from analysis to synthesis: tools and techniques for discovery work
TRANSCRIPT
Tools and Techniques for Discovery WorkFrom Analysis to Synthesis
Kerry-Anne Gilowey Confab Intensive · Seattle WA · 20 September 2016
@kerry_anne
Workshop overview
Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/vegard
So many unknowns. Where do we even begin?
A toolbox, not a methodology.
Basic principles
1. DISCOVERY IS NOT A PHASE.
Uncomfortable with uncertainty? • Listen to Schrödinger’s IA: Learning to Love Ambiguity – tinyurl.com/ambiguity2013 • Slides: tinyurl.com/ambiguity-slides
RESOURCES
2. KNOW YOUR CONSTRAINTS.
3. BE CAREFUL WITH ASSUMPTIONS.
4. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND YOUR ORGANISATION.
5. ALWAYS BE TAKING NOTES.
Recording apps Android • Easy Voice Recorder • Smart Voice Recorder iOS • Voice Record Pro • Voice Recorder
RESOURCES
6. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU’RE TOLD.
Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore
7. LOOK FOR PATTERNS.
Getting started
Our new project
Traditional publisher Creating a digital product Need our help with
content planning content organisation project steps
Discovery techniques
CHOOSEyour tools carefully
PRIORITISEyour discovery efforts
3 main activity types
Workshops
Fieldwork
Audit and analysis
1. WORKSHOPS
Workshops are great for…
Gathering a lot of info in a short period
of timePicking up on political issues
Checking that objectives and intentions are
shared Making sure you’re getting
the correct info
Core strategy
Business/ product
discovery
Governance
Terminology
Challenges and
opportunities
Audience identification
Customer insights
Persona creation
Task identification and
prioritisation
Mad Libs
Voice and messaging
Content Mad Libs
RESOURCES
Get more info at content-workshops.com/toolbox/2015/3/content-mad-libs
Image credit: Sara Wachter-Boettcher
Mad Libs
Voice and messaging
Messaging cardsort
Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups 2. Note and discard cards in the “WE’RE NOT” pile 3. Loosely group the remaining attributes 4. Prioritise: choose your top 10
Messaging card sets • BrandSort cards brought to you by Margot Bloomstein, author of Content Strategy at Work – $29.99. Order at http://cards.appropriateinc.com/.
RESOURCES
Mad Libs
Voice and messaging
Messaging cardsort
Live content audit
Workshop
activitiesCore strategy workshop
Audience identification
Challenges and opportunities
activity
Persona workshop
Mad LibsTerminology workshop
Messaging cardsort
Live content audit
Governance workshop
Task identification
2. AUDIT AND ANALYSIS
Content inventory and audit
Some help from Content Insight • Audit tips: http://tinyurl.com/audit-tips • Content Audits and Inventories: A Handbook by Paula Ladenburg Land • Sign up at content-insight.com using the promo code TryCAT, and get a free 5000-page block
RESOURCES
Analytics and site search logs
About analytics and site search • Google’s free Analytics Academy – analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com/ • Search Analytics For Your Site by Louis Rosenfeld – tinyurl.com/search-analytics
RESOURCES
Competitor analysis
MESSA
GIN
G
AN
ALYSIS
INDUSTRY
RESEARCH
SITE AND APP COMPARISONS
Audit and
analysisContent inventory
Site and app comparisons
Analytics
Site search logs
Competitor messaging analysis
Content audit
Industry research
3. FIELDWORK
Audience surveys
Audience surveys • Survey software – surveymonkey.com. Sign up for a free account and receive their newsletter. • Coursera course on questionnaire design, by the University of Michigan – tinyurl.com/questionnaire-course
RESOURCES
Contextual discovery
CALL CEN
TRE
STUD
Y
CUSTOMER
OBSERVATION
SHADOWING
One-on-one interviews
STAKEHOLDERS
and yourCUSTOMERS
Interview both your
Interview customers to…
Find out what information they need
Gain insight into their worldview
Understand their context
Map their journey with your product
Interview stakeholders to…
Understand workflow and
processes
Identify challenges
Understand political and
cultural issues
Build relationships
and trust
Customer interviews
Customer observation
Surveys
Stakeholder interviews
Call centre study
Shadowing
Fieldwork
On to synthesis
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
There is no “one right
way”.
Shared definitions
Workflow diagrams
From documentation.magnolia-cms.com/display/DOCS45/Workflow
Content type matrix
Simple personas
Customer journeys
Image credit: http://engagingplaces.net/2013/10/15/hbr-the-truth-about-the-customer-experience/
Messaging spreadsheet
Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns 2. Group related issues 3. Make connections explicit 4. Consider priorities, choose artifacts
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
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
Roadmap headings
• Stakeholders • Objectives • Current situation • Key challenges • Short-term strategy • Long-term strategy • Open questions
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
Thanks for taking part!
Kerry-Anne Gilowey [email protected] http://augustsun.co.za @kerry_anne