– Identify Opportunities– Highlight Open Questions

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• Start the activity with a framing matrix • Work through it with a group– Admit what is fact– Document Assumptions– Identify Opportunities– Highlight Open Questions

• One thought per post-it, one color for each area above (Example: Red = Open Questions vs. Green = Facts)

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16Spoiler Alert!

Shared Vocabulary: Creating a language for the effort you are undertaking

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Rules of Shared Vocabulary

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– Create a document everyone can access with the terms as they are collected

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– Record not just the term but the place the definition came from

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– Expand all acronyms

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– Expand all acronyms– Indicate terms that are “internal only”

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– Expand all acronyms– Indicate terms that are “internal only”– Document relationships between terms

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Shared Vocabulary Example

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Account Group

Account

Store

Area

Zone

Fixture

SKU

product

Example: Ann’s Department Store

Example: Northeast Division

Example: Waltham Location

Example: Women’s

Example: Active Wear

Example: Running

Example: Item #

Example: Item # + Size + Color

Performance Continuumsspectrums that can be used to

discuss and align on direction

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What is a Continuum?

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5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5

This THATGoalToday

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Examples of Continuums

² Challenge the old with the new

² Define success differently

² Manage priority and scope

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Example

Rules of Continuums

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Rules of Continuums

– Create the scales together, but rate where you are at and the goal individually

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Rules of Continuums


– Avoid negative scales and judgmental language

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Rules of Continuums



– Try to be timeless, not trendy

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Rules of Continuums



– Try to be timeless, not trendy– Document the goals you agree to and set up

regular measurement against them

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Workshop Time

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Home work Shareyour student experience at Parsons – 3-5 things you think really suck– 3-5 things you think are working well

Write each on a post it– 3 min to share with the class and map your

post it against the others shared thus far

Turn in your write-ups via email by Tuesday 9/11 at noon

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Workshop Instructions

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– 5 Min: Meet in your group to decide which problem you will be solving this semester

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– 10 Min: Discuss the problem and choose the right framework to use for your first assignment

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– 45 Min: Using your framework brainstorm through opportunities, questions and facts of the problem space.

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– 45 Min: Using your framework brainstorm through opportunities, questions and facts of the problem space. • Identify 3 colors of post its to use for the 3 things

you are brainstorming

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– 45 Min: Using your framework brainstorm through opportunities, questions and facts of the problem space. • Identify 3 colors of post its to use for the 3 things

you are brainstorming• Start with 5 minutes of silence and writing

individually, then go around and share and map each persons post its

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GROUP Homework for 9/24

Finish documenting what you know on your framework and prepare to present it broadly to class in 5 minutes

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Questions?

[email protected]@ Abby_The_IA

www.Abbytheia.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.Abbytheia.com

http://www.Abbytheia.com

Wrangling Complexity through Cat-herding

Education

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