Strategy Patois Language & tools to connect design and business value Kate Rutter, Experience Designer [email protected] @katerutter UX London 2011 #uxlondon #strategypatois
Jan 27, 2015
Strategy Patois Language & tools to connect design and business value
Kate Rutter, Experience Designer [email protected] @katerutter
UX London 2011 #uxlondon #strategypatois
I’m a designer and strategist. Designing delightful experiences makes me tick. Making things visual and visible makes my heart sing.
Over the past few years I’ve been highly motivated to get better at connecting design with business success.
Adaptive Path is a User Experience strategy and design consultancy. Our mission is to help companies make products and services that deliver great experiences that improve people’s lives.
Adaptive Path
Hi, I’m Kate.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 2
e journey
what he expected
what we said!
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
the end result
blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 4
is was me on the outside.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 5
(is was me on the inside.)
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 6
We literally didn’t have the right words.
what he expected
what we said!
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 7
We had different languages ~ words ~ delivery style ~ perception of key points
Trying to answer the same questions }
e meeting was frustrating. e credibility of the design team suffered. We knew we had to do better.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 8
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead
3 Learnings from the journey
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 9
1 } Align the dialects Understand & heal the language difference
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead
3 Learnings from the journey
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 10
Patois: A regional dialect, especially one without a literary tradition. Nonstandard speech.
http://www.wordnik.com/words/patois!
1 } align the dialects
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 11
Strategy Patois: A business dialect comprised of specialized and often quantitative terms, optimized to communicate the #nancial performance of a company.
1 } align the dialects
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 12
buzzword: A word or phrase connected with a specialized #eld or group that usually sounds important or technical and is used primarily to impress laypersons.
1 } align the dialects
http://www.wordnik.com/words/buzzword!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 13
~ Erin McKean, American Lexicographer CEO of Wordnik and former Principal Editor of e New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition
“! “!I think when people make up words, they are trying to be more expressive, not less.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_McKean!
1 } align the dialects
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 14
business innovation
shareholder value
bottom-line impact
cost leadership
market segmentation
cost-benefit analysis
total quality management
return on investment
design thinking
revenue model
value proposition
competitive analysis
benchmarking
cost management
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 15
user experience!
user engagement!
human-centered design!
design thinking!
experience strategy!
qualitative research!
touchpoints !
empathy experiences!
look & feel!
interactions!
user journey!
key user flows!
participatory design!
usability!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 16
1 } align the dialects
simple meaning!
specialized design
approach!
specialized business
term!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 17
A glossary of simple meanings }
1 } align the dialects
Translate the terms
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 18
Strategy Patois } e Biz 1 } align the dialects
this... means this...
Value proposition Why people buy our stuff.
This initiative has a high ROI and a compelling value proposition. Based on our current revenue model, this should have a positive bottom-line impact this fiscal year.
Revenue model How we make money. Bottom-line impact Will this help our overall pro#ts? ROI When is this going to pay off and
by how much?
is product has the chance to pay off big, and there are clear reasons
why people will buy it. is should make us money this year.
=!Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 19
A glossary of simple meanings }
1 } align the dialects
Translate the terms
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 20
Product Management means this... Market segmentation Who are our customers and why? Competitive analysis What is everybody else doing? Cost/bene#t analysis Will we be better off if we do this?
User-centered design Making sure a person using our product is successful
Key user $ows e steps a person takes when using our stuff Empathy experiences Watching how people use our stuff and using this
knowledge to make our products better
Product Design means this...
Listen and ask for de#nition ~ listen for patois terms ~ ask for & offer clari#cation ~ identify the simple meaning
Trying to answer the same questions }
Address specialized business terms with design solutions that align with business performance.
what we can do 1 } align the dialects
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 21
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy Use strategy tools to connect design work
with business impact
3 } Don’t bury the lead
3 Learnings from the journey
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 22
design
technology users
business
engineering!
strategy!2 } show the strategy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 23
Signs you need a strategy...
is redesign will #x everything.
What’s the expected ROI on this design?
We need to create a product/service platform
or multi-channel experience. NOW.
Everyone agrees on what the design must accomplish, but everyone has a different idea of how.
Everyone agrees something has to be done about the design, but no one is sure what.
2 } show the strategy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 24
What is a design strategy? A plan of action to produce commercially successful offerings that re$ect the constraints of business, technology and user needs.
What questions does an effective strategy answer? } 1. Where can design be most effective?
2. What kind of experiences do potential features deliver?
3. How will success be valued and measured? 4. How will the product evolve in the future?
2 } show the strategy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 25
Ishikawa diagram Prioritization chart }
2 } show the strategy
Where can design be most effective?
What kind of experiences do potential features deliver?
How will success be valued and measured?
How will the product evolve in the future?
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 26
Photos are selected which are impossible for editors to process
Stock photo failure!
Ishikawa diagram : A diagram of a problem broken down into it's principal root causes
2 } show the strategy
Unsure how Date image taken is unknown
Country unknown
Owner unwilling
Owner unknown
Too much effort
Form too hard to complete
Can’t iden?fy person/model
Can’t contact person
Model unwilling to sign
Lost original
Taken at a low resolu?on seCng
Can’t complete image details
Can’t get a model release
Can’t get property release
There is no higher resolu6on
SEARCH
TUTORIAL
USABILITY
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 27
Prioritization chart: A forced-ranking activity that determines which problems to solve #rst.
2 } show the strategy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 28
Prioritization chart: A forced-ranking activity that determines which problems to solve #rst.
2 } show the strategy
Severity
Value
Date is unknown!
Model unwilling to
sign
Owner is unknown!
Form is difficult to complete!People unsure
how to get property release!
Reduce photos taken
a low resolution!
Consider
Focus
Neglect
Your design must address these
Unwise use of ?me to address these
Your design should accommodate these
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 29
Prioritization chart: A forced-ranking activity that determines which problems to solve #rst.
2 } show the strategy
The design will address these issues:
Form is difficult to complete!
People unsure how to get property release!
And accommodate these:
Owner is unknown!
Reduce photos taken
a low resolution!
And this is what we’re not going to address:
Date is unknown!
Model unwilling to
sign!
Project Design Priorities
1. Ensure that photos selected for editors are possible to process.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 30
Where can design be most effective?
What kind of experiences do potential features deliver?
How will success be valued and measured?
How will the product evolve in the future?
2 } show the strategy
Storyboards (with a twist) }
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 31
Storyboards: A comic-style illustration that tells the story of people interacting with the product or service.
2 } show the strategy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 32
Storyboards: A comic-style illustration that tells the story of people interacting with the product or service.
2 } show the strategy
Brainstorming
Refined version
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 33
Where can design be most effective?
What kind of experiences do potential features deliver?
How will success be valued and measured?
How will the product evolve in the future?
2 } show the strategy
Conversion model } Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 34
Travel organizer!
Conversion model: A visualization that displays data metrics for each step in a multi-step process.
2 } show the strategy
Register! Log in!Enter trip
details!Confirm trip
details!Access
details on trip!
70% 29% 38% 20%
154 users access their trip details for every
10,000 that register
.70
.29
.38 x .20
.0154
10,000 x .0154
154
7,000! 2,000! 760! 150!10,000!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 35
Travel organizer!
Conversion model: A visualization that displays data metrics for each step in a multi-step process.
2 } show the strategy
770 users access their trip details for every
10,000 that register
.70
.29 x .38 .0771
10,000 x .077
770
7,000! 2,000! 760!
70% 29% 38%
10,000!
Forward trip details! Log in!
Confirm trip details!
Access details on trip!
Automa?cally create account and send email
Offer more ways for user to access trip
data
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 36
Where can design be most effective?
What kind of experiences do potential features deliver?
How will success be valued and measured?
How will the product evolve in the future?
2 } show the strategy
Product evolution map } Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 37
Product evolution map: Describes the evolutional stages of a product, including features and revenue model.
2 } show the strategy
Free accounts Premium accounts
revenu
e
Gamma
A platform for sharing, organizing, and exploration yourself through photos
Interes?ngness Organizr Geo-‐tagging Order prints Blog integra?on Mobile connec?vity
Prin?ng Adver?sing
Beta
Online photo management and sharing application
Upload Store View Tag Share Contacts
features
stage
Photo-sharing Product evolution!
Delta
A brand for visual expression and exploration
Flickr events Flickr travel groups Flickr local
Partnerships Licensing fees
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 38
Practice our strategy chops ~ #nd the right tool for the job ~ host participatory sessions with biz folks ~ capture and reinforce decisions
Increase con#dence in design choices }
Decisions informed by thoughtful, intentional choices. But we need to make the time to focus on the impact, not just the interface.
what we can do 2 } show the strategy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 39
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead Develop short, concise answers to key questions
3 Learnings from the journey
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 40
~ T. S. Eliot
“! “!If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.
3 } don’t bury the lead
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 41
Designers = storytellers
Attention, focus and the credibility that the design team has its shit together.
3 } don’t bury the lead
Sometimes we need punchlines, not stories.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 42
Biz Buddy } 3 } don’t bury the lead
Know what will be asked.
Practice brevity
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 43
what he expected
what we said!
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
the end result
blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah
3 } don’t bury the lead
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 44
Biz Buddy: A helpful insider with knowledge of the priorities and perspectives of our business colleagues.
3 } don’t bury the lead
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 45
can I run this by you
first?!Sure. I’d be happy to give a listen.
what is she going to
ask?!
She’ll ask: when you can get it
done, and how much money will it save.
how long do I have?! She listens
for about 2 minutes
max.
Know what will be asked
Practice brevity
2 } show the strategy
e pitch }
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 46
e pitch: A short, concise and relevant summary of the work.
3 } don’t bury the lead
For [target customers] who are dissatisfied with [current
market offering], [product name] is a [new product
category] that provides [key benefit]. Unlike [product
alternative], we have [differentiating attribute] that helps
customers accomplish [key need.]
elevator pitch!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 47
twitpitch *!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * Coined by Stowe Boyd in 2008
Focus on what it is and why it matters. Introduce the how it works only if asked.
Be a great pitcher ~ answer questions in short form with just the facts ~ consider what biz folks are hearing
Build 2-way credibility & mutual respect }
what we can do 3 } don’t bury the lead
Be collaboration partners ~ facilitate design strategy conversations ~ embrace participation
Build empathy & understanding }
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 48
1 } Align the dialects 2 } Show the strategy 3 } Don’t bury the lead
4 } Keep your soul Protect your passion and sense of self in
a culture with a different value system.
4 3 Learnings from the journey
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 49
e reallyreally big picture Products & services that delight, that inspire and that improve the lives of the people who use them.
4 } Keep your soul
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 50
~ Jane McGonigal Game designer & Director of Game Research & Development at the Institute for the Future
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_McGonigal!
4 keys to happiness: Have satisfying work to do
e chance to be good at something
Connections with people we truly like
e opportunity to be a part of something bigger
4 } Keep your soul
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 51
4 } Keep your soul
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 52
When it all works A shared organizational commitment to products & services that delight, that inspire and that improve the lives of the people who use them.
e journey
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 54
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 55
reference: Building Design Strategy: omas Lockwood and omas Walton, ed., (2008)
Corporate Strategy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Porter
Ishikawa Diagrams: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram
Elevator Pitch: Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm (2002)
Sticky Ideas: Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick (2007)
Illustrating Concepts: Dan Roam, Back of the Napkin (2008)
Adaptive Path, Subject to Change (2008)
Corporate Philosophy: Yvon Chouinard, Let My People Go Sur#ng (2006)
blogs: Design inking, Tim Brown (IDEO) http://designthinking.ideo.com/
Metacool: Diego Rodriguez (IDEO) http://metacool.typepad.com/metacool/
A Designer’s Guide to Strategy, Brandon Schauer (Adaptive Path) www.brandonschauer.com/blog
Customer Experience Matters, Bruce Temkin (Forrester) http://experiencematters.wordpress.com/
e Berkun Blog, Scott Berkun (indie) http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/
McKinsey: What Matters, Misc. (McKinsey) http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/
Good Experience, Mark Hurst (indie) http://goodexperience.com/
Putting People First, Experientia http://www.experientia.com/blog
Suggested Reading
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 56
Amsterdam: April 18-21 www.adaptivepath.com/events twitter: #uxintensive 15% off with code FOKR
San Francisco : August 23-26 www.uxweek.com twitter: #uxweek 15% off with code FOKR
Shout-out to Henning Fischer and Brandon Schauer for the strategy tools slides, and to all the Adaptive Path folks who shared their project work.
More UX goodness
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 57
thanks! e slides are
on slideshare at: www.slideshare.net/intelleto
Kate Rutter, Experience Designer [email protected] www.adaptivepath.com twitter : @katerutter @adaptivepath
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 58
Primary typeface is Adobe Garamond Pro. Business dialect typeface is Lucida Console Design dialect typeface is Bradley Hand ITC!
Inner voice typeface is Handwriting - Dakota!
Image credits:
Title slide: Public Domain Image of World Map from Page 3 of the book, Spokesman-Review Handy Atlas of the World, "Published Expressly For e Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash. 1911", Copyright 1910 C.S. Hammond &Co., New York Journey image: http://www.$ickr.com/photos/32920110@N07/3484895197/sizes/l/ Madonna: http://www.$ickr.com/photos/28668451@N00/77567133/ Rosetta stone: http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/hist/PublishingImages/Rosetta%20Stone.jpeg Myths of innovation cover : http://fyi.oreilly.com/9780596527051_lrg.jpg * Other images credited on slides Illustrations
Storyboard illustrations by Brandon Schauer Hand sketches by Kate Rutter.
colophon
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 59