Ultimately we’re all fighting for users, but which ideas will win their favor? Sometimes, in the battle arena of meetings, requirements and design reviews, the loudest voice gets heard but not necessarily the best. Sometimes design sensibilities and user feedback take a backseat to politics, short-term goals or decisions by committee. In this talk you’ll learn more about a few useful weapons, such as gamestorming and design critiques, to make sure the best ideas win.
28. In What Ways...
In what ways can we increase user engagement?
In what ways can we improve sharing on G+?
29. In What Ways...
In what ways can we increase user engagement?
In what ways can we improve sharing on G+?
In what ways can we improve our sharing tools?
30. In What Ways...
In what ways can we increase user engagement?
In what ways can we improve sharing on G+?
In what ways can we improve our sharing tools?
In what ways can we improve personal connections?
31. In What Ways...
In what ways can we increase user engagement?
In what ways can we improve sharing on G+?
In what ways can we improve our sharing tools?
In what ways can we improve personal connections?
In what ways can we make our users’ lives better?
33. Cover Story
• Getting rid of logical constraints
• Revealing shared hopes & plant seeds for real
possibilities
• Artifacts for continued ideas and inspiration
• Any number of participants
• 60 minutes
Grove Consultants: http://www.gogamestorm.com/?p=365
34. Cover Story
• Envision the ideal state of your organization.
• You’ve wound up on the cover of a major
magazine.
• Story has already happened and been
reported by mainstream media.
• Break into groups of 4-6 and tell the story.
35.
36.
37. SharePoint Example
“FinCorp search promotes knowledge sharing
with other departments thus driving down
costs”
“FinCorp search reduces the time to find
experts and allowing greater customer
satisfaction”
“FinCorp search allows users to find what they
need and allow them to express the opinions
on search”
SharePoint Analyst HQ: http://goo.gl/nv1ca
39. Create Fodder
Document what you’ve learned squeezing and
stretching.
Keep a problem journal.
• What business problems do you want to
work on?
• What business relationships do you want
to improve?
• What is too complicated?
• How can we become more user-centric?
44. We need a better balance
Group interaction
Individual meditation
45. We need a better balance
Group interaction
Individual meditation
Creating ideas
Critical discussion
46. We need a better balance
Group interaction
Individual meditation
Creating ideas
Critical discussion
Spontaneity
Preparation
47. Brainwriting
• Periods of mediation within group discussion
• Less vocal participants are heard
• 5 - 20 participants
• 30 - 45 minutes
ThinkerToys: http://goo.gl/Kpq2J
48. Brainwriting
• Discuss problem and write it on a board
• 3x5 index cards, each person writes one idea
• Pass silently to the right
• Each idea is stimulation for next person
• Tape ideas to the wall
• With different categories
• Participants put adhesive dots on the ideas
they like
49. Challenge Cards
Solution Challenge
• To identify and think through challenges,
problems and potential pitfalls in a product,
service or strategy.
• 5 - 10 participants
• 45 - 60 minutes
Gamestorming: http://
www.gogamestorm.com/?p=572
50. Challenge Cards
• One team writes a strength of the product or
solution on each card
• Other team brainstorms potential challenges
• Challenge team pulls out one of their cards
• If they have a solution, solution team gets a
point. if they don’t challenge team gets a
point.
• Then both teams think of a solution.
• Continues until story reaches conclusion.
51. • Avoid developing just the first good idea
• Explore complementary approaches.
• Generates lots of ideas in a short time.
• Repeatable to hone and flesh out a few of the
best ideas.
• 2+ players, 30 - 60 minutes
6-8-5
Gamestorming: http://goo.gl/MU38W
52. • Before meeting, prepare grids.
• Generate between 6 - 8 ideas in
5 minutes.
• Silently sketch out as many ideas
as possible.
• Intentionally very rough
• Share their sketches with the
rest of the group.
• Everyone presents!
6-8-5
60. • Creates a single list of ranked items.
• Obligates the group to make difficult
decisions, and each item is ranked relative to
the others.
• 3 - 10 participants
• 30 - 60 minutes
Forced Ranking
Gamestorming: http://www.gogamestorm.com/?p=350
61. • Creates a single list of ranked items.
• Obligates the group to make difficult
decisions, and each item is ranked relative to
the others.
• 3 - 10 participants
• 30 - 60 minutes
Forced Ranking
62. • 2-10 players
• Unranked list of items
• Several different criteria, such as
• Most important features for User X
• Most potential impact over the next year
• Least amount of effort over over the next six
months
• Discuss and finalize next steps
Forced Ranking
67. Art of Critique
• All about the right intent
• Everyone is an equal
• Design owner decides what to act
upon
• Problem solving and design decisions
avoided during session
Art of Critique (Aaron Irizarry, Adam Connor): http://goo.gl/mgwZx
68. Giving Critique
• What did I enjoy about this design and why?
• What concerns me about this design and why?
• What does this design remind me of and why?
69. Receiving Critique
• Listen. Focus to understand the critics
• Think before taking a position
• Refer to design goals
71. Summary
• Stretch and squeeze the problem
• Get it out of your head - state it!
DefineExploreHone
72. Summary
• Stretch and squeeze the problem
• Get it out of your head - state it!
• Encourage individual meditation
• Embrace “No, because...”
• Get creative in your preparation
DefineExploreHone
73. Summary
• Stretch and squeeze the problem
• Get it out of your head - state it!
• Encourage individual meditation
• Embrace “No, because...”
• Get creative in your preparation
• Refine and iterate from beginning to end
• Critique with the right intent
• Practice often, both giving and receiving
DefineExploreHone
74. We can create better
products, stronger
ideas and more
informed decisions.