Doors, Walls and Old Trees: Prioritizing to Get Simple

DOORS + WALLS + OLD TREESPrioritizing to Get Simple

Jason Ulaszek @webbit Webvisions - ChicagoSeptember 27th, 2013

#WVCHI

How I got here

THE BACKSTORY

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THIS PAST YEAR...

• Loft with 3/4 walls and no doors

• Wife’s opposite work schedule

• New baby & 1st time dad

• Energetic chocolate labrador

• Eat, sleep, work & relax in 1 room

• New and growing clients & team

• Teaching and speaking

• Planning an international event (UX for Good)

oh, boy.

@webbit

KINDA LIKE WHAT YOU SEE HERE...

Take a deep

breath.

Focus.

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I NEEDED TO CHECK MY ‘VISION’

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SO, I STARTED MODELING IT

Impo

rtanc

e

Control

Change wife’s work schedule

Save the world

Really budget

Delegate at work

Rent out our current place

Find a new place and move

Win the lottery

Master new video game

See new movie

@webbit

A FEW INSIGHTS EMERGED

1. We needed to revisit our game plan

2. Everything we were doing needed to

be evaluated to ensure we were

focused in the right way

3. We were going to need some

support from friends and family

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WE REALIZED IT WAS TIME TO MOVE

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AND THAT’S WHERE THIS FRAMEWORK WAS BORN

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WE CALLED IT... DOORS, WALLS & OLD TREES

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MY DISCOVERY - THREE PARTS

1. Set strategy

2. Assess & evaluate

3. Enlist support

Set and articulate the vision for where you want to be

1. SET STRATEGY

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@webbitSet Strategy1 2 3

@webbit

10 LAWS OF SIMPLICITY

Set Strategy1 2 3

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Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful. It’s about living life with more enjoyment and less pain.

“

”John MaedaThe Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life

Set Strategy1 2 3

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ONE DESIGNER’S VIEWPOINT

Giles ColborneSimple and Usable - web, mobile and interaction design

Set Strategy1 2 3

Dan Saffer“The Complexity of Simple”Webvisions ‘12 (Chicago)

http://slidesha.re/ts2xF5

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WHAT IS “STRATEGY”?

A planned, doable sequence of actions designed to achieve a distinct, measurable goal.

“”

Howell MalhamI Have a Strategy (No You Don’t)

Set Strategy1 2 3

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FOUR INGREDIENTS

1. purpose

2. plan

3. sequence of actions or tactics

4. distinct, measurable goal

... wrapped in a story that tells it.Set Strategy1 2 3

EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES REQUIRE A STRATEGY

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THE BROCCOLI GAME (STRATEGY)

Purpose: Help kid grow up strong and healthy.

Plan:

Prepare well-balanced dinners with vegetables that have minerals and iron.

Sequence of actions:

Plan menu. Boil broccoli. Set table. Play game.

Distinct, measurable goal:

Kid must ingest at least 6.2 pieces of broccoli.

Set Strategy1 2 Assess & Evaluate 3 Enlist Support

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KIDS OR CLIENTS = SAME QUESTIONS

• How do we disrupt the status quo?

• How can we make the experience

delightful?

• What motivates people to do what

they do (how and why)?

• What are our strengths? Weaknesses?

Set Strategy1 2 3

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OUR ACTIONS INFORM STRATEGY

• Get to know your stakeholders

Interview them to uncover the underlying problem and their perspective (e.g. your spouse, partner, client, end user).

• Examine competing forcesKnow where you need to make a difference. Look at people, organizations and other forces that have influence.

• Get to know your ‘user’

Gather data to inform an understanding of people’s needs.

Set Strategy1 2 3

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STAKEHOLDERS INFORM STRATEGY

Set Strategy1 2 3

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SELF-AWARENESS IS KEY

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Set Strategy1 2 3

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RECOGNIZE WHERE YOU STAND

Company 4

Company 1

Company 2

Company 3

Company 5

Company 6

Competing factors set expectations.

Set Strategy1 2 3

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WHAT WAS MY STRATEGY?Purpose: Strike a better balance between our personal and professional lives.

Plan:

Rebalance my family’s personal and professional schedules and environment.

Sequence of actions:

Look at all responsibilities and activities. Assess with family what’s important. Remove or push out/away the distractors.

Distinct, measurable goal:

Move our family and rebalance our schedules before summer starts.Set Strategy1 2 Assess & Evaluate 3 Enlist Support

Determine the fate of ‘stuff’ and align with your strategy

2. ASSESS & EVALUATE

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SO NOW WHAT?

•Find patterns and themesIdentify behavioral patterns, gaps in the experience and understand how you (or would) support it

•Model what you’re findingOrganize it into related “chunks”, determine evaluation criteria and prioritize and define potential measures of success

Assess & Evaluate21 3

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NE

XT

STE

P B

UTT

ON

P

UR

CH

AS

E F

UN

NE

L B

UTT

ON

S

ABSTRACT TO FIND THEMES


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ABSTRACT TO FIND THEMESTemplate 01

4 Column Asymmetrical Grid Template 02

3 Column Symmetrical Grid Template 03

3 Column Asymmetrical Grid

Template 04 2 Column Asymmetrical Grid


with inset Grid

Template 02 3 Column Symmetrical Grid


Template 02 3 Column Symmetrical Grid

TO TO

TO BACK TO

BACK TO


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Asking ‘why’ is tricky. It gets to the core of how people think.

“”

Bill DeRouchey“The Power of Why”

UX Week 2012

http://uxweek.com/2012/speakers/bill-derouchey/


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‘WHY?’ IS NOT ALWAYS EXPRESSED VERBALLY

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‘WHY’ UNLOCKS CRITERIA

Technical Feasibility

› Difficulty of implementation › Does solution need front or back-end

coding, or both? › Does the solution require integration with

other systems or third-party solutions?

Resource Feasibility ›  Do we have the data and tools to do this? ›  Do we have the people to do this? ›  Is the solution cost-effective?

FEA

SIB

ILIT

Y

Importance to the Business ›  Increases investment/conversion ›  Promotes product and brand awareness ›  Increases credibility and trust ›  Provides additional advisor value/education

Importance to the Consumer ›  Facilitates access to product information ›  Provides research and insights ›  Offers client-ready sales/education materials ›  Helps me with my business IM

POR

TAN

CE

And everything is evaluated against it.


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THE SOCK LAW Socks perform a simple function. Whether conservative or wacky, matched or not, socks do what they need to. So with function inherently accounted for, its easier, more fun and often more memorable to leave form to chance.

Patrick DiMichele

“

”@theParanoids


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SIMPLE TOOLS - THE MATRIXSo 2002, but still effective.


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APPLYING THAT TOOL


Impo

rtanc

e

Control

Change wife’s work schedule

Save the world

Really budget

Delegate at work

Rent out our current place

Find a new place and move

Win the lottery

Master new video game

See new movie

@webbit

ORGANIZE KEY THEMESLook for affinities across features.

Foundational Updates ›  Site structure, navigation and labeling, branding

and multi-device capability ›  Content refresh and optimization ›  Analytics program

Features/Functions ›  Document accessibility ›  Advisor site (registration required) ›  Comments/discussion and event calendar ›  Context-specific feedback ›  Targeted content and content syndication

Content ›  Thought leadership, practice management, and

client-facing content ›  Multimedia/interactive content ›  Social/community and third-party content ›  Content processes: editorial calendar, controlled

vocabulary

Tools ›  Fund finder and comparison tool, portfolio map ›  Benchmark performance and exposure analysis ›  Price performance and premium/discount charts ›  Correlation tracker and stock screener ›  Portfolio constructor/analyzer


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ILLUSTRATE THE PLANBlend short and long term focus.

CAPABILITIES:!

›  Advisor comments and discussion

›  Advisor site (registration required)

›  Content syndication ›  Additional third-party

content ›  Targeted content delivery

CAPABILITIES:!

›  Tools for advisor analysis ›  Multimedia content ›  Client-facing content ›  Social media and

community content development

›  Feedback and surveys ›  Event calendar

CAPABILITIES:!

›  Thought leadership, research and insights content

›  Credibility-enhancing content (case studies, etc.)

›  Tools and processes for content maintenance

›  Additional Contact Us/About Us content

›  Document accessibility ›  Controlled vocabulary

CAPABILITIES:!

›  Updated site structure, navigation and labeling

›  Refreshed design/branding ›  Mobile-friendly platform ›  Content refresh/

optimization ›  Web analytics


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TIPS TO REMEMBER

• Don’t do this on your ownInvolve key decision makers in the prioritization exercise to ensure buy-in and alignment with your goals (e.g., family, wife, kids, clients).

• Set communication expectations EARLYEnsure an open dialogue exists to tackle the tough decisions that you’ll have to negotiate or compromise (e.g., work schedules, planning dinner, business budgets, tech framework, etc.).

• Framing mattersProblems can be opportunities in disguise. It all depends on how you frame it.


Build support and advocacy within your team/company

3. ENLIST SUPPORT

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SO NOW WHAT?

• Seek out advocates and enlist othersWho are your supporters? Those on the fence? Move them.

• Align incentives with desired outcomeWhat does success look like (e.g., for you, your family, team members, clients)?

• Communicate & share the directionHow do we socialize it with others?

Enlist Support31 2

YOU’LL NEED HELP

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STRATEGY

+RIGHT INCENTIVES

Aligned to desired...

Cultural Values

Customer Goals

Business Goals

WINEnlist Support31 2

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I ask the employees to do it [set their goals] once a year, to publish it and make it transparent for all the other employees. To take those five questions and constantly think about where we are positionally.

Marc BenioffCEO, Salesforce.com

http://www.endeavor.org/blog/marc-benioff-keynote/

“

”

Enlist Support31 2

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CREATE A SHARED UNDERSTANDING

Enlist Support31 2

FWIW

PARTING THOUGHTS

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NOT GONNA LIE, THE REALLY HARD PART

•Know what you value (and why)

• Be prepared and willing to move aside less valuable things

•Understand the risk of not doing what you’ve pushed aside

• Tell a great story to get buy-in

@webbit

Out of clutter, FIND SIMPLICITY. From discord, FIND HARMONY. In the middle of difficulty LIES OPPORTUNITY.

“”

AlbertEinstein

@webbit

CONTINUING MY JOURNEY...

✓ Adjusted my wife’s work schedule

✓ Taught a new class

✓ Gave 3 new talks

✓ Built walls and doors in the loft

✓ Planned an international UX for Good event

✓ Found renters for the loft

✓ Moved into a new house

... and enjoying a renewed focus and balance!

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AND HERE WE GO AGAIN...

Coming December 2013

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AM I BEING FOLLOWED?

Thank you

FIN.

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PHOTO ATTRIBUTIONS• Doors: http://thenounproject.com/noun/door/#icon-No11816

• Walls: http://thenounproject.com/noun/brick-wall/#icon-No3674

• Eye doctor: http://duckloeyecare.com/services/comprehensive-eye-health-exam/

• Laws of Simplicity: http://www.buzmay.com/turnlight/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84:turnlight-recommends-the-laws-of-simplicity&catid=40:pj

• Broccoli and a kid: http://www.pamfblog.org/category/nutrition/

• Air ForkOne: http://oliveandtweed.storenvy.com/products/140409-airforkone

• Honey-do-list: http://smithocracy.com/2012/07/

• Marc Benioff: http://www.forbes.com/sites/shelisrael/2013/03/18/marc-benioff-to-write-age-of-context-foreword/