Workshop methods for designing with persuasive patterns

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Workshop methodsHow to use the Persuasive Pattern cards

Workshop tipsHow to use the cards

Workshop tips

A good start

Identify yourself Identify your intent Identify what you are looking for

Workshop tips

A good attitude

Non judgemental Relaxed Enjoyable

The right atmosphere

Workshop tips

A good approachLearn Analyze the information you’ve collected to identify patterns and insights.

Look Observe people to discover what they do rather than what they say they do.

Ask Enlist people’s participation to elicit information relevant to your project.

Try Create simulations to help empathize with people and to evaluate proposed designs.

Workshop tips

A good facilitationRemind Remind workshop participants of various approaches.

Focus Pull participants back into focus once straying away becomes unproductive.

Suggest Suggest and explain ways to apply principles throughout all stages of a project.

Restrain Restrain yourself from being too dominant. Only interfere when it’s absolutely needed.

Workshop tips

A good facilitationUse constraints Constrain thinking to generate volume in ideas.

New territory Use analogous situations to take you to new territory.

“Yes and…” Defer judgement and build on each other.

Selection criteria Define selection criteria up to choose the ideas you will take forward.

Workshop tips

The Medici effect"When you bring together diverse teams and perspectives, you have the ability to create an exponential increase in ideas"

- Frans Johansson

Source: The Medici Effect, Frans Johansson, 2006

How to use the cardsWorkshop goals

Concept

Sections

Components

Define what level you want to brainstorm on

Best solution is missed

Refinement Exploration

Refine from here

Many alternate solutions explored

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Current solution

Local maxima

Local maxima & better design

Design Optimization What works best in the current model?

Design Innovation What is the best possible model?

How to use the cards

The best goals… … works for both innovation and optimization

Too narrowly defined goals Will force optimization and make innovation harder

Too broadly defined goals Will make refinement harder - any solution will do

Common design goalsAcquisition How much does it cost to acquire a new user?

Conversion Where in your flow do your users fall off as they move through a funnel

Prevention Do you want to prevent users from deactivating their account?

Activation Do you want to keep your users on your site?

How to use the cards

How to use the cardsWorkshop recipes

Recipe 1: What if…

Starting point: I’m stuck, I need to come up with a concept for my project

1. Pick random card from deck 2. Start dreaming up new features

along the card’s pattern 3. Repeat…

Force thinking

outside the box

Recipe 2: I need my users to…

Starting point: I know what I want users to do, but not how to achieve it.

1. Define outcome 2. Explore patterns to find out how outcome can be achieved

Explore behavioral goals

PATTERNHow can I use

Explore behavioral goals

to achieve GOAL

Recipe 3: Are there any other ways to…

Starting point: I’ve got an existing working solution, but have hit a dead end.

1. Define outcome 2. Remove already used patterns from deck OPTIONAL 3. Explore alternative patterns as to how outcome can be

achieved

Explore alternate solutions

Explore alternate solutions

If our existing solution is a circle,

then what if we made it a square instead?

Or what about a triangle?

Recipe 4: Force connections

Starting point: I need to innovate to a new solution

1. Define outcome 2. Pick a seemingly unrelated card 3. Force brainstorming your problem with the pattern

Forcing connections between unrelated things will force new perspectives, which might not be related to the card you drew.

Explore alternate solutions

Force thinking

outside the box

Recipe 5: Reversing the problem

Starting point: I need to innovate to a new solution rather than optimize

1. Reverse the problem“What if we were to make people spam?”

2. Explore patterns to find out how outcome can be achieved

Exploring the reverse problem can lead to new perspectives that helps you redefine your problem space.

Redefine problem space

Recipe 6: Switch it up

Starting point: Multiple teams in same workshop. One team has already gone through the whole deck and are out of ideas.

1. Define outcome 2. Explore patterns to find out how outcome can be achieved 3. Present solutions to other team 4. Switch solutions and brainstorm on to build on those ideas.

Build on each other’s ideas

TroubleshootingWhat do to when it goes wrong

Participants can’t keep focus1. Free their mind. Ask participants to have a notepad and a pen

at their hand and write everything down that isn’t related to what they are to solve.

2. Smaller teams. Divide people into smaller teams to encourage participation and accountability.

Troubleshooting

Ideas are not implementable1. Focus on how instead of what. Don't stop at meaningless

what statements like "easiest to use" or "simple". How are you going to do that? Once you have closed down on what, then work focused on how to actually create delightful experiences.

Troubleshooting

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