minnewebcon 2016 – from analysis to synthesis: tools and techniques for discovery work
TRANSCRIPT
Tools and Techniques for Discovery Work
Kerry-Anne Gilowey MinneWebCon · Minneapolis · 26 April 2016
From Analysis to Synthesis
@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 • Easy Voice Recorder (Android – free) • Recorder Pro (iOS – $1.99) • Any other suggestions?
RESOURCES
6. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU’RE TOLD.
Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore
7. LOOK FOR PATTERNS.
8. BORROW TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES.
What can you learn from…
… systems analysts? … authors? … archaeologists? … talk show hosts?
Getting started
Our new project
Traditional publisher Creating a digital product Need our help with
content planning interaction design project steps a little bit of strategy
Discovery techniques
CHOOSEyour tools carefully
PRIORITISEyour discovery efforts
Workshop sessions
Workshops are great for…
Gathering a lot of info in a
short period of time
Picking up on political issues
Checking that objectives and intentions are
shared Making sure you’re getting
the correct info
Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology
Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology
Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology
Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology
Messaging card-sort
Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups
Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups2. Note and discard cards in the “WE
ARE NOT” pile
Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups2. Note and discard cards in the “WE
ARE NOT” pile3. Loosely group the remaining
attributes
Messaging card-sort
1. Sort all the cards into two groups2. Note and discard cards in the “WE
ARE NOT” pile3. Loosely group the remaining
attributes4. Prioritise: choose your top 10
Workshop examples
Business/product discovery
Core content strategy
Governance
Voice and messaging
Terminology
Workshop activities
Task identification and prioritisation Live content audit Persona creation Audience identification Challenges and opportunities Mad Libs
Content Mad Libs
RESOURCES
Get more info at content-workshops.com/toolbox/2015/3/content-mad-libs
Image credit: Sara Wachter-Boettcher
Content analysis
Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics
Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics
Some help from Content Insight • Audit tips: tinyurl.com/audit-tips • Content Audits and Inventories: A Handbook by Paula Ladenburg Land
RESOURCES
Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics
More about using site search logs • Search Analytics For Your Site by Louis Rosenfeld – tinyurl.com/search-analytics
RESOURCES
Content analysis
Content inventory
Content audit
Site search logs
Analytics
Learn all about Google Analytics • Google’s free Analytics Academy – analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com/
RESOURCES
One-on-one interviews
Interviews are great for…
Understanding workflow and
processes
Identifying challenges
Understanding political and
cultural issuesBuilding
relationships and trust
Audience research
Audience research methods
Surveys
Customer interviews
Call centre study
Customer surveys • Survey software – surveymonkey.com • Coursera course on questionnaire design, by the University of Michigan, which started yesterday! – tinyurl.com/questionnaire-course
RESOURCES
Audience research methods
Surveys
Customer interviews
Call centre study
Tips for customer interviews • Slides from my talk at Confab London –tinyurl.com/talk-to-the-people • Come to Collective Conference in Atlanta in June – I’ll be talking on this very topic. Get 10% off with the code KERRYA.
RESOURCES
Audience research methods
Surveys
Customer interviews
Call centre study
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis
Site and app comparisons
Industry research
Messaging analysis
Competitor analysis
Site and app comparisons
Industry research
Messaging analysis
Competitor analysis
Site and app comparisons
Industry research
Messaging analysis
On to synthesis
Discovery artifacts
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts
OWNERSHIP AND
AUTHORSHIP TABLES
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts
WORKFLOW DIAGRAMSOWNERSHIP
AND AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts
ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW DIAGRAMSOWNERSHIP
AND AUTHORSHIP
TABLES
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts
ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW DIAGRAMSOWNERSHIP
AND AUTHORSHIP
TABLES MATRIX OF CONTENT
TYPES
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts
ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW DIAGRAMS
SIMPLE PERSONAS
OWNERSHIP AND
AUTHORSHIP TABLES MATRIX OF
CONTENT TYPES
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
Discovery artifacts
ORG CHARTS
WORKFLOW DIAGRAMS
SIMPLE PERSONAS
OWNERSHIP AND
AUTHORSHIP TABLES MATRIX OF
CONTENT TYPES
TERM LISTS, GLOSSARIES,
SHARED DEFINITIONS
CUSTOMER JOURNEYS
Discovery 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
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
Image credit: http://engagingplaces.net/2013/10/15/hbr-the-truth-about-the-customer-experience/
Analysing your notes
Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns
Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns2. Group related issues
Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns2. Group related issues3. Make connections explicit
Analysing your notes
1. Highlight key issues and patterns2. Group related issues3. Make connections explicit4. 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
