Storytelling, Vizualisation and EmpathyThe Keys to Successful UX for the Zarion Allocate Product

Overview1. Introduction 2. Project Background3. Storytelling4. Vizualisation5. Empathy6. Questions

1. Introduction

At your service...making customers happier through Design: Séamus T. Byrne

AboutGraphic Mint are a User Experience (UX) Design

and Innovation agency based in Dublin, Ireland.

Our mission is to design meaningful experiences

between people, processes and technology.

We create lasting, memorable journeys across

your brand, products and services to ensure

customers will love interacting with your business.

Graphic Mint Team

At your service...making customers happier through Design: Séamus T. Byrne

Séamus T. Byrne● Twitter: @SeamusByrne● Co-Founder & Director of UX

at Graphic Mint● Former IxDA Board Member

○ Director of Global Events● Co Chair for Interaction 12

Design Event Planner● MA Multimedia, BA Sociology

About

2. Project Background

At your service...making customers happier through Design: Séamus T. Byrne

Zarion Allocate● Irish Company● 20 Years providing SaaS● Their Allocate product is used by

thousands of users for work allocation and capacity management

● Required help with UX

About

3. Storytelling

Storytelling the User’s World“We experience life as a series of ongoing narratives, as conflicts, characters, beginnings, middles and ends”

– Dr. Walter Fischer

It is through the sharing of stories that communities build their identities, pass on tradition and construct meaning

User Experiences are Stories

Interlude: UI ≠ UX* *Client Education1. User Experience relies on stories2. Clients quickly realise stories don’t

have instant impact on User Interface3. We discover what they really wanted

was help with their UI4. We proceed with UX + UI

Stories are about People

Use Cases ≠ Stories**They abstract the humanity but are a Good StartStakeholder stories from Domain Research

● Supervisor reviews work capacity● Supervisor reviews team capacity● Supervisor allocates workitems (manual)● Supervisor monitors workitems

Journey: Supervisor reviews work capacity

Journey: Supervisor reviews team capacity

Journey: Supervisor reviews team capacity

Journey Supervisor allocates workitems

Journey: Supervisor allocates workitems

Journey: Supervisor monitors workitems

Stories are about People

People: Shona the SupervisorName: Shona O’Reilly

Age 42

Title: Service Manager

Role: Supervisor, Leader

Company Financial Company X

Team Retail

Job Goal: Claims should be managing that person back to workDescription Shona manages a team of 8 people and is responsible for making sure all

work on her team is allocated and completed on time.She would eventually like to be promoted to the role of Service Coordinator

Assessor

“ Reassigning portfolios is the panacea for all our users ” – Shona

Stories have a setting

Places: Shona’s Work Environment

Places: Shona’s Context is Everything

We went to Shona, We listened to Shona. We had to tell her story...

...visually!

4. Visualization

StoryboardingDuring Framework Design, we ideated upon many stories: real and blue sky.

Interactive Paper Prototyping● Real-time collaboration● Efficient problem resolution● Kick Tires on core behaviours● Especially effective for complexity interactions, micro

interactions and state changes

Where Stories Become InteractiveThe point of view shifts from 3rd to 1st person

5. The E word

Empathy (there, I said it!)● Focused on one principle: to help genuinely connect the

supervisor to their personnel ● We humanised the product to reduce anonymity.● It created an empathy between supervisors and

personnel by simulating face-to-face interactions.● “It’s been quite powerful in its effect of bringing that

team together.”

The Keys to UX Success● Tell the story of the people who use the product● Visualize their storyworld with storyboards, ecosystem

maps and product prototypes● Focus on one key principle based on true understanding

of the user which will form the DNA of the design

Educating the client● User Experience Design is a backdrop upon which to

write the storyworld of the people who use the products and services

● It is the catalyst to great UI Design● This project helped Client ralise the value of User

Experience

6. Questions?

6.Questions?

Thank You!