Talk with Lane Halley: Interaction Design + Product Management. Delivered August 17, 2009 at the Software Product Management Meetup NYC. Highlights of the talk: • What is (user) interaction design? (IxD) • How does IxD contribute to GREAT products? • How Product Managers can benefit from IxD • Core IxD techniques

1. Interaction Design + Product Management Software Product Management Meetup NYCAugust 17, 2009

2. About Lane Halley Principal Designer at Liquidnet 20+ years in SW development Cooper Fellow (Goal-Directed Design©, Personas) Agile 2009 UX stage IxD + PM 2 8/17/2009

3. What is Interaction Design? Interaction Design (IxD) defines the structure and behavior of interactive products and services. Interaction Designers create compelling relationships between people and the interactive systems they use, from computers to mobile devices to appliances... http://www.ixda.org/ IxD + PM 3 8/17/2009

4. Why do Product Managers need IxD? Interaction design supports great products A great product takes into account: Peoples’ motivations and behaviors Their environment of use IxD + PM 4 8/17/2009

5. Why do Product Managers need IxD? Products that are well designed: Organize functions in ways that make sense to people Help people accomplish their goals without excess work or frustration Generate brand loyalty IxD + PM 5 8/17/2009

6. Pure Digital Technologies, Flip Mino Cheap and portable flash-based camcorders 1.5 MM sold since May ‘07 20% of domestic camcorder market (ahead of Sony) IxD + PM 6 8/17/2009

7. Considering user needs in context “…consumer electronics companies were focused on creating the smallest, coolest and most technologically advanced products, but they came at it from a hardware side. We come at it from an ecosystem side, meaning that there's great software that resides in the device and on the computer and on the Internet. And the combination of those three things creates an ecosystem that has a lot of value.” Jonathan Kaplan, Pure Digital CEO SF Chronicle, November 30, 2008 IxD + PM 7 8/17/2009

8. Different by design The Mino’s design is focused on human needs: Simple editing Simple sharing IxD + PM 8 8/17/2009

9. Flip user interface objectives With the Flip, it’s easy to: Immediately see and watch videos Save videos to the computer for safekeeping Delete unwanted ‘junk’ videos and only save the wanted videos Provide easy access to common activities IxD + PM 9 8/17/2009

10. 8/17/2009 IxD + PM 10 Image: http://www.obsessable.com/feature/obsessable-flip-mino-hd-review/

11. It’s hard to make things easy “Creating something simple and fun is very hard; it's not easy," Kaplan said. "Otherwise, everyone would be doing it.” Jonathan Kaplan, Pure Digital CEO SF Chronicle, November 30, 2008 IxD + PM 11 8/17/2009

12. But it’s worth it! “…stunningly simple to use.” –Wall Street Journal “The controls are so simple, a five-year old could master them.” –Real Simple “…catching life’s little wonders on video just got eaiser.” –Chicago Tribune IxD + PM 12 8/17/2009

13. Why aren’t more products successful? A successful product is more than the sum of its’ features IxD + PM 13 8/17/2009

14. What makes a product successful? IxD + PM 14 8/17/2009 Desirability Capability Product Viability Larry Keeley, three elements of a successful high-tech product

15. Successful products are balanced IxD + PM 15 8/17/2009 Technology Interaction Design Desirability Capability Product Viability Product Management

16. How do Interaction Designers work? Interaction designers: Perform user research and usability tests Develop models of users, their attitudes, needs and behaviors Translate this intelligence into useful stories, sketches and prototypes IxD + PM 16 8/17/2009

17. How can a Product Manager use IxD? Even if you’re not a trained Interaction Designer, you can use some of the same thinking and techniques with your teams to produce better products IxD + PM 17 8/17/2009

18. Elements of an Interaction Design strategy Interaction design techniques will help you: Understand who your users are and what they value Ensure the entire team understands and can collaborate on the desired user experience for your product Appropriately balance “big picture” thinking with “just in time” thinking IxD + PM 18 8/17/2009

19. TOOLS FOR: Understanding your users Interviews Site visits, direct observations Online observation Innovation Games IxD + PM 19 8/17/2009

20. Interview planning Who do you want to talk to and what do you want to learn? Planning interview themes Where to find people Incremental research Cultivate a user group Use your visits for multiple purposes IxD + PM 20 8/17/2009

21. Effective interviewing Use open-ended questions to encourage conversation “What parts of this process take the most time, and why?” IxD + PM 21 8/17/2009

22. Effective interviewing Identify the need behind a feature request “If you HAD feature x, what would that allow you to do?” IxD + PM 22 8/17/2009

23. TOOLS FOR: Synthesis Affinity diagrams Personas Workflow models Conceptual models IxD + PM 23 8/17/2009

24. Use affinity diagrams for group synthesis Flickr: /improveit/1574052029/ IxD + PM 24 8/17/2009

25. Good user research = stronger personas Well-researched personas help your team make better decisions. A good persona description defines: Goals Attitudes Work or activity flow Environment Skill level Frustrations IxD + PM 25 8/17/2009

26. Specific is more important than accurate IxD + PM 26 8/17/2009 Flickr: /dtsato/582640684/

27. TOOLS FOR: Ideation Scenarios Sketching IxD + PM 27 8/17/2009

28. How to have a GREAT idea Set yourself up for success with the right elements: Lateral thinking – with appropriate context Personas – based on a shared understanding of users Scenarios – based on understanding of real user needs and activities Sketching– on paper/whiteboard Collaborative process – that supports the evolving concept IxD + PM 28 8/17/2009

29. Using scenarios Scenarios help you imagine how people will use your product. A scenario: Tells the story of a persona using the product to accomplish their goals Allows us to work from an ideal user experience Provides context for features and functions within broader tasks and workflows Evolves to become more detailed and specific IxD + PM 29 8/17/2009

30. Using scenarios Scenarios should be idealistic and high-level. Be sure to focus on: The new, idealized version of the interaction, (“pretend it’s magic”) not the current process What they want to accomplish and the result, rather than the controls they use IxD + PM 30 8/17/2009

31. Collaborative sketching IxD + PM 31 8/17/2009 Flickr: /lanehalley/2744909938/

32. Design validation Focus groups Usability tests Web analytics IxD + PM 32 8/17/2009

33. TOOLS FOR: Creating consensus Low-fidelity prototype High-fidelity prototype Persona-based audit Usability highlights reel IxD + PM 33 8/17/2009

34. Low-fidelity prototype Paper OneNote Whiteboard and digital camera Storyboards PPT IxD + PM 34 8/17/2009

35. High-fidelity prototype Benefits: Getting real Help people see/understand Risks: Can limit innovative thinking Not robust enough to ship IxD + PM 35 8/17/2009

36. Persona-based audit A persona-based audit can be used to: Evaluate design Evaluate a current solution Persuasive tool for change IxD + PM 36 8/17/2009

37. What’s the ideal solution? It depends… The right process for your team depends on many things: Complexity of your product domain New product? Later release? Team composition Size Location Skills IxD + PM 37 8/17/2009

38. Discussion: What’s your IxD plan? What IxD techniques are best for your product? How will you meet the need for interaction design? IxD thinking/techniques by team members Interaction Designer as consultant to the team Interaction Designer as full-time member of team IxD + PM 38 8/17/2009

39. Thanks! I’d love to hear your stories… Lane Halley lbh.inc@gmail.com twitter: thinknow http://lanehalley.livejournal.com/ IxD + PM 39 8/17/2009

40. Want to learn more? Cooper offers courses in: * Interaction design (4-day) * Communicating design (2-day) * Visual interface design (2-day) * Integrating design (2-day) http://www.cooper.com/services/training/ IxD + PM 40 8/17/2009

41. Recommended reading Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love Marty Cagan Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services. Kim Goodwin IxD + PM 41 8/17/2009