You'll learn:
- How to run the right research on tight timelines
- How to plan research while still designing
- How object-oriented UX can improve the Agile process
3. #OOUX
Discussion Points
How to run research on tight timelines
How to plan research while still designing
How object-oriented UX can improve the Agile process
4. #OOUX
Agile as in…
From our frame of reference (at Intuitive)
Project-based (e.g., websites versus product/software development)
Typically 2 or 3-week design & development sprints (can range from 6 weeks to
6 months)
8. #OOUX
RESEARCH DEFICITS
TRADITIONAL PROCESS
Puts focus on user in
up-front research phase:
lack of user focus in
later phases
Conceptual and
discovery research too
early, during abstract
phase
Research is de-
prioritized because it
impacts delivery of
product
15. #OOUX
A SHIFT IN MINDSET
Research engaged
throughout the project;
all disciplines use sprints
to deliver value.
Research is a design and
development tool for
creating a “user-center
designed” product.
Abandon the assembly
line process, research
doesn’t have to impact
timeline.
16. #OOUX
THE GOAL
As a
researcher,
I want to
get to findings &
insights (quickly),
so that
we can get to a good
design (quickly).
USER-CENTERED DESIGN
21. #OOUX
A CASE STUDY
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Challenge
Website redesign to create a dedicated experience for advisors
Establish a new look and feel to communicate launch of new
brand
Leverage and re-architect existing content
Timeline
6 month timeline / 8 Sprints (3 wks each)
Deliverable
Working prototype that demonstrates new user experience and
key workflows with usable code
26. #OOUX
THE POST-TESTING DEBRIEF
Protocol Outline Handout
Study Goals
Key Tasks
Organized Discussion
What worked
What worked but needs tweaks
What didn’t work
Requires data analysis
28. #OOUX
THE REFACTORING SPRINT
Research
Detailed analysis, looping in design, dev, and clients if
anything changed since the debrief. Start planning the next
set of research.
Design & Development
Iterate based on research findings, begin next feature set.
29. #OOUX
SPRINT0 SPRINT1 SPRINT2 SPRINT3 SPRINT4 SPRINT5 SPRINT6 SPRINT7
RESEARCH
DESIGN
DEV
RESEARCH
to inform
to evaluate
34. #OOUX
LEARNED IN THIS PROCESS
What are we
researching?
Lead the process.
What are we changing?
Own the discussion.
What does it mean to be
agile?
Be ready for change.
THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER
35. #OOUX
CURRENT PROCESS
Assumes and relies upon
close physical proximity
of teams
Assumes and relies upon
hyper-communicative
team members
Not necessarily scalable
when utilizing
geographically remote
teams
45. #OOUX
WHY DO WE WANT TO DO THIS?
So we can think about the entire system in line with real-world
objects in users’ mental model, not digital-world actions.
We don’t go to a web site because we want to search, filter, or
check-out. We go to a web site because we want a plane ticket. We
want relationships. We want food.
We want a book.
We want things.
46. #OOUX
You might be thinking, this all sounds great, but we have a lot of
invested in Agile.
We have user stories, we have workflows, we have a minimal viable
product we need to produce in a few weeks.
What does that all mean?
BUT WE’RE SO INVESTED IN AGILE!
47. #OOUX
Start with a discrete “object”, which can have associated
“actions” and “adjectives” associated with it.
OOUX & “THINGS”
Example:
Object: Coin
Verb: Rate
Adjective: Year
48. #OOUX
As a user I can view numerous coins so that I can rate each coin.
As a user I can add/edit/delete comments for each coin and sort by date
posted.
As a user I can view the properties of each coin, so that I can see what the
current average rating is, as well as view the year, mint, type, obverse and
reverse image and see who the user is who originally uploaded the coin.
THE USER STORY
Noun, Verb, Adjective, Metadata
49. #OOUX
1. Nouns are objects
2.Verbs are methods of objects (CTAs)
3.Adjectives are properties of objects
4.Collection of adjectives are metadata
5.Find relationships between objects
6.Find dependencies between objects
7.Code before wireframes (!)
Object Mapping
More on Sophia Voychehovski’s Object Mapping process
http://rewiredux.com/ooux
51. #OOUX
So, what’s the problem?
1. Vaguely defined pages that reflect only
the researchers mental model of it (not
design or dev)
2. Sentence fragments instead of user
stories
3. No clear delineation between page and
action or relationship between them
4. No URLs referenced which can be
confusing for developers who likely just
came onto the project
52. #OOUX
Reframed as an OOUX: Researcher is planning usability testing, gives
developer a list of workflows to build into prototype.
53. #OOUX
So, what’s different?
1. Object State: Workflows are collections of
related objects
2. Clear Identifiers: Each object has a clear
ID, the team has the same understanding of
that object and which workflows utilize an
object
3. Color Coding: Colors distinguish objects
and CTAs (adopted from OOUX object
mapping*)
4. Colloquial Naming: Each object state has
one to ease communication
5. URLs: Each object state has one making it
easier for all team members to locate assets
*for more on OOUX object mapping: Object-Oriented UX by Sophia
Voychehovski http://alistapart.com/article/object-oriented-ux
54. #OOUX
THE EFFECT OF OOUX ON PROCESS?
Research, then design, then development
vs.
Research and design and development