i hate process. i love process. ixd12. christina persson & joan vermette
DESCRIPTION
As a designer, have you ever felt frustrated by having to break the creative process up into tiny task boxes that block the way to good design? Have you ever felt frustrated by a lack of structure, leading to endless rework, crossed communication lines, and plain old wasted time? There's too much process in some cultures, and not enough in others. And we declare that we hate process or we love process, as though that were an immutable quality of our souls. But what do designers need? We believe in a core, necessary way of sequencing design work to get the best results. Borrowing from Design Sojourn’s Brian Ling, we express this core as “Think – Draw – Make.” When process chafes us as designers, it’s a sign that an organization is unbalanced in one of these three key activities. If they front-load a project with tons of research and still can’t make a decision, they’re caught in “think.” If they ask us to come to the kickoff with wireframes, they’re caught in “draw.” If they’re hell-bent on getting to build immediately, they’re caught in “make.” Similarly, we’re not blank slates, either – each of us brings our particular skills to a project, and we have our own attachments, as well. Our presentation will discuss how to know which culture you’re dealing with, where you sit with regard to that culture, and provide some skills for how to bring yourself and the culture together back into balance.TRANSCRIPT
Joan Vermette, @jayeffvee User Experience Consultant
I Hate Process. I Love Process Why designers are divided about process & what to do about it.
E. Christina Persson, @christina_xd Experience Design Director
E. Chris9na Persson Joan Verme>e @chris9na_xd @jayeffvee
• The Hate/Love debate over process
• The Intersec9on
• How to create change in organiza9ons to get what we need
• How to iden9fy and assess our own orienta9on and skills
What we’ll talk about
Process
I Hate Process.
Kill Bill. Mo9on Picture. Directed by Quen9n Taran9no. Miramax Films, 2003.
I Love Process. I Hate Process.
Kill Bill. Mo9on Picture. Directed by Quen9n Taran9no. Miramax Films, 2003.
So what’s the right answer?
So what’s the right answer?
It depends.
So what’s the right answer?
It depends. . . . like anything we design.
When 7 out of 10 Americans were
asked about the last 9me 9me they
felt they “had to have” a product,
it was due to design.
Kelton Research Marty Neumeier, The Designful Company, 2009
47% of “rapidly growing” Bri9sh
businesses rank design first among
their key success factors.
Design Council study. Marty Neumeier, The Designful Company, 2009
Gather Assump9ons & Requirements -‐ Analyze Compe99on -‐ Understand Goals & Tasks -‐ Develop Personas & Scenarios -‐ Build Content Model -‐ Design Informa9on Architecture -‐ Priori9ze Features -‐ Design Interac9on – Prototypes & Pa>erns – Validate Usability
Prepare – Understand – Render – Iterate – Test -‐ Enable
Plan – Define -‐-‐ Develop – Extend
Discover – Define – Develop – Deliver
Conceive – Plan – Make
Iden9fy the Problem -‐ Iden9fy Criteria and Constraints -‐ Brainstorm Possible Solu9ons -‐ Generate Ideas -‐ Explore Possibili9es -‐ Select an Approach -‐ Build a Model or Prototype -‐ Refine the Design
Define the problem -‐ Gather per9nent informa9on -‐ Generate mul9ple solu9ons -‐ Analyze and select a solu9on -‐ Test and implement the solu9on
Research -‐ Modeling -‐ Scenarios -‐ Framework -‐ Detailed Design
Discovery & Research -‐ Interac9on Design -‐ Visual Design – Engineering
Ask -‐ Imagine -‐ Plan -‐ Create – Improve Define -‐ Collect -‐ Brainstorm and Analyze -‐ Develop -‐ Feedback – Improve
Research & Analysis -‐ Concept – Design -‐ Develop
Analyze -‐ Create -‐ Test
Understand -‐ Explore -‐ Ar9culate – Realize Define – Design – Guide
Analysis -‐ Design -‐ Implementa9on – Deployment
Concept -‐ Prototype -‐ Validate Internally -‐ Test Externally -‐ Learn from User Behavior -‐ Iterate
Uncover -‐ Define -‐ Ideate -‐ Build the Concept – Design
Inves9gate – Sketch – Build
Draw Make Think
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
Define problem Define business goals Research users Research market Conduct compara9ve analysis Define scope
Think
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
Imagine what could be Sketch &Ideate Refine & Detail Build consensus Prototype Test & Revise
Draw
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
Measure Set 9meline & milestones Build Deliver Extend
Make
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
Draw Make Think
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
h>p://www.flickr.com/photos/piercepresley/69600192/
When process chafes us as designers it’s a sign that an organiza9on is out of balance with one of these three key ac9vi9es.
The Organiza9on
Think D
M T
M
T
D
Draw Make
The Organiza9on
Think D
M T
M
T
D
Draw Make
Think D
M The Organiza9on
h>p://www.flickr.com/photos/lauggh/443244547/in/faves-‐74877869@N05/
• Over-‐focus on data & proof • Lack of focus on the outcome • Endless discussions about strategy • Sense that the team is looking for the one
true perfect – & provable – answer
Think D
M The Organiza9on
Indicators
• Create project plan • Create brief with team • Publish plan and brief • Refer to plan/brief regularly • Establish guidelines for
“Research project”
Think D
M The Organiza9on
Facilitates Make Facilitates Draw
• Start sketching! • Keep sketching! • Test • Refine
The Organiza9on
Think D
M T
M
T
D
Draw Make
T
M
Draw The Organiza9on
E. Chris9na Persson
T
M
Draw
h>p://www.flickr.com/photos/richardmccoy/6379314895/
T
M
Draw The Organiza9on
Indicators
• “I know it when I see it.” • Nonchalance at the business goal and the
defini9on phase. • Design by trial & error: changing
requirements • When you approach finishing the design
asympto9cally. You never finish the details.
T
M
Draw The Organiza9on
Facilitates Think Facilitates Make
• Design Studio • Steal other peoples’
research • Ask “How do we know
when we hit the mark?” • Ask “Why” five 9mes
• Set design milestones • Capture the tenets and
keep referring back to them
• Introduce the concept of phasing
The Organiza9on
Think D
M T
D
T
M
Draw Make
The Organiza9on T Make
D
h,p://www.flickr.com/photos/dukejeffrie/17764144/in/faves-‐74877869@N05/
The Organiza9on T Make
D
Indicators
• Your key indicator is when they are focused on produc9on, and don’t leave room for visioning.
• When you feel like you’re taking an oral-‐exam on what you’ve learned up to that point, and are learning nothing new.
• When drawing is not specula9ve • There’s no 9me for “what if….?”
The Organiza9on T Make
D
Facilitates Think Facilitates Draw
• Collude with the business • Sprint Zero (for Agile) • Pull the differen9ators into
a separate environment
• Don’t do wireframes • Create a mini-‐spec • Use screenshots as starter
to explore ideas • Ad-‐hoc sketch/whiteboard
sessions with core team • Proof-‐of-‐Concept sprints
(for Agile)
Facilitates Think • Design Studio • Steal other peoples’ research • Ask “Why” five 9mes • Collude with the business • Ask “How do we know we hit the mark?” • Sprint Zero for vision work (Agile) • Pull the market differen9ators into a
separate environment
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
Facilitates Draw • Start sketching & keep sketching • Test & refine • Don’t do wireframes • Mini-‐spec if team needs some guidance • Use drawing to elucidate the not yet ar9culated needs. • Ad-‐hoc sketch sessions with core team. • Use screenshots as starter to explore ideas • Use latest build as prototype to test implemented design • Proof-‐of-‐concept sprint to enable explora9on (Agile) • Pull the market differen9ators into a separate environment
Facilitates Make • Create brief with team (via kick-‐off with
stakeholders & core team). • Set design milestones, or even overall project plan • Publish plan and brief • Refer to plan and brief regularly (to counter changing
requirements) • Capture the tenets & keep referring to them • Introduce concept of phasing • Establish guidelines for a ‘research project’
Illustra9on: Brandon Baselice
Enter into the enemy’s strengths in order to defeat them from within.
Walter Benjamin
h>p://walterbenjaminportbou.cat/en/content/walter-‐benjamin
D
M
Engage + Guide = Balance . . . start with their strength
If you’re expected to bring research results to the next mee9ng, bring sketches based on those research results.
Think
T
M
Draw Engage + Guide = Balance . . . start with their strength
Host a design studio to gather requirements and funnel down to single concept.
T
D
Make Engage + Guide = Balance . . . start with their strength
Use the latest build as a prototype and put in front of users to uncover user needs.
So what about you?
So what about you?
Are you a...
D
Thinker M T
M
Draw T
D
Make
D
Think M T
M
Drawer T
D
Make
D
Think M T
M
Draw T
D
Maker
• When you’re on a project, what gives you that sense of flow?
• Do you find it impossible to grasp and organize details un9l you have a sense of the whole?
• Do you frequently feel “I don’t know the solu9on un9l I see it?”
• Do you find it hard to act un9l you know the dates?
Joan Verme>e
and get sucked into the vortex.
You can be in sync with the organiza9on
h>p://sc6.blogspot.com/2010/04/todays-‐quote-‐when-‐was-‐this-‐quote-‐made.html
You can be out of sync with the organiza9on
And feel an inordinate amount of stress
h>p://www.flickr.com/photos/photolosophybyruss/5465729022/
So it’s good to know where you sit
So it’s good to know where you fit
And know where you need to grow.
Summary • The Hate/Love debate
• The Intersec9on – Do the designers & organiza9on have what they need?
• Iden9fy + Engage + Guide = Balance – Iden9fy the organiza9on – Engage via their strength – Guide & develop weak design muscles
• Start with yourself
Tell us your stories. What remedies have you used or would try? What struggles are you facing? What are your successes?
E. Chris9na Persson [email protected] @chris9na_xd
Joan Verme>e [email protected] @jayeffvee
Thanks to Brian Ling (thinkdrawmake.com, Design Sojourn).
Discussion
• Think – Draw – Make. Brian Ling, thinkdrawmake.com, Design Sojourn • Define the problem -‐ Gather per9nent informa9on -‐ Generate mul9ple solu9ons -‐ Analyze and select a solu9on -‐ Test and
implement the solu9on [Industry Ini9a9ves for Science and Math Educa9on (IISME)] • Research -‐ Modeling -‐ Scenarios -‐ Framework -‐ Detailed Design [Cooper's descrip9on of their process] • Discovery & Research -‐ Interac9on Design -‐ Visual Design – Engineering [Boxes and Arrows] • Ask -‐ Imagine -‐ Plan -‐ Create – Improve [EiE: Engineering is Elementary] • Define -‐ Collect -‐ Brainstorm and Analyze -‐ Develop -‐ Feedback – Improve [Chicago Architecture Founda9on] • Research & analysis -‐ Concept -‐ Design – Develop [Konigi. Note, every cycle here has analyze -‐ create – test] • Understand -‐ Explore -‐ Ar9culate – Realise [Meld studios] • Analysis -‐ Design -‐ Implementa9on – Deployment [UPA] • Gather Assump9ons & Requirements -‐ Analyze Compe99on -‐ Understand Goals & Tasks -‐ Develop Personas& Scenarios -‐ Build
Content Model -‐ Design Informa9on Architecture -‐ Priori9ze Features -‐ Design Interac9on -‐ Prototypes & Pa>erns -‐ Validate Usability. [Peter Merholz, peterme.com 2002.]
• Concept -‐ Prototype -‐ Validate Internally -‐ Test Externally -‐ Learn from User Behavior – Iterate [Jeff Gothelf] • Conceive -‐ Plan – Make [Richard Buchanan] • Define-‐ Design – Guide [Joan Verme>e] • Plan -‐ Define -‐ Develop – Extend. [Russ Unger] • Prepare – Understand – Render – Iterate – Test Enable[(Purite Process, Russ Unger] • Discover – Define – Develop – Deliver [Bri9sh Design Council] • Inves9gate – Sketch – Build [Chris9na Persson] • Iden9fy the Problem -‐ Iden9fy Criteria and Constraints -‐ Brainstorm Possible Solu9ons -‐ Generate Ideas -‐ Explore Possibili9es -‐
Select an Approach -‐ Build a Model or Prototype -‐ Refine the Design. [NASA] • Uncover -‐ Define -‐ Ideate -‐ Build the Concept – Design [David Armano] • Design process visualiza9on. [David Armano]
Sources: Models of the Design Process