You know what they say happens to you and me when we assume. Let's not get caught in that trap. Find methods to help you challenge assumptions and uncover better ideas. These quick workflow fixes can help you address where you should ask more questions, find different answers, work better as a team, and - ultimately - create better products and services. We will walk through a series of activities that can be applied to your creative development process to build more functional, engaging, and user-centered work and help your teams be more productive, goal-oriented, and inquisitive. These activities will vary in complexity - some as quick as 5 minutes, some more in-depth that require a couple of hours of work - but all are geared at helping you find something actionable that you can add to your toolkit.

1. Don’t let
assumptions
kill good ideas

2. Hello!
I’m Lauren
You can find me at
@laurenteresa
2
Assistant Professor
Interactive Arts & Media Department
Columbia College Chicago

3. Some basics...
Let’s talk about the design
process.
3

4. HOLD UP
You do follow a design process, right?
4

5. Some basics...
Let’s talk about the design
process.
5

6. Some basics...
Let’s talk about the design
process.
6

7. Some basics...
Let’s talk about the myriad of
design processes.
7
The User-Centered Design
Process
The Human-Centered
Design Process
The Design Thinking
Process
Lean / Agile UX
The Honeycombs
The Double Diamond

8. 8
Stanford D.School

9. 9
Zurb

10. 10
British Design Council

11. 11
Damien Newman

12. LET’S
SIMPLIFY.
12

13. The Big Parts
thinking doing testing
13

14. Thinking
Ideation, Brainstorming, Discovery,
Definition, Research.
1.

15. Assumption
Brainstorming is easy and fun for everyone
15

16. Worst Idea Ever
Get ridiculous. Make terrible
suggestions. Relax. Laugh.
16

17. Worst Idea Ever
Get ridiculous. Make terrible
suggestions. Relax. Laugh.
17
1. Gather everyone together at
a surprise time
2. Encourage them to come up
with the worst ideas ever -
no idea is off limits
3. This can be a verbal
discussion or, if you have a
more introverted team, use
pieces of paper that are
collected in a box

18. Worst Idea Ever
Get ridiculous. Make terrible
suggestions. Relax. Laugh.
18
1. Encourages people to relax
and have fun
2. Creates a low-stakes, less
critical environment for
ideation
3. Bad Ideas can be windows
to excellent ideas

19. Assumption
Ideas have to be rooted in reality
19

20. The Disney Method
Live in a world of limitless
possibilities. Explore the boundaries
of questions. Wear ears if you want.
20

21. The Disney Method
Live in a world of limitless
possibilities. Explore the boundaries
of questions. Wear ears if you want.
21
1. “The Dreamer” - Assume a
world without reality. Get
fantastical. Think like a kid.
2. “The Realist” - Bring the
idea down from space, but
keep it in the sky.
3. “The Critic” - Find the holes
and weak spots, not to
break it down but to shore
it up.

22. The Disney Method
Live in a world of limitless
possibilities. Explore the boundaries
of questions. Wear ears if you want.
22
1. Exist in one mindset at a
time
2. Break up the work into
three distinct spaces or
rooms
3. Try it where each person
does all the roles, or have
certain people assigned to
each role

23. Assumption
We are thinking about the right channel
23

24. Heuristic Ideation
Technique
An old technique updated for our
omnichannel world. Explore ideas
and concepts in different
applications.
24

25. Heuristic Ideation
Technique
An old technique updated for our
omnichannel world. Explore ideas
and concepts in different
applications.
25
1. Simplify ideas into one or
two word concepts
2. Make a list of different
interaction channels
3. Make a grid with concepts
on the Y axis, and channels
on the X axis
4. Fill in the grid with possible
solutions

26. Heuristic Ideation
Technique
An old technique updated for our
omnichannel world. Explore ideas
and concepts in different
applications.
26
1. Your grid can be as large or
as small as you would like
2. Complete this process on
the spot, or give versions to
people to bring home and
stew on
3. Allow voting on ideas after
they are collected

27. Assumption
Ideas are best when they are owned
27

28. Pass the Baby
Sever attachment from your own
ideas, and give a different perspective
to other people’s ideas.
28

29. Pass the Baby
Sever attachment from your own
ideas, and give a different perspective
to other people’s ideas.
29
1. Everyone creates a single
representation of their idea
2. Collect all of the ideas, and
randomly reassign them
3. Each person creates a next
fidelity representation of
the idea from their own
perspective

30. Pass the Baby
Sever attachment from your own
ideas, and give a different perspective
to other people’s ideas.
30
1. Keep it anonymous and
random
2. Allow people to choose
their own method for
presenting ideas
3. Don’t seek clarification
from the original idea
creator
4. Be open. Don’t get mad

31. Doing
Ideation, Brainstorming, Discovery,
Definition, Research.
2.

32. Assumption
We know our audience and what they want and need
32

33. POV Madlib
33
Explore different points of view,
context, and motivation in interaction
to reveal new paths

34. POV Madlib
34
Explore different points of view,
context, and motivation in interaction
to reveal new paths
1. Follow the format
“[Someone] needs to [verb]
because of [reason /
insight]”
2. Fill in the blanks with
various combinations
3. Have the team vote on
compelling / overlooked
concepts for further
exploration

35. POV Madlib
35
Explore different points of view,
context, and motivation in interaction
to reveal new paths
1. Be detailed in needs and
motivation to apply
empathy
2. Aim for problem
statements, and not just
logic
3. Think beyond your core
audience

36. Assumption
We are asking the right question(s)
36

37. The Toddler Game
37
Turn the annoying but classic pastime
into a results-oriented activity

38. The Toddler Game
38
Turn the annoying but classic pastime
into a results-oriented activity
1. Begin with your
implementation plan
2. Define “a toddler” -
someone who asks “why”
as each step is presented
3. The toddler should ask at
least two follow up “whys”
to any answer
4. Diverge as needed and move
through the plan

39. The Toddler Game
39
Turn the annoying but classic pastime
into a results-oriented activity
1. It’s important that everyone
buys in to this game
2. Set frustrations aside, and
genuinely answer each
question - not matter how
banal
3. Question each step - it’s not
about critique, it’s about
legitimate defense of
process

40. Testing
Ideation, Brainstorming, Discovery,
Definition, Research.
3.

41. Assumption
We are testing the right thing
41

42. Script Flip
Have your users build your prototypes
for you, part 1
42

43. Script Flip
Have your users build your prototypes
for you, part 1
43
1. Bring paper, pencil, blank
prototypes with you to
testing
2. When users give feedback,
or seem confused, give
them an opportunity to
draw out their ideas
3. Work with them to modify
the interaction flow

44. Script Flip
Have your users build your prototypes
for you, part 1
44
1. This process works best
when your starting
prototype is also
low-fidelity
2. Most people can draw
simple concepts on paper
3. A visual representation of a
visual concept is more clear
than verbal communication

45. Modular
Prototyping
Have your users build your prototypes
for you, part 2
45

46. Modular
Prototyping
Have your users build your prototypes
for you, part 2
46
1. Break up your prototype
into discrete, paper
components
2. Provide a blank “frame” -
browser chrome, tablet,
phone - on paper
3. Ask users to arrange the
components in a way that
makes sense to them

47. Modular
Prototyping
Have your users build your prototypes
for you, part 2
47
1. Prime users by asking them
about tasks they would like
to accomplish
2. Complete a round of testing
using their layout
3. Ask them to think aloud
concurrently, both while
building and while testing

48. Assumption
Building products is a linear process
48

49. Assumption
Starting over at this point is out of question
49

50. Thanks!
Any questions?
50
You can find me at
@laurenteresa
lliss@colum.edu
Download these slides at
goodspark.com/webcon2021