Going to War Over UX

@Grinblo | Going to War Over UX#ReasonsTo
GOINGTOWAR
OVERUX
Reasons to Be Creative | Brighton, UK
Friday, September 6, 13

Hi, I’m Evgenia
(Jenny).
UX Specialist
Future Workshops, London
www.grinblo.com
Twitter: @grinblo

@Grinblo | Going to War Over UX#ReasonsTohttp://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/46909252@N08/5977107504

“...if people don’t do this right,
we need to find a way to
punish them.
– Client
My ﬁrst client meeting, ever

@Grinblo | Going to War Over UX#ReasonsTohttp://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/46909252@N08/5977107504
1. Why do we have conﬂict?
2. How can I avoid it?
3. Is it my job to deal with it?

UX = user experience

Clients
Stakeholders
Designers
Developers
Product people
Project people
Quality assurance

CLIENTS...

www.clientsfromhell.net

"We need to
incorporate my pet
ferrets into the
wedding."

"Can we make the cat in the
animation look less sexy when
it licks the window? It has closed
eyes, which are making me think
it’s sexual."

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2007-02-02/

TEAM...

“My job is to design. The
developers can figure out how
to build it later.
– Design candidate
Internship Interview at our company

Surely, we can do
better than that.

UNDERSTANDING
End-users

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking
Diary
Study

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking
Diary
Study
A/B
testing

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking
Diary
Study
A/B
testing
Card
Sorting

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking
Diary
Study
A/B
testing
Card
Sorting Prototype
Testing

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
Understanding
Clients, stakeholders,
team members
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking
Diary
Study
A/B
testing
Card
Sorting Prototype
Testing

UNDERSTANDING
End-users
Understanding
Clients, stakeholders,
team members
?
User
testing
Analytics
Contextual
Inquiry
Interviews
Surveys
Eye-
tracking
Diary
Study
A/B
testing
Card
Sorting Prototype
Testing

Leaving it up to chance

Conﬂict‣ Assuming they won’t understand
‣ Lack of trust
‣ “us” versus “them” thinking

@Grinblo | Going to War Over UX#ReasonsTohttp://www.astray.com/static/earth-huge.png
Born here
Grew up here
Studied here
Studied here Ended up here

Seeds of Peace: “Growing Seeds”
http://vimeo.com/26866921

Diﬀerent perspectives=
Diﬀerent realities.

Everyone has fundamentally
diﬀerent ways of seeing.

http://poetryonthebrain.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/its-not-ambiguous-is-it.html

Credit: Beau Lotto
http://www.lottolab.org/articles/illusionsoﬂight.asp

Ca y u rea t is?
Beau Lotto @ TED
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/beau_lotto_optical_illusions_show_how_we_see.html

Ca y u rea t is?
Beau Lotto @ TED
You a e not r adi g th s.

Ca y u rea t is?
Beau Lotto @ TED
W at ar ou rea in ?

Beau Lotto @ TED
What are you dreaming?
Ca y u rea t is?

BEAU LOTTO
http://www.lottolab.org

“Our experiences of the world
shape our understanding of it.
BEAU LOTTO

“...we filter out information
based on our personal
relationships, interactions
and histories.
BEAU LOTTO

Each of us interprets the world
diﬀerently.
(Mostly without realising it).

Intuitive.

Intuitive.
Useful.

Intuitive.
Beautiful.
Useful.

Intuitive.
Easy to use.
Beautiful.
Useful.

Intuitive.
Easy to use.
Beautiful.
Successful.
Useful.

Intuitive.
Easy to use.
Beautiful.
Successful.
Clear.
Useful.

Intuitive.
Easy to use.
Beautiful.
Successful.
Clear.
Useful.
Exciting.

Intuitive.
Easy to use.
Beautiful.
Successful.
Clear.
Useful.
Exciting.
Valuable.

Intuitive.
Easy to use.
Beautiful.
Successful.
Clear.
A good experience.
Useful.
Exciting.
Valuable.

How do we begin to
SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE?

@Grinblo | Going to War Over UX#ReasonsTohttp://bit.ly/1f9Pnzt
THE USUAL STARTING POINT FOR
A WEBSITE OR APP

THE USUAL STARTING POINT FOR
A WEBSITE OR APP DESIGN

The moments of interpretation are
invisible to others.
We assume our diﬀerences are
responsible for the mismatch.

Lessons from Seeds of Peace
1. GO FACE-TO-FACE
2. CHANGE THE POWER DYNAMIC
3. SHOW > TELL

GET EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND UX.
GO FACE-TO-FACE

GET EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND UX.SEE
GO FACE-TO-FACE

Human contact activates
MIRROR NEURONS
GO FACE-TO-FACE
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/martin_mcdonald/371884786/

Human contact activates
MIRROR NEURONS
First-hand experience
sticks.
GO FACE-TO-FACE
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/martin_mcdonald/371884786/

www.ﬂickr.com/photos/cinteractionlab/4557114137
GO FACE-TO-FACE
Knowledge about users
IS OFTEN PASSED ON
SECOND-HAND

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/vasile23/6288918506
Take your whole team
TO THE FIELD
GO FACE-TO-FACE

“
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/vasile23/6288918506
There a direct correlation between each
team member’s exposure to end-users
and product improvements.
GO FACE-TO-FACE
JARED M. SPOOL
http://www.uie.com/articles/user_exposure_hours/

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/56300399@N06/8636722022/
Take decision-makers
TO THE FIELD
GO FACE-TO-FACE

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/56300399@N06/8636722022/
“The only time I’m not
working is when I’m using
your application
GO FACE-TO-FACE

“Teams that excluded non-design
personnel didn't see the same
advantages as teams that included
those people.”
GO FACE-TO-FACE
JARED M. SPOOL

“... they were constantly
battling with these other
individuals who didn't have the
same experiences.”
GO FACE-TO-FACE
JARED M. SPOOL

GO FACE-TO-FACE
The number of team members
regularly exposed to users is
MORE IMPORTANT than the
number of participants you test
with.
JARED M. SPOOL

JEFF GOTHELF
COLLABORATIVE
DISCOVERY
GO FACE-TO-FACE

www.uxdrinkinggame.com

@Grinblo | Going to War Over UX#ReasonsTohttp://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/agecombahia/6283388208/
Take the ﬁeld
TO DECISION-MAKERS
patientvoices.org.uk
GO FACE-TO-FACE

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/10/03/paul-zak-kirby-ferguson-storytelling/
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/reighleblanc/3854684694
STORIES CHANGES OUR
BRAIN CHEMISTRY
GO FACE-TO-FACE
Paul Zak
The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity

Face-to-face =
‣ Less translating
‣ Less convincing
‣ Higher shared empathy
‣ More motivated to act
GO FACE-TO-FACE

Being a position of power
Impairs empathy
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/10/210686255/a-sense-of-power-can-do-a-number-on-your-brain
CHALLENGE THE POWER DYNAMIC

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/10/210686255/a-sense-of-power-can-do-a-number-on-your-brain
“Whether you're with a team at work [or]
your family dinner, all of that hinges on how
we adapt our behaviors to the behaviors of
other people ... and power takes a bite
out of that ability.”
Dacher Keltner
Social psychologist at University of California, Berkeley

GET EVERYONE TO THINK OUT LOUD
GO FACE-TO-FACE

Create solutions together
“DESIGN STUDIO”
http://vimeo.com/37861987
Todd Zaki Warfel

Stakeholder
Developer
Designer
+ PM
Stakeholder
Developer
Designer
+ QA

STEP 1: SKETCH

JOHN

STEP 2: PRESENT & CRITIQUE

STEP 2: PRESENT & CRITIQUE
‣What problem does this solve?
‣Does it solve it well?
‣How can we simplify this?

STEP 3: MAKE IT BETTER

Equal power dynamic:
‣ Less ego
‣ Less defending
‣ Earlier agreement
‣ Better iterations

Photo by Bobbie Gottschalk
https://www.facebook.com/bobbie.gottschalk
SHOW > TELL

Jeff Gothelf
http://www.jeffgothelf.com/blog/using-personas-for-executive-alignment/
Put your assumptions
INTO SHARED ARTIFACTS
SHOW > TELL

Client artwork
SHOW > TELL

Game Storming
http://www.gogamestorm.com
SHOW > TELL

goodkickoffmeetings.com
WHERE TO START
SHOW > TELL

Jeff Patton & Luke Barrett
http://www.jeffgothelf.com/blog/using-personas-for-executive-alignment/
SHOW > TELL

Shared activities and artifacts
speak louder than words
SHOW > TELL

Creating with clients?
WHAT ABOUT CRAFT & EXPERTISE?
(aka: is this my job?)

Dilbert

We see craft as
a specialized skill.

We see craft as
Tools

We see craft as
Tools
Training

We see craft as
Tools
Training
Making

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/usnavy/5815431626
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/wagnertc/4800433128

But craft is rooted in...

Relationships.

Relationships.
Apprenticeship

Relationships.
Apprenticeship
Mastery

Relationships.
Apprenticeship
Mastery
Trust

Relationships.
Apprenticeship
Mastery
Trust
Loyalty

https://www.msu.edu/~carillon/batmbook/shirlaw.gif

Original craft model
Master Apprentice

Master Apprentice
User-centered design

Master Apprentice
Team member

Master Apprentice
Team member
End-users

Master Apprentice
Team member
End-users
Clients

Master Apprentice
Team member
End-users
Clients
Engineers

Master Apprentice
Team member
End-users
Clients
Stakeholders
Engineers

Master Apprentice
Team member
End-users
Clients
Stakeholders
Engineers
QA

Master Apprentice
Team member
End-users
Clients
Management
Stakeholders
Engineers
QA

We no longer do our work
alone in our workshop.

Share our skills and our tools.

Share our skills and our tools.
Stop assuming people can
read our minds.

Dilbert
Remember this?

IA
IxD
UX
Service
design
Software engineering
QA
Usability
Visual design
Game design
Product

Take the lead in bringing
empathy into the boardroom.

Take the lead in bringing
empathy into the boardroom.
(Not every client will thank you,
But you’ll make a lot of lives better).

www.seedsofpeace.org
Happy 20th birthday
Thank you!
Twitter: @grinblo
Jenny@futureworkshops.com

Going to War Over UX

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