The document discusses architecting change and navigating ambiguity, uncertainty, and volatility when designing for users. It introduces Emily Bowman as a change-aholic and discusses the scale of commitment to change. It then provides tips for managing change, including paying attention, facing feelings, understanding your role, choosing a positive attitude, and relaxing. Finally, it outlines Xplane's DNA of change model, which includes clarity, inspiration, visual alignment, co-creation, action, transparency, harmony, and resilience.
Hi, I’m Emily. I’m a UX Architect at Team Detroit.
Today I’d like to talk about change.
This is a new talk, so feedback is welcome.
I was invited to explore this topic with MSU students.
Excited me, because I love change. Lifehacker type.
4 years in UX, before in higher ed.
Core of the work is the same: advocating for people, designing and architecting information.
Change was the reason that I needed change. Higher ed is very resistant to change, tech relies on it.
Give examples of project changes for each client.
Change is an inherent quality of the work we do.
UX is about making things better for people, and when technology, culture, and human behavior is always changing, our work is never done.
Whether it be:
projects
technology
budget
team members
organization
user behavior
Change is inevitable. To be successful in UX you need to hone your ability to cope with change like any other skill.
When we think about how individuals process change, everyone moves along the scale of commitment.
Those very adept, go swiftly.
On the other end of the spectrum, can get caught.
No man is an island
You can be as adaptable as all get out, but projects are done by teams…. if anyone is resistant, we all are.
The reality is, individuals need to develop skills independently.
Here are some tips.
Use the right process and tempo to ensure you’re building on what you’ve validated.
Low fidelity is your friend.
The more effort we put into a deliverable, the less likely we are to want to change it.
Something else to consider when change is afoot is your connection to opinion anchors.
We hold on to these anchors with the illusion that they are fact (even heuristics).
Keep everything open to change unless you get data to confirm.
When we think of change on a larger scale: this is a model that biz types use to understand how change proliferates throughout an organization.
We can learn a lot from this, but it doesn’t necessarily help us organize our work to make change easier to deal with.
Xplane is a business design consultancy that leverages visual thinking and user-centered design to solve problems for organizations.
Change begins with clarity of the current state, the future state and the terrain that lies between.
Assess the current situation
Create a clear vision
Diagnose the factors that will impact the journey
Search inside the organization for barriers and success stories.
Look outside the organization for new ways of doing things
When the future doesn’t exist yet, it’s tricky to see.
Create a shared mental model
Use visuals to remove ambiguity
People support what they help build.
Fully engage stakeholders
Evangelists, not victims
Actions speak louder than words.
Keep words to action ratio low
The antidote to uncertainty is not certainty, it is trust.
Establish a tempo of open communication
How will change affect the system?
Anticipate effects and act to maintain equilibrium
Account for adaptation mechanics in projects, initiatives.
Safe sandboxes for experimentation
Iteration
Feedback loops