When you begin work on a new project, there are so many unknowns, so many moving parts to get your head around, so many questions you haven’t even thought to ask yet, that it can be hard to know where to start. This workshop gives participants: – A toolbox full of discovery techniques and tips, as well as recommendations for further learning. – Clarity about which tools to use when and for what purpose, and a basic discovery process that they can use as a starting point when planning out a new project or initiative, or writing a proposal for a new client. – An opportunity to try their hand at several of these techniques. I've given this workshop a few times in the USA, and I've had great feedback from participants. I'd love to give it again at your conference or organisation. Let's talk!

1. Tools and Techniques for Discovery Work
Kerry-Anne Gilowey
MinneWebCon · Minneapolis · 26 April 2016
From Analysis to Synthesis
@kerry_anne

2. Workshop overview

3. Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/vegard
So many unknowns.
Where do we even begin?

4. A toolbox,
not a methodology.

5. Basic principles

6. 1. DISCOVERY IS NOT A PHASE.

7. Uncomfortable with uncertainty?
• Listen to Schrödinger’s IA: Learning toLove Ambiguity – tinyurl.com/ambiguity2013
• Slides: tinyurl.com/ambiguity-slides
RESOURCES

8. 2. KNOW YOUR CONSTRAINTS.

9. 3. BE CAREFUL WITH
ASSUMPTIONS.

10. 4. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND
YOUR ORGANISATION.

11. 5. ALWAYS BE TAKING NOTES.

12. Recording apps
• Easy Voice Recorder (Android – free)• Recorder Pro (iOS – $1.99)• Any other suggestions?
RESOURCES

13. 6. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING
YOU’RE TOLD.
Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore

14. 7. LOOK FOR PATTERNS.

15. 8. BORROW TOOLS AND
TECHNIQUES.

18. What can you learn from…
… systems analysts?
… authors?
… archaeologists?
… talk show hosts?

19. Getting started

22. Our new project
Traditional publisher
Creating a digital product
Need our help with
content planning
interaction design
project steps
a little bit of strategy

24. Discovery techniques

26. CHOOSE
your tools
carefully

27. PRIORITISE
your discovery
efforts

28. Workshop sessions

29. Workshops are great for…
Gathering a lot
of info in a
short period of
time
Picking up on
political issues
Checking that
objectives and
intentions are
shared
Making sure
you’re getting
the correct info

30. Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology

31. Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology

32. Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology

33. Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology

35. Messaging card-sort

36. Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups

37. Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups
2. Note and discard cards in the “WE
ARE NOT” pile

38. Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups
2. Note and discard cards in the “WE
ARE NOT” pile
3. Loosely group the remaining
attributes

39. Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups
2. Note and discard cards in the “WE
ARE NOT” pile
3. Loosely group the remaining
attributes
4. Prioritise: choose your top 10

40. Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology

41. Workshop activities
Task identification and prioritisation
Live content audit
Persona creation
Audience identification
Challenges and opportunities
Mad Libs

42. Content Mad Libs
RESOURCES
Get more info at
content-workshops.com/toolbox/2015/3/content-mad-libs
Image credit: Sara Wachter-Boettcher

43. Content analysis

44. Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics

45. Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics

46. Some help from Content Insight
• Audit tips: tinyurl.com/audit-tips• Content Audits and Inventories: AHandbook by Paula Ladenburg Land
RESOURCES

47. Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics

48. More about using site search logs
• Search Analytics For Your Site by LouisRosenfeld – tinyurl.com/search-analytics
RESOURCES

49. Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics

50. Learn all about Google Analytics
• Google’s free Analytics Academy –analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com/
RESOURCES

51. One-on-one interviews

52. Interviews are great for…
Understanding
workflow and
processes
Identifying
challenges
Understanding
political and
cultural issues
Building
relationships
and trust

54. Audience research

55. Audience research methods
Surveys
Customer interviews
Call centre study

56. Customer surveys
• Survey software – surveymonkey.com• Coursera course on questionnairedesign, by the University of Michigan,which started yesterday! – tinyurl.com/questionnaire-course
RESOURCES

57. Audience research methods
Surveys
Customer interviews
Call centre study

58. Tips for customer interviews
• Slides from my talk at Confab London –tinyurl.com/talk-to-the-people• Come to Collective Conference inAtlanta in June – I’ll be talking on thisvery topic. Get 10% off with the codeKERRYA.
RESOURCES

59. Audience research methods
Surveys
Customer interviews
Call centre study

60. Competitor analysis

61. Competitor analysis
Site and app comparisons
Industry research
Messaging analysis

62. Competitor analysis
Site and app comparisons
Industry research
Messaging analysis

63. Competitor analysis
Site and app comparisons
Industry research
Messaging analysis

64. On to synthesis

65. Discovery artifacts

66. TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts

67. OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts

68. WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts

69. ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts

70. ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
MATRIX OF
CONTENT
TYPES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts

71. ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
SIMPLE
PERSONAS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
MATRIX OF
CONTENT
TYPES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts

72. ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
SIMPLE
PERSONAS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
MATRIX OF
CONTENT
TYPES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
CUSTOMER
JOURNEYS
Discovery artifacts

73. ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
SIMPLE
PERSONAS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
MATRIX OF
CONTENT
TYPES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
MESSAGING
SPREADSHEET
CUSTOMER
JOURNEYS
Discovery artifacts

74. Shared definitions

75. Workflow diagrams
From documentation.magnolia-cms.com/display/DOCS45/Workflow

76. Content type matrix

77. Simple personas

78. Customer journeys
Image credit: http://engagingplaces.net/2013/10/15/hbr-the-truth-about-the-customer-experience/

79. Messaging spreadsheet
Image credit: http://engagingplaces.net/2013/10/15/hbr-the-truth-about-the-customer-experience/

81. Analysing your notes

82. Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns

83. Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns
2. Group related issues

84. Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns
2. Group related issues
3. Make connections explicit

85. Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns
2. Group related issues
3. Make connections explicit
4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts

86. ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW
DIAGRAMS
SIMPLE
PERSONAS
OWNERSHIP
AND
AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
MATRIX OF
CONTENT
TYPES
TERM LISTS,
GLOSSARIES,
SHARED
DEFINITIONS
MESSAGING
SPREADSHEET
CUSTOMER
JOURNEYS
Discovery artifacts

87. Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns
2. Group related issues
3. Make connections explicit
4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts
5. Write up a roadmap

88. Roadmap headings
• Stakeholders
• Objectives
• Current situation
• Key challenges
• Short-term strategy
• Long-term strategy
• Open questions

89. Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns
2. Group related issues
3. Make connections explicit
4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts
5. Write up a roadmap
6. Give your partner feedback

90. Thanks for taking part!
Kerry-Anne Gilowey
kerryanne@augustsun.co.za
http://augustsun.co.za
@kerry_anne