That’s not a gun. It’s your finger!Improv, play, and collaboration in UX

Catharine Robertson @cathroThe Berndt Group, Baltimore Improv Group

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thechanel/330300067/

Tonight, we are ambitious

1. Learn about improv2. Do some improv!3. Relate improv to UX (user experience)4. Relate improv to team & client

collaboration5. A challenge related to improv &

Baltimore

I Baltimore

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Trained to think on my feet

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1996

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I call myself an information architect.Some might call what I do UX design.

Elements of user experience

Usability

Adoptability Value

Desirability

Different products, different priorities

Usability

Adoptability Value

DesirabilitySocialnetworks

Games

Online dating

Enterprise software

What I do

• Solve businessproblems

• Meetuser/customerneeds

Clients/projects

• Healthcare• Financial services• Real estate• Nonprofits• Arts• Education• Technology

Another thing I do

• Mike Subelskyfounded BIG & wasmy first improvteacher

• Mike’s zen koan: Ifyou don’t fail at leastonce eachrehearsal, youhaven’t tried hardenough.

• Perform at Chicago Improv Festival & others• Found, direct, perform in Baltimore troupes• Produce Baltimore Improv Festival first 5 years• Write, perform in Stoop Storytelling live radio

shows• Produce/direct/write/perform in Vauxhall:

Postmodern Vaudeville for Baltimore• Not the best improviser, my strengths are more

meta--directing, big picture, producing,audience experience

“Fail big, fail often”

Improv in my work life

• more playful,• more willing to try new things• better at brainstorming• empathy• listening• accept circumstances• kill my darlings• better client interaction• better team collaboration

What is improv?

“Strictly speaking,improvisation ismaking it up asyou go along.”

Del Close & Charna HalpernTruth in Comedy

Improv is a game,and it has one rule.

“Yes, and…”

“Yes, and…”

Agree + add something

“Agreement” = acceptance

• Acceptance ofcircumstances: who,what, where

• Your finger is a gun,you’re a hippo, you’reat a bullfight in Spain

• Conversationshowstoppers

• “Hit the ball back”

“And” = add something

This restaurant looks really fancy. I hope we have enoughmoney.

[Yes, and] I hopeyour bossdoesn’t order thelobster.

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Watching“yes, and…”in action

Play = agreement

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establish what/who/whereagree on premiseaccept all offers

Viola Spolin on play

• “Were they acting?Get them to play.”

• Improvise choicesonstage, just as inlife.

• Players freed tocreate newopportunities so rulesof play are fulfilled.

• Son Paul Sillsfounding director ofSecond City.

Game: conducted story

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasgowamateur/7705117134/

Sound familiar?

User experience (UX) work also includes:

• Accepting (requirements, constraints)• Listening (to the market, to the client)• Paying attention to the group (your team)

You each contribute to building somethingfor the user.

Similarities

• Vital to the improviser• Best improv shows are

for the audience, notimprovisers

• No viable show withoutan audience

• Vital to the UX person• Best products are

designed with actualuse in mind

• No viable productwithout a user/customer

Audience Users/customers

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Knowyour audience

Knowyourusers

Collaboration in improv

• “Hit the ball back”• Accept the

who/what/wherecircumstances

• Add something ofvalue to keep storymoving

• Listen to scenepartners

• Everyone has a part,even if supporting

• Patterns emerge asthe improvised“game” of a scene

Collaboration in UX

• Agree on premise,constraints (who,what, where)

• “And” addsomething of valuefor users/customers,clients

• User testing iscollaboration withcustomers

• Common goals &strategy lead tobetter product

• When in doubt, testit out

The best collaboration

• Free of judgment (Spolin)• Failure is encouraged (Subelsky)• Inhibitions are shed• Heightening of goals• Making your partner look good makes

the team look great (Mick Napier)• Reduces belly fat (Tina Fey)

What if you don’t like the idea?

TRUST that hitting the ball backwill end up a worthwhile game.

and…

Accept you can’t change theoffer given you.

Yes

Game reprise: Imaginary product

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Game recap

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What are you saying “yes, and…” toin Baltimore?

Want more?

• Steve Portigal @steveportigal• Liz Danzico @bobulate• Take a class! See a show!

bigimprov.org• Say yes, but don’t just say yes. Add

something!

Catharine Robertson

@cathro@berndtgroup@bigimprov@vauxhallshowBaltimore UX Book Club

Thanks for saying yes to tonight!