Slides from my talk at EuroIA, 23 September 2011 |
"Design for everyone and you design for no one" has been the universally acknowledged mantra shared with clients, colleagues and students when they ask "What about ...?". But does it still hold true?
Today the users we design for access the web from an ever increasing array of devices used anywhere and at any time. From the young to the old more people are online with each user expecting what they use to work for them, and them specifically. Their journeys are becoming less linear with multiple entry points and wished for onward journeys across channels, resulting in an endless list of ‘could be’ scenarios for us as designers. More than ever, by targeting a specific audience, and specific scenarios, we’re shutting out or compromising the experience for the rest. But, is it actually possible to design for everyone and if so, where do you start?
Building on principles from responsive design, dynamic publishing, contextual and timely content this presentation provides a toolbox for how to design for everyone, anywhere, at any time by defining:
what designing for everyone means for brands and for us as designers
when designing for everyone is the right approach
why it is a mere adjustment of the principles and methods we are used to working with
how it can be successfully achieved without compromising the experience but actually deliver a better one.
29. Step 5
User needs
Step 4 Step 6
UX lifecycle Business needs
Step 3 Step 7
Key user journeys Competitor analysis
Step 8
Step 2 A few other steps
Formulating the vision incl. doing the sitemap
Step 1 Step 9
Dening the target audience Wireframes
30. Step 5
User needs
Step 4 Step 6
UX lifecycle Business
needs
Step 3 Step 7
Key user journeys Competitor analysis
Step 8
Step 2 A few other steps
Formulating the vision incl. doing the sitemap
Step 1 Step 9
Dening the target Wireframes
audience
31. Who out of EVERYONE
Where do I start? I have a vague idea
I know what it should I know exactly
& shouldn't have what I want
32. Who out of EVERYONE
Where do I start? I have a vague idea
I know what it should I know exactly
& shouldn't have what I want
33. Who out of EVERYONE
Where do I start? I have a vague idea
I know what it should I know exactly
& shouldn't have what I want
34. Everyone & their NEEDS
Awareness Consideration Conrmation Purchase Support
Where do I I have a vague I know what it I know exactly
start? idea should & shouldn't what I want
have
35. Everyone & their NEEDS
BUSINESS NEEDS
• Ensure users aren't lost • Provide the user with a • Feature user reviews • Provide a store locator • FAQs that minimise the
& converted on a comparison tool on the site number of customer
competitor's site services calls received
Awareness Consideration Conrmation Purchase Support
Where do I I have a vague I know what it I know exactly
start? idea should & shouldn't what I want
have
36. Everyone & their NEEDS
USER NEEDS
• Background information • Clear route into the • Reassurance that I • Effortless • Easy access to and help
& advice on where to products they are after have made the right completion of in times of trouble
start choice their order
BUSINESS NEEDS
• Ensure users aren't lost • Provide the user with a • Feature user reviews • Provide a store locator • FAQs that minimise the
& converted on a comparison tool on the site number of customer
competitor's site services calls received
Awareness Consideration Conrmation Purchase Support
Where do I I have a vague I know what it I know exactly
start? idea should & shouldn't what I want
have
37. Everyone & their NEEDS
KEY ENTRY POINTS
• Search (to page) • Search (to page) • Bookmark • Home page • Search (to page)
• Home page • Home page • Home page
• Bookmark
USER NEEDS
• Background information • Clear route into the • Reassurance that I • Effortless • Easy access to and help
& advice on where to products they are after have made the right completion of in times of trouble
start choice their order
BUSINESS NEEDS
• Ensure users aren't lost • Provide the user with a • Feature user reviews • Provide a store locator • FAQs that minimise the
& converted on a comparison tool on the site number of customer
competitor's site services calls received
Awareness Consideration Conrmation Purchase Support
Where do I I have a vague I know what it I know exactly
start? idea should & shouldn't what I want
have
38. KEY DEVICES
• Laptop • Laptop • iPad • Computer • Mobile
• Mobile • iPad
• Laptop
KEY ENTRY POINTS
KEY ENTRY POINTS
• Search (to page) • Search (to page) • Bookmark • Home page • Search (to page)
• Home page • Home page • Home page
• Bookmark
USER NEEDS
• Background information • Clear route into the • Reassurance that I • Effortless • Easy access to and help
& advice on where to products they are after have made the right completion of in times of trouble
start choice their order
BUSINESS NEEDS
• Ensure users aren't lost • Provide the user with a • Feature user reviews • Provide a store locator • FAQs that minimise the
& converted on a comparison tool on the site number of customer
competitor's site services calls received
Awareness Consideration Conrmation Purchase Support
Where do I I have a vague I know what it I know exactly
start? idea should & shouldn't what I want
have
39. Action & Content PRIORITISATION
Action Content
Explore Research Conrmation Buy Background Tools Related Buying
Bathroom Related
Browse Compare Copy url Add to basket Types of bath Our guarantee
planner products
Remove from Comparison
Preview Filter Email Buying guides User reviews Delivery
basket tool
What to look 10 questions to Price
Find out more Search Read reviews Locate store Store locator
for help you choose comparisons
Find contact Find the right Alternative Customer
View range Find related Share About our baths
info bath accessory products support
40. Action & Content PRIORITISATION
Action Content
Explore Research Conrmation Buy Background Tools Related Buying
Bathroom Related
Browse Compare Copy url Add to basket Types of bath Our guarantee
planner products
Remove from Comparison
Preview Filter Email Buying guides User reviews Delivery
basket tool
What to look 10 questions to Price
Find out more Search Read reviews Locate store Store locator
for help you choose comparisons
Find contact Find the right Alternative Customer
View range Find related Share About our baths
info bath accessory products support
41. Action & Content PRIORITISATION
Action Content
Explore Research Conrmation Buy Background
Background Tools Related Buying
Bathroom Related
Browse Compare Copy url Add to basket Types of bath
Types of bath Our guarantee
planner products
Remove from Comparison
Preview Filter Email Buying guides
Buying guides User reviews Delivery
basket tool
What to look
What to look 10 questions to Price
Find out more Search Read reviews Locate store Store locator
for
for help you choose comparisons
Find contact Find the right Alternative Customer
View range Find related Share About our baths
About our baths
info bath accessory products support
42. Page DESCRIPTIONS
Baths Logo Header Individual product Logo Header
The purpose of this page
page is to The purpose of this
• educate the user Bath section intro Ad page is to
Bath A intro
on the types of • Provide an
baths available Nav
overview of the Nav
• provide quick product
access to specic • Present detailed
baths information Ad
• highlight offers & Types of baths
Popular • Provide access to
products Spec for bath A &
popular products Store user reviews Store reviews
locator locator
Related
products
Tools Tools
Footer Footer
43. Behaviour ACROSS DEVICES
Desktop/ Tablets Mobile
1 2 1
2 Header
Logo Header Logo
3
4 5 Nav
Bath section intro Ad
4
Bath 5
3 section Ad
Nav intro
7
6
Related
Types of baths
8 Store products
locator 6
Types of baths
9 Tools
10
Footer
7
Related products
8 Store
9 Tools
locator
10
Footer
44. Wireframes & MODULE LIBRARIES
Desktop/ Tablets Mobile
1 2 1
Module 4a Module 4b 2 Header
Logo Header Logo
3
4 5 Nav
Bath section intro Ad
4
Bath 5
3 section Ad
Nav intro
Module 6a Module 6b
7
6
Related
Types of baths
8 Store products
locator 6
Types of baths
9 Tools
10
Footer
7
Related products
8 Store
9 Tools
locator
10
Footer
46. ” Today's popular devices are not
tomorrow's so building
something which works on
any device is better than building
something which works on
today's devices “
Combined wise words from @onextrapixel and @trentwalton
47. Different
devices here to
stay
http://www.thebusinessartisan.com
48. Cost
Different of lost
devices here to customers
stay & multiple
version
http://www.thebusinessartisan.com
49. Cost
of lost More
Different
customers collaboration
devices here to
& multiple & flexible
stay
version toolbox
http://www.thebusinessartisan.com
50. ” Money spent developing a
pretty but limited iPhone app
only benefits...the few, but money
spent on the website UI would
have benefitted everyone “
Said by Gary Marshall on ‘The app trap’ in .net Magaizine
51. ” Everytime you redesign
God kills a kitten “
Wisely said by @louisrosenfeld
52. THANK YOU
annadahlstrom
annadahlstrom
www.annadahlstrom.com
www.flickr.com/photos/matterphotography/2739799786/
Hinweis der Redaktion
\n\n
I'm sure you've heard it, been told it and said it yourself. I certainly have - "Design for everyone and you design for no one"\nThe phrase has traditionally been used referring to that by including all the requirements of your different target audiences, stakeholders and the business you end up with a product that is trying to satisfy everyone and by doing so satisfies no one.\n
I'm Anna, I’m a freelance IA/UX designer and I'm here today to talk to you about:Why - the old saying doesn’t necessarily hold true any more\n
What - that means for us as IAs\n
How - we can address it and the ever increasingly complex and unknown world that we design for\n
27 June 2007 saw the first iPhone released and with that everything change. For the first time we were able to experience the web in our hands, the way the web was supposed to look \n\n
4 February 2004 - Zuckerberg launched Facebook\n15 July 2006 - Twitter launched\n3 April 2010 - saw the first iPad\n23 September 2011 - It’s Euro IA and the internet is everywhere. It's a 24-7 party and everyone wants to join in\n17 May 2014 - Apart from being the national day of Norway and the day I turn 35 we don’t really know what the future holds for us here but a lot has happened in the last few years alone so it’s a pretty safe guess that a lot will happen in the next few years to come.\n
This is Wally. \nImage from http://www.findwaldo.com/fankit/graphics/\n
He normally appears in this type of pictures\nImages from http://www.findwaldo.com/fankit/graphics/\n
They were a bit like Wally. Everyone came in a few different disguises but we could fairly easily narrow down:\n who our main target audiences were and what they needed\n what they’d be using to access the services we designed. Devices were limited, screen sizes and types of browsers more uniform and easier do develop for\n where they’d be using our service, e.g. at home, office and with that their internet speed. Some times it would be on the go but for very limited tasks, mainly due to devices not being able to deliver the full experience\n how they would get there and where they would go. Most arrived via the home page. Perhaps one or two landing pages were made for key searches\n\nImage from www.guardian.co.uk/world/picture/2010/jun/01/eyewitness-world-record-wally \n
Everyone has changed. Where as the web was much more deterministic back “then” it’s turned animalistic and everything is up for grabs.\n\n More diverse user base with more people than ever online, each one expecting the internet to work for them and them specifically\n Browsers have multiplied and to add to that designing for different devices is the new designing for different browsers\n Access and entry points have multiplied with the use of social media\n Search is one of the key routes into the services that we design putting greater expectations on the pages we define as we no longer can rely on the home page providing users with the context they need\n... and there is more to come\n\nImage from www.robotshop.com/blog/where-is-wall-e-1391\n\n\n\n
So when you look at designing for everyone, anywhere,at any time...\n
...it really is about ‘everywhere’ and the increased number of devices being used anywhere and at any time. \n
The story of the bath.\nThe main websites dropped us straight into a situation of assumed knowledge\n\nImage thanks to @excomedia http://www.flickr.com/photos/excomedia/sets/72157622519563566/with/5233990438/\n
With this story in mind I’m going to talk about three points today with regards to designing for everyone, everywhere, at any time\n
\n
With more people online there is a potentially much broader user base and target audience meaning...\n\nImage from http://jhonman.wordpress.com/\n
...more diverse needs, from tasks to the level of information they need, that we need to accommodate and cater for\n\nImage from http://jhonman.wordpress.com/\n
Having a solid understanding of who our users are, how and where they typically access the services we design and what they want from them becomes key in ensuring that we don't alienate certain groups or provide a compromised experience \n\nImage from http://jhonman.wordpress.com/\n
\n
Our experience on the web often feels like a one to one experience. We know that we aren't the only ones using the Internet but when we use it we expect it to work for us\n\nImage from http://www.barbecoa.com/assets/images/food-menu.jpg\n\n
Tailoring an experience for a user is based on knowing what that user wants.\nIt's about knowing who they are and where in their journey they are and what they need at that stage\nIt’s about knowing how they get there and where they want to go\n\nImage from http://www.barbecoa.com/assets/images/food-menu.jpg\n\n
It’s about finding the right level of detail at the right time and in order to do this we need to have the importance and the purpose of each piece of content clear to us.\n\nImage from http://www.barbecoa.com/assets/images/food-menu.jpg\n\n
\n
Users are more and more accessing the web in the same way on their portable devices as they are on computers.Behaviour is no longer determined by location\n\nImage from http://desktopwallpaper-s.com/19-Computers/-/Future/\n
Previously we could assume, based on lack of devices that could provide the experience, that if a user accessed a service on the go it would be for a particular and quite narrow task. But that isn't the case any more. The physical context the user is in doesn't by default equal the task they want to carry out, meaning serving up different content just because they are on their mobile isn't always right\n\nInstead there is an increased expectation that we will have an equal and continues experience across and irrespectively of the devices that we are using.\nThe reason so many users click "desktop version please” is because they feel or worry they are missing out.\n\nImage from http://desktopwallpaper-s.com/19-Computers/-/Future/\n
Instead there is an increased expectation that we will have an equal and continues experience across and irrespectively of the devices that we are using.\nThe reason so many users click "desktop version please” is because they feel or worry they are missing out.\n\nImage from http://desktopwallpaper-s.com/19-Computers/-/Future/\n
\n
If we look at a typical process it may look somewhat like this (shortened for illustrative purposes)In its basic form this isn't changed by the new landscape that we design for, but there are some additional measure that needs to be taken at the planning and defining stage to address and ensure we cover the different aspects that designing for everyone, everywhere, at any time poses\n
In the next few slides I’m going to talk through some ideas I have on how we can start addressing this in the steps highlighted. They are by no means the only way to do it but builds on tools that I use today and which I find work and which I believe with a slight modification can help us address designing for everyone, everywhere, at any time.\n
In the case of users wanting to buy a bath you can group them into these four groups\n1) The “Where do I start user?” who doesn't have a clue where to begin (that was me and D by the way)\n2) The “I have a vague idea” user who have done a bit of research\n3) The “I know what it should and shouldn’t have” user who, e.g. know that they are not after a steel bath because that’s too expensive\n4) The “I know exactly what I want user” who is ready to click ‘buy’ or hand over their credit card\n\n
From a business point of view it may be preferential to focus on the bottom two target audiences as they are the ones that is easiest to convert. \n
By only focusing on them you end up excluding or compromising the experience for the top two groups, which is what happened in our case. We weren’t taken care of. \nInstead what you need to do as a a business, and what we should ensure happens, is that you also, in one form or another address the needs of the top two groups and broaden your focus so some light falls on your second or tertiary target audiences.\n\n
I utlise lifecycles a lot. For the given product or service I work on I start by defining the different stages of the lifecycle and what each stage means. . In the case of buying a bath I’ve used awareness, consideration, confirmation, purchase and support which map quite nicely with our four user groups that I defined in the previous slide. The start of the awareness stage sees the ‘Where do I start?’ user who as they move into the consideration stage turns into the ‘I’ve got a vague idea’ user. As they move through the consideration stage they form an idea of what the bath should and shouldn’t have (or be) for then by the end of that stage and in the purchase stage know exactly what they want.\n
Most projects are often initiated by the business coming with either a problem or something they want so let’s map what our fictive business has in terms of needs for the bath section of their site. \n\n
Now that we have the business needs clear the next step is to lay the user needs on top (simplified for illustrative purposes). Once that is done you start to have a good overview of both the user and the business side of things but in order to address the ‘designing for everywhere, at any time’ aspect there are two more aspects that we can lay on top.\n\n
The first one is the key entry points. Analytics and path analysis help us identify these patterns, or if you don’t yet have access to it base it on research. \n\n\n
The same thing can be done with devices and looking at traffic data. What device are users actually using the most at each stage? One you’ve got this all map you have a summary view that not only is great as a reference point for the internal team but also to communicate diversity and complexity to stakeholders. \n\nNote. In real life I normally carry out start with the user needs and then move on to the business needs to ensure that the business have the user in mind when identifying what they need at each stage.\n\n
This framework is one I developed after having seen a talk at EuroIA in Amsterdam a few years back.\nIt’s simple and works great in stakeholder workshops by involving them in the process.\n\nStart by brainstorming actions and content that would go on a given page or in a given section. This should be done before the stakeholder workshop and can be based on an internal team discussion or kick off meeting with the client. \nType in the result of the brainstorm in a format as above and print out A3 or A4 version and give a copy to each of your stakeholders. \n\n
Provide them with a pen and ask them to circle the content they would like to see on the page/section and the actions that a user should be able to do (highlighted)\n\n
Once that’s done have a discussion about what they’d circled before getting everyone to mark the things, out of what they circled, that they think are the most important and critical to the project. Both from a user and from a business point of view (stars).\nDiscuss and then talk through what content and what actions that require a slightly different approach based on if the interface the user will be using is touch based or if it’s on a smaller device (white corners).\n\nThe end result is a visual overview which is easy to grasp both for the internal team to communicate the outcome of the workshop, but also for the stakeholders. And it becomes a great reference point up front for what will be different on touch or smaller devices.\n\n
It’s a preference of style but I start with doing page description diagrams before going into wireframing. It allows me to \n1) think through and get a holistic view of the content and get it organised up front before going into the detail.\n2) to identify patterns between pages and where modules can be reused and \n3) by writing down what the purpose of each page is next to the page description diagram it forces me to think and be clear on who it’s for and what it should be doing\n4) useful tool for responsive design and designing for multiple devices\n\n\n
Page description diagrams, whether done for mobile first or desktop version first (as in this case) give you an overview of the content that goes on each page and in each coloumn. \n\nNormal content stacking, used to identify how the content will behave and move when the screen size decreases) often go by the rule of left column on the top, followed by the middle coloumn followed by the right hand coloumn, but that doesn’t always correspond with the importance of the content.\n\nThe first step in defining your content stacking strategy is to priority your content (see the little numbers). Once that is done you’ve got a guide to how the content should adapt and in which order it should come in when the screensize changes. In this case you can see that the ad (5) was rated more important than the store locator (8) and the tools (9) and so was related products (7), but had we followed normal content stacking principles the ad and related products would have been the bottom two modules when looked at on a mobile phone. \n\nWhether you’re a believer in responsive design and designing for mobile first, principles from both of these methods helps us prioritise content and serve as sound check point ensuring that we know why each piece of content is there and how, as Trent Walton talks about, it should be choreographed across devices (http://trentwalton.com/2011/07/14/content-choreography/).\n\n\n
I don’t believe we should or have to wireframe everything. It’s not always feasible or needed. \nWhen it comes to designing for multiple devices or doing responsive design it would be a nightmare if we had to do wireframes for each device and as for responsive design it would kind of defeat the point. \n\nIdentify key pages (as we do already) and key devices (if needed) and do wireframes for them. \nThen try to work at a modular level and whether you sketch it or do low fidelity module definitions, work together with design and development to identify how a module should change from the normal desktop version to the mobile version or vice versa. \n\nThe good thing about module libraries is that those can’t just be used to define content across devices but also to be re-used across pages, e.g. to provide the right content at the right time to the user using dynamic publishing\n
\n
\n\n\n
Whether you believe in responsive design or not different devices are here to stay and we need to design for them\n\nImage from thebusinessartisan.com\n
Building a responsive site will require some additional time and money but that needs to be weighed up against\nthe cost of loss of customers\nthe cost and pain of doing 20 different wireframes/designs for each device\nthe cost of having to rebuild in the not to distant future\n\nImage from thebusinessartisan.com\n
Responsive design is not a linear process. We need to adapt new processes where we work more together, across disciplines and where we as IAs have a flexible toolbook that we can draw from and which helps us assess designing for everyone, everywhere at any time.\n\nImage from thebusinessartisan.com\n