creating hard & fast from soft & squishy

Creating hard & fast

from soft & squishy

Created for the MITX User Experience Series

Margot Bloomstein | May 19, 2009

A full-service interactive

agency comprising 60 strategy, design, and

development folks in Portland,

Cambridge, Dallas since 1997

UX starts with…

UX starts with…

you!*

UX starts with…

you!* *except not really.

UX starts with…

*except not really:

customers

UX starts with…

*except not really:

“users”

UX starts with…

*except not really:

delivery drivers

UX starts with…

*except not really:

women shopping

UX starts with…

*except not really:

women shopping

for themselves

UX starts with…

*except not really:

women shopping

for their partners &

UX starts with…

*except not really:

women shopping

for their partners & kids & classrooms

UX starts with…

*except not really:

women shopping

for their partners & kids & classrooms

UX starts with…

*except not really:

elderly investors

UX starts with…

*except not really:

20-something rich kids

UX starts with…

*except not really:

urban hipsters

UX starts with…

*except not really:

first-time homebuyers

UX starts with…

*except not really:

parents with sick kids

UX starts with…

*except not really:

potential donors

UX starts with…

*except not really:

college young alumni still in New

England

UX starts with…

*except not really:

gamers fluent in the

writings of Ayn Rand

WTF do they want?!

Why does it matter?

How do you get me to care?

Get beyond the yeah yeah yeahs

Quantify “fluff” on the cheap

Measure success by user goals

Yeah, yeah, yeahs…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginger82/3064448895

We already

know our users

We can’t afford that

We don’t have

time for that

We can’t afford that

We can’t afford that

What’s the real cost

of not doing it?

We can’t afford that

What’s the real cost

of risk?

We can’t afford that

Adding a blog

Design a

template:

12 hours

We can’t afford that

Adding a blog

Design a

template:

12 hours

Research &

draft copy:

3 hours

We can’t afford that

Adding a blog

Design a

template:

12 hours

Research &

draft copy:

3 hours

Talking it

up:

2 hours

We can’t afford that

Adding a blog

Design a

template:

12 hours

Research &

draft copy:

3 hours

Talking it

up:

2 hours( )4 times

We can’t afford that

Adding a blog

32 hours @ $125/hour

We can’t afford that!

Adding a blog

$4000 and lost

opportunity cost

If something’s

worth doing,

it’s worth doing

well.”

“

If something’s

worth doing,

it’s worth doing

well.”

So, who defines

well?”

“

“

well?”

“

make me read more

well?”

“

make me read less

well?”

“

show me more options

well?”

“

get me excited for the next release!

Well” takes metrics.

“

Quantify “fluff” on the cheap

http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/282246695

fluffy

800 fill power

18 ounces

325 thread ct. case

Well” is measured

in numbers.

“

Well” is measured

in numbers.

“

survey!

Well” is measured

in numbers.

“

conduct group interviews

Well” is measured

in numbers.

“

go fast & cheap!

How did you finance

the purchase?

How did you

get the money?

How did you

choose a lender?

Get reportable,

quantitative results.

Hitch your wagon

to their star

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawilson/2623785708

Align user goals

with measurements

of success.

Align user goals

with measurements

of success.

Reach users’ goals,

and your clients

will hit their targets

in the process.

Behavioral goals:

Spend 50% less time on the site

Conversion metric:

30% increase in visitor conversions

Tactics:

Trim self-help content and offer

phone number to increase calls

Tweakable tactics, quantitative

numbers

Understanding

them starts with

you.

Tie user metrics

to measurements

of success.

Result:

Happy, engaged, and

eager for more!

Thank you!

Margot Bloomstein

mbloomstein@isitedesign.com

@mbloomstein

Presentation © 2009 Margot Bloomstein;

all images © 2009 Margot Bloomstein except where

noted.