Keeping UCD alive in an Agile world. . .

Vanessa Kirby, Head of UX, SEEK

agenda

▪ A little background/rambling….

▪ Why are we here today

▪ Stuff I’d want to tell someone…- Culture & lingo- Lining your ducks up- Enabling the inhibited- Circling back- Nurturing- Sprinting

3

Who ?

Effective user experience is a balance. . . BUSINESS

needs--------------------

--------------------

BRAND& marketing

--------------------

TECHNOLOGY& interaction

USERneeds--------------------

Baffled . . .?

WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO…

“where the imaginative & the functional fuse & become indistinguishable”Milton Glaser

8

Is it any wonder

Left brain vs right brain

Qwerty keyboard….

Can ‘good enough’ really live alongside this fast pace, advancing technology world…?

12With permission, Dave Gray January 29, 2010.

13 Make the ‘rules’ work

Same culture. Same values. Talking the same language.

To try and unite different parties – make sure that there are mediators and supporters.

Culture & lingo

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Speak the ‘users’ language (ahem)…..

Site map [sahyt map] noun

Epic [ep-ik] adjective

User Journey [yoo-zer jur-nee] adjective

Lofi proto, Hifi proto [lo fi-del-i-tee, fahy proh-tuh-tahyp] noun

Information Architect[in-fer-mey-shuh’n ahr-ki-tek-cher ] noun

Architecture diag

ERD

Fancy flow chart

Um. Prototype.

Chap who wireframes (NOT who builds the database schema)

You get what you ask for…

Draw a vase….

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▪ Have the fundamentals in place:- Know WHY!

- Personas

- Style guides

- Templates/patterns

▪ Use the tools to help:- Baseball cap & headphones

- Axure/Techsmith/Silverback

- Guerilla vs Ethno

- Bullshit card

▪ Show – don’t tell (so get your lingo right…)

▪ Make a geek your best friend

Line up your ducks

Personas are a practical design tool

▪ Agree, document and communicate who your target users are.

▪ Merge many sources of data and opinion into format that suits the task of design.

▪ Use personas to…• Write specific stories

• Build consensus

• Set targets

• Formulate and validate new ideas

• Control feature lists

• Solve political wrangling….

Story telling….

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As a user I want to display my work experience so that advertisers will contact me

As Lenny I want to display my work experience so that advertisers will contact me

As Penny I want a quick CV so that I stand out from the crowd

As Goldie I want to show my transferable skills so that advertisers won’t dismiss me

This…

Becomes….

We’re all creative. Some access it better.

The blocker is inhibition ( I don’t want to look a fool)

Adulthood confines us (draw a picture of your neighbour….)

Trust plays a huge part in this.

Enable foolishness

No such thing as a bad

idea

Divergent (solution) thinking

vs Convergent (diagnose potential probs) thinking

Know when to stop(!)

You don’t have to be good at everything…

You’re not alone

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“A photographer went to a socialite party in New York.As he entered the front door, the host said ‘I love your pictures – they’re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.’He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: ‘That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove.”

– Sam Haskins

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▪ Use the right resource at the right time

▪ Come back together regularly (& frequently)

▪ Show & Tell

▪ Use them for reviews

▪ Like minds – different perspective

▪ Feel empowered/inspired

▪ Look for support outside your sprint

Nurture

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▪ Have a Phase 0 …..

▪ Do the hardest things first

▪ 2 to 4 iterations ahead

▪ Claw in time when others are focused elsewhere

▪ Different stream for testing

▪ Get over face to face

▪ Be driven by insights (not research)

▪ Get the UX points on the stories

Sprint ahead

Pick your battles

Wrapping up…

Thank you…