1. I’m in the user’s shoes, now what? How finding an empathetically user-centered perspective on design builds innovation May 2011 Traci Lepore Principal Interaction Designer Twitter: @traciuxd uxmatters.com/authors/traci_lepore

2. If this is the direction we are moving, the way we work needs to change – we need to be more user-centered UXD today and the need for a new approach Design is moving from being an engineering focused practice to a human experience focused practice With that transition understanding the user’s experience becomes important The availability of new technologies with more sophisticated and physical interaction requires deeper understanding of context of the experience

3. Towards a user-centered process Empathy: The power of entering into another’s personality and imaginatively experiencing his experiences: the power of entering into the feeling or spirit of something…and so appreciating it fully. (Greek: en, in, pathos, feeling) The designer learns from experiencing the user andworks for the experience of the user The designer, user and product are not separate - successful design of experiences requires empathy Empathy is the heart of UXD

4. It’s a natural parallel artistic process to turn to for help Theater teaches us empathy Theatrical approaches to UXD could provide: A useful way of establishing a common, shared context for audience participants Instruction in engaging and insightful communication and teamwork Encouragement of dialog and suggestions of solutions betweendesigners and users Opportunity to test those suggestions Iteration that allows changes to be incorporated immediately and tested again

5. The route to empathy already exists in typical UXD process and people – it just needs some enhancement Empathetic UXD should work like an art process… If UXD was user-centered and empathetic like theater it would have: A production process that includes: Rapid iteration Cyclical rehearsal, not linear movement towards the end product Strategy creation and direction Worked by an ensemble that: Know and trust each other Have shared language and domain knowledge Engage in improvisation & innovative play Have a forum for design negotiation

6. The Production Process

7. Immediacy in UXD = iteration… Maintaining immediacy drives timely empathy Immediacy: a reflection of the here and now and evolves from observation of the world around us Maintaining Immediacy requires committing to a truly user-centered process which: Gathers requirements from users Produces concepts based on those requirements Validates them with users again before beginning to develop And immediacy doesn’t end at the release, immediacy means continual assessment and iteration

8. Out of the chaos comes structure and delight Iteration leads to innovation Try lots of ideas in a short period of time Get everyone’s input – make use of the ensemble Use your wealth of stored and shared stimuli and experiences Experiment and find metaphors and analogies Throw out what doesn’t work, letting you keep what does Allows for failure in a safe environment Keeps you from having to go with the first idea –no matter whether it’s the best or not Keep the immediacy Constant check and balance against the user stories and needs Keeps freshness

9. The building blocks of iteration Rehearsal processes aren’t much different than product development Break the straight line by thinking in multiple chunks of the building blocks you put together

10. The phases of iteration Usability high Refinement Concept Validation Ideation Ideas drop off – commit to viable options Level of Fidelity Commitment Iteration low Rehearsal Run Through Performance Dress Rehearsal Communicates Ideas, possibilities to pursue Structure, overall flow Structure, flow, & details (w/o final visual design) Final branded and fully developed product Be clear about what phase you are in and what you are communicating

11. It’s up to you to maintain the forward motion The UX designer’s role – driving the vision Getting help along the way: Do the table talk – discuss the vision and have a shared understanding Be clear about the story and the intents Break the work into manageable pieces and the run through multiple pieces together as a whole Check in with your audience at reasonable points, then fine tune

12. Promotes empathy, which leads to innovation The empathetic UXD production process An immediate, iterative and artistic process pulls it all together

13. Ensembles, Improv and Innovation

14. No one can do it alone and unconnected It takes a village… Empathy requires that you understand The whole picture The users The team The context and domain of your design problem The physical and cultural environment That an ensemble gives you the best chance of understanding the whole picture The power of empathy derived from the ensemble drives spontaneity and innovation

15. Being connected to a whole larger than yourself evokes the kind of empathy that makes magic happen Ensembles deliver innovation – not magic! Misconception: Innovation happens spontaneously – therefore is magic Reality: Alot of individual work and teamwork goes into spontaneity An ensemble can: Be spontaneous, or improvise in the moment when needed Successfully work as a group tobrainstorm and evaluate Draw on the skills of a whole that is larger than any one individual Provide empathy for more than just the user – but also the group and the environment

16. An ensemble is more than just a team Working together in a group is difficult. To be an ensemble and not just a team requires: Practice in the core principles of improvisation The ability to recombine and reincorporate things you already know A multidisciplinary team to split the work of obtaining domain knowledge Shared experiences, language, and gestures Warming up before brainstorming Negotiation during the brainstorming Ensembles don’t happen overnight just because you put people together

17. An ongoing preparation task for the individual & group Ready, set, improvise! Creativity and spontaneity Build up your stimuli and input reserves Warm up and play games Be OK with failure Trust and collaboration Know your team Focus on being present Skillful improvisation Follow the rules of “Yes, and…” Rely on the first two points

18. The best way to understand the user’s world is to engage in it Stealing isn’t illegal, it’s encouraged! “Playing Degas” A role playing game to help Picasso understand the innovators around him Innovation comes from empathetic understanding of Users Other creators Culture Which lets you Be in tune with the world Combine listening and action So you can call on those tools at any time - spontaneously

19. Improv that is truly spontaneous requires deeper communication capabilities in the ensemble Shared language – the secret sauce of improv “A shared language … becomes a critical factor in the kind of improvisation that leads to innovation. A shared language is the key thing you can rely on and fall back on in moments of spontaneity with your ensemble. And it is what makes improvisation fast, smooth, and seamless.” Shared language doesn’t have to be verbal; it can include gestures and shared experiences the group has had together.

20. All design is a negotiation, so take advantage of it! A forum for design negotiation Small subgroup of the ensemble define and improvise the embodiment of a specific problem or issue Leverage the members who know the most about the context Scaffold structure makes it less scary for the larger group Presenting the embodied issues to a larger group in a participatory experience by Let members of the larger group jump in with their variations on the story Fill in gaps, and get all perspectives Defer evaluation until the process has revealed everyone’s concepts and ideas Don’t hinder the creativity!

21. Empathic UXD leads to innovation

22. We can learn from theater how to derive more empathy in our UXD processes Today’s UXD world requires more empathy The way we go about the business of user experience design is changing There is a move to focus on the human aspects of design, not the technical This change, along with increasing complexity in available technologies and experiences, make it imperative that designers have an empathetic perspective Theatrical techniques and methods can help support building that empathetic perspective when infused into various points in already existing design processes

23. Empathetic UXD perspectives drive innovation Through an immediate, iterative and artistic process That builds on understanding of needs by the use of characters and storytelling of requirements Validates & refines ideas through iterative runs of work - shared with users in participatory exercises Communicates the design story for buy in Worked by a group That does the work of building an ensemble capable of improvising Has a shared language Can negotiate successfully in a participatory exercise

24. Find out more on Uxmatters.com The Holy Grail of Innovation: It Takes an Ensemble to Achieve Inspired Creativity Sketches and Wireframes and Prototypes! Oh My! Creating Your Own Magical Wizard Experience I Have an Idea! Forums for Design Conversations and Negotiations Putting Together a Production: A Rehearsal Strategy for Design The UX Designer’s Place in the Ensemble: Directing the Vision What Place Does Theater Have in the Creative Process of Design?

25. Great books to read “Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know About How Artists Work” by Robert Austin and Lee Devin “The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life” by Twyla Tharp “The Empty Space” by Peter Brook “Games for Actors and Non-Actors” by Augusto Boal