People, not Process (for UX Poland)

As presented at UX Poland on 17 April 2013. (Body language section included here, but dropped from live presentation due to lack of time.)

Transcript

1. People, not process Ian Fenn Twitter: @ifenn
2. MOST FREQUENT REASON USABILITY ISSUES GO UNFIXED. http://www.slideshare.net/cjforms/why-do-usability-problems-go-unfixed-13865768
4. Communication and influence
   are just as important as a
   well-thought out prototype.
6. “YES,” she said.
7. “C, C#, C++, and visual basic”
8. A designer solves problems within
   a set of constraints. Mike Monteiro
9. A designer solves problems they often have to help identify within a set of ever-changing constraints. Ian Fenn
10. A designer solves problems they often have to help identify within a set of ever-changing constraints. Without authority. Ian Fenn
11. THE EXPECTATIONS PYRAMID Succeeding the Project Management Jungle (Doug Russell) http://www.amazon.com/Succeeding-Project-Management-Jungle-Projects/dp/0814416152/
12. ๏ enthusiasm ๏ total confusion ๏ disillusionment ๏ search for the guilty ๏ punishment of the innocent ๏ reward and promotion of the non-participants THE SIX PROJECT PHASES
13. Unfortunately for us,
    we care
14. You got hired. Why?
15. ARRIVE ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE ๏ Read the usual suspects - Jared Spool, Jakob Nielsen, Johnny Holland, Boxes and arrows, UX magazine... ๏ Familiarize yourself with the high traffic websites that people visit - how are they shaping user behaviour? ๏ Question everything around you. Why are things the way they are? ๏ Is there a formal project brief? If so, ask for a copy in advance. Print it off. Scribble questions on it.
16. Be dressed for success. http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlebitmanky/424680015/
17. Meeting
    the project sponsor
18. I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who. - Rudyard Kipling in his "Just So Stories" (1902)
19. ๏ Why are we doing this? (Business needs) ๏ What do the users need? (User needs) ๏ Where do they want it? (Environment/Device) ๏ Who is doing it? (Team) ๏ When do we have to get it done by? (Time available) ๏ How will we measure success?
20. MORE QUESTIONS ๏ What do they expect? ๏ What’s in it for them? ๏ What challenges do they face? ๏ How will they know the project has been successful? ๏ Who else should you meet?
21. JIM KALBACH’S PROJECT CANVAS http://uxtogo.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/the-project-canvas-defining-your-project-visually/
22. Meeting
    team members
23. http://bit.ly/war-developers
24. MEET TEAM MEMBERS ๏ What’s their history? ๏ How do they work? ๏ What has been useful in the past? ๏ What has annoyed them? ๏ What are their expectations? ๏ How do they like to communicate?
25. PRODUCT MANAGERS ๏ Some are ux-focused, others are business or technical ๏ None of them will be short of an opinion ๏ Support your work with evidence where you can ๏ Share it often
26. PROJECT MANAGERS ๏ Treat as you would a project sponsor ๏ Be honest about timings and try to stick with them ๏ Keep them informed ๏ Ask them to coordinate feedback
27. DEVELOPERS AND DESIGNERS ๏ Involve them early on ๏ Share your work or collaborate often ๏ Understand their constraints
28. NO.
30. Personal styles and effective performance David W. Merrill
31. Driver Analytical Expressive Amiable More More Less Less More
32. DRIVER
    (FAST, INTENSE, FORMAL, RISK-TAKER, LIKES TO BE IN CHARGE) ๏ Focus on the present ๏ Get to the bottom line ๏ Speak in terms of short-term concrete results ๏ Give them options ๏ Don’t get too personal ๏ Don’t get into a control contest ๏ However, don’t back down if you believe you are right http://www.softed.com/resources/Docs/SSW0.4.pdf
33. EXPRESSIVE
    (ANIMATED, IMPATIENT, CREATIVE, FOCUS OF ATTENTION, FUNNY, BACK-SLAPPER) ๏ Focus on the future and the big picture ๏ Illustrate concepts with stories ๏ Seek their ideas, input ๏ Show personal interest and involvement ๏ Stimulate their creative impulse ๏ Compliment them ๏ Don’t dwell on details ๏ Don’t be too serious ๏ Don’t talk down to them http://www.softed.com/resources/Docs/SSW0.4.pdf
34. AMIABLE
    (SLOW, EASY-GOING, QUIET, FRIENDLY AND INVITING, FORGIVING) ๏ Be flexible ๏ Be easy and informal ๏ Be personal and personable ๏ Emphasize a team approach ๏ Don’t push for too much detail ๏ Don’t hurry them ๏ Don’t confront them ๏ Don’t attack ๏ Don’t be dictatorial or autocratic http://www.softed.com/resources/Docs/SSW0.4.pdf
35. ANALYTICAL
    (SLOW, QUIET THOUGHTFUL, PREFERS TO BE ON THEIR OWN) ๏ Focus on past, present and future ๏ Talk facts ๏ Focus on detail and accuracy ๏ Be logical, well- organized, and serious ๏ Tell them exactly what you will do and when ๏ Don’t rush things ๏ Don’t be too personal ๏ Don’t be overly casual http://www.softed.com/resources/Docs/SSW0.4.pdf
36. CLIFFORD NASS
39. PRAISE ๏ Praise others freely, frequently, and at any time, regardless of accuracy. ๏ Emphasize effort over innate abilities. The Man Who Lies to His Laptop (Clifford Nass with Corina Yen)
40. CRITICISM ๏ Criticise others with caution, keeping it brief and specific, and always with clear follow-up actions ๏ Present ways to improve and resolve the criticism, and emphasize the importance of effort for success. ๏ Afterward, give people time to respond when they are ready. The Man Who Lies to His Laptop (Clifford Nass with Corina Yen)
41. MIXING PRAISE WITH CRITICISM ๏ Broad praise ๏ Brief criticism focused on specific steps toward improvement - go deep, not broad ๏ Lengthy and detailed positive remarks The Man Who Lies to His Laptop (Clifford Nass with Corina Yen)
42. PERSUASION ๏ Your persuasiveness comes down to whether people perceive you as an expert and trustworthy ๏ Being labeled an ‘expert’ or a ‘specialist’ grant you all the persuasive power that actual experts have. ๏ Trustworthiness is generally more persuasive that expertise. ๏ Inconsistency makes you less persuasive. The Man Who Lies to His Laptop (Clifford Nass with Corina Yen)
43. Body language
46. MICRO MESSAGING ๏ Actively solicit opinions ๏ Connect on a personal level ๏ Constantly ask questions ๏ Attribute/credit ideas ๏ Monitor your facial expressions
47. MICRO MESSAGING ๏ Actively listen to all ๏ Draw in participation ๏ Monitor personal greetings ๏ Respond constructively to disagreements ๏ Limit interruptions Micro Messaging (Stephen Young)
48. USEFUL PHRASES ๏ ...... (Silence: Beg for forgiveness, not for permission.) ๏ “Do you mind me asking - are you looking for solutions or do you just want to get things off your chest?” ๏ “Which of the solutions you mentioned would you choose?” ๏ “If we were going to meet the delivery date, how could we make that happen?” ๏ “How could we find out...”
49. EVEN MORE USEFUL PHRASES ๏ “What we might do is...” ๏ “We could do...” ๏ “Would you...” ๏ “I appreciate it when you...” ๏ “I agree with some of what you’re saying, but here’s what I would like to see changed...”
50. SHOW YOUR HRT (HEART) ๏ Humility - you are not center of the universe ๏ Respect - you genuinely care about others you work with ๏ Trust - you believe others are competent and will do the right thing Team Geek (Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman) http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920018025.do
51. Staying sane ๏ What am I feeling now? ๏ What am I thinking now? ๏ What am I doing at this moment? ๏ How am I breathing?
52. First Rule of Consulting:
    No matter how much you try, you can’t stop people from sticking beans up their nose. Jared Spool - http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/
53. http://sarahmillican.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-11-o-clock-rule.html Millican’s Law “This is Millican's Law. If you have a hard gig, quiet, a death, a struggle, whatever, you can only be mad and frustrated and gutted until 11am the next day. Then you must draw a line under it and forget about it. As going into the next gig thinking you are shit will mean you will die.” “Equally, if you nail it, slam it, destroy it, whatever, you can only be smug about it until 11am the next day (in the past, I have set an alarm so I could get up and gloat for an extra half hour) as if you go into the next gig thinking you are God's gift to comedy, you will die. That is Millican's Law and it totally works. It means you move on quickly.”
54. JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
55. Dziekuje...
    ...and good luck Twitter: @ifenn http://chopstixmedia.com/