Design for Humans: How to make better modernization decisions

Many times, we’ve seen organizations with particularly complex domains fail in their modernization efforts. To be successful, we need to have a firm grasp on the domain and the relationships to other systems and domains. But most importantly, we need to put the people who are using our systems at the center of our problem solving.

When we only use an engineering lens to design our systems, we don’t always get enough perspective to make sure we’re building the right thing. Are you asking the right questions? Are you anchoring your architecture to the wrong needs? Is your decision-making influenced by assumptions and biases?

Without a holistic understanding of how each component of your system is (or isn’t) meeting the needs of your users— no matter how well your systems are architected, you risk having critical gaps in your design and strategy. You risk not being able to deliver value for your users.

Olivia’s product design background and Indu’s software architecture background bring a set of methods that will help you look at the complexity and make sense of the mess in a structured, repeatable way. We’ll expand your toolbox of (remote-friendly) collaborative, cross-disciplinary techniques to understand your domain and center the people that your systems serve.

Transcript

3. For over 170 years, the New York Times has been seeking the truth and helping people understand the world. Our journalism covers the complex human experience — from everyday life to the extraordinary to the unimaginable.
4. Our journalism is for people. Our systems should be too.
5. 👋 modernizing systems 👋 building systems that are used by people RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE
6. “ “ …hey, did you really need a designer? ✅ Legal ✅ Compliance ✅ Security ✅ Performance ✅ Scalability ✅ Observability ❓ User Experience Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
7. reading the paper solving wordle cooking together our users Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
8. our systems
9. reading the paper solving wordle cooking together our users Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
10. reading the paper solving wordle cooking together WHAT HAPPENS WHEN… the complexity of our systems bleeds into the user experience?
11. when system complexity bleeds over can’t switch subscriptions
12. when system complexity bleeds over can’t switch subscriptions unexpected problems
13. can’t innovate on features when system complexity bleeds over can’t switch subscriptions unexpected problems
14. Everything evolves… or it dies 🪦☠ Newspaper delivery Early digital content Publishing on nytimes.com Digital subscriptions introduced Expansion of products
15. If your existing system cannot change with the pace of the market… Ultimately, you’re not going to compete in the market.
16. ⚙ Reduce complexity in our systems for newspaper and digital subscriptions Improve experiences for both our developer teams and end users Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
17. 3 ??? 4 Profit ✨ 1 Use cases workshops 2 Eventstorming Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
18. docs meetings meetings meetings going in circles 😭😭😭 more docs?! eventstorming rabbit holes … reality
21. WE’RE GOING IN CIRCLES How do you build a shared model of understanding?
23. Service Blueprinting /ˈsəːvɪs /ˈbluːprɪnt/ A service blueprint visualizes the relationships between different service components: people, props, and processes tied to touchpoints in a customer journey. MAP THE COMPLEXITY Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy METHOD
24. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Selecting a product Registering
25. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info
26. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Display offer landing page Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info Display registration form Collect delivery information Collect payment information Complete payment Display newspaper delivery options
27. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Display offer landing page Look up offers Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info Display registration form Collect delivery information Collect payment information Complete payment Display newspaper delivery options Services
28. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Display offer landing page Look up offers Provide offers Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info Display registration form Collect delivery information Collect payment information Complete payment Display newspaper delivery options Services
29. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Display offer landing page Look up offers Provide offers Services Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info Legacy Systems Digital products Home Delivery products Display registration form Collect delivery information Collect payment information Complete payment Display newspaper delivery options
30. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Display offer landing page Look up offers Provide offers Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info Digital products Home Delivery products Display registration form Collect delivery information Collect payment information Complete payment Display newspaper delivery options Services Legacy Systems
31. Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Reads articles Sees opportunity to get the paper at a discount Selects a product, the Sunday paper Registers for an account Enters payment info Enters delivery location Selecting a product Registering Display offer landing page Look up offers Provide offers Clicks “subscribe” Enters delivery info Digital products Home Delivery products Display registration form Collect delivery information Collect payment information Complete payment Display newspaper delivery options Services Legacy Systems
32. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
33. Service Blueprinting Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
34. Stakeholder & User Research FIND THE GAPS Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy PROCESS
35. 1⃣ Questions & Assumptions 2⃣ Stakeholder Mapping 3⃣ Guided Stakeholder Interviews 4⃣ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED USER RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
36. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Questions & Assumptions A team workshop that draws out shared knowledge gaps by getting major questions and assumptions out in the open to reduce bias. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy WORKSHOP
37. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
38. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy Stakeholder Mapping Identity, analyze and prioritize your most important users to understand their influence and why, to prepare for discussions. EXERCISE
39. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
40. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy Guided Stakeholder Interviews Repeatable sessions based on a research plan, where session formats are shaped around specific research questions and learning goals. INTERVIEWS
41. A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID
42. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
43. Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy Analysis with ORID ORID is a facilitation and inquiry framework that can be applied to analysis to build insights and conclusions in an unbiased way. SYNTHESIS
44. A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID Objective What did we see, hear, and learn? 👀 Extract observations in a structured way. Reflective Interpretive Decisional
45. A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID Objective What did we see, hear, and learn? 👀 Extract observations in a structured way. Reflective Do we understand what we’ve learned? 🤔 What’s unclear, new or surprising? Interpretive Decisional
46. A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID Objective What did we see, hear, and learn? 👀 Extract observations in a structured way. Reflective Do we understand what we’ve learned? 🤔 What’s unclear, new or surprising? Interpretive What does this mean for us? 🧠 Identify common themes, needs, challenges Decisional
47. A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID Objective What did we see, hear, and learn? 👀 Extract observations in a structured way. Reflective Do we understand what we’ve learned? 🤔 What’s unclear, new or surprising? Interpretive What does this mean for us? 🧠 Identify common themes, needs, challenges Decisional What’s next? Document ✍ How has our current understanding and scope of responsibilities evolved? What do we prioritize?
48. Questions & Assumptions Workshop A team workshop that draws out shared knowledge gaps by getting major questions and assumptions out in the open to reduce bias. Stakeholder Mapping Identity, analyze and prioritize your most important users to understand their influence and why, to prepare for discussions. Analysis with ORID ORID is a facilitation and inquiry framework that can be used for analysis to build insights and conclusions in an unbiased way. Guided Stakeholder Interviews Repeatable sessions based on a research plan, where session formats are shaped around specific research questions and learning goals. We must anchor the priorities of the system and our modernization strategy directly in the pain of our users. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
49. Service Blueprinting Stakeholder Research Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
50. Rewriting our systems MODERNIZING THE SYSTEM Rewriting our systems?? Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
51. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
52. … usually don’t have happy endings Big Bang Rewrites Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
53. … usually don’t have happy endings Big Bang Rewrites WHAT HAPPENED? We didn’t prioritize what our users needed.
54. A different approach to modernization API Integration Points ✨Modernized user experience ✨ Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
55. Healthcare.gov’s approach to modernization 90% Modern 10% Legacy (All other scenarios) Legacy Systems Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
56. Modernize incrementally by continuously delivering value to your users. PRINCIPLE Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
57. Service Blueprinting Stakeholder Research Incremental Modernization Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
58. “Can we find a vendor that does all of this?” — Product & Business “We can build all of this ourselves!” — Engineers BUY VS BUILD Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
59. Wardley Mapping /wôrdlē mapping/ The process of making strategic decisions based on the purpose, a description of the competitive landscape, the external forces acting on the landscape, and the training of your people. (learnwardleymapping.com) MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy STRATEGY
60. Everything evolves… or it dies 🪦☠ Value chain User NYT Subscriber Delivery Fulfillment File Generator Capabilities & Dependencies User Needs Have the newspaper delivered to their home Change the days of their delivery
61. Surprising, exciting STAGE I Genesis Leading edge, competitive advantage STAGE II Custom Disappointing if not in use, feature-rich STAGE III Product Expected, just the cost of doing business STAGE IV Commodity Delivery Fulfillment Is this a business differentiator? Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
62. Surprising, exciting STAGE I Genesis Leading edge, competitive advantage STAGE II Custom Disappointing if not in use, feature-rich STAGE III Product Expected, just the cost of doing business STAGE IV Commodity Delivery Fulfillment Is this a business differentiator? Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
63. Surprising, exciting STAGE I Genesis Leading edge, competitive advantage STAGE II Custom Disappointing if not in use, feature-rich STAGE III Product Expected, just the cost of doing business STAGE IV Commodity Delivery Fulfillment Is this a business differentiator? Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
64. Surprising, exciting STAGE I Genesis Leading edge, competitive advantage STAGE II Custom Disappointing if not in use, feature-rich STAGE III Product Expected, just the cost of doing business STAGE IV Commodity Delivery Fulfillment Is this a business differentiator? Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
65. Disappointing if not in use, feature-rich STAGE III Product Expected, just the cost of doing business STAGE IV Commodity Should we build or buy? Surprising, exciting STAGE I Genesis Leading edge, competitive advantage STAGE II Custom BUILD Delivery Fulfillment Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
66. Surprising, exciting STAGE I Genesis Leading edge, competitive advantage STAGE II Custom Should we build or buy? Disappointing if not in use, feature-rich STAGE III Product Expected, just the cost of doing business STAGE IV Commodity BUY Delivery Fulfillment Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
67. Service Blueprinting Stakeholder Research Incremental Modernization Wardley Mapping Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
68. Heuristics for Modernizing Your Systems STEP BY STEP APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
69. HEURISTICS FOR MODERNIZING YOUR SYSTEMS IN A HUMAN CENTERED WAY Service Blueprints Build a shared map of the current state anchored in user scenarios. Wardley Mapping Know when to buy and when to build. But always build your own secret sauce. Modernize incrementally by continuously delivering value to your users. Inspect all the tools in the toolbox, before grabbing the first hammer. See above :) Value Stream Mapping Example Mapping Capability Mapping EventStorming SWOT Analysis Kano Model RICE Scoring MoSCoW Method Stakeholder & User Research Understand how your systems impact your users before making changes. Questions & Assumptions ORID Framework Stakeholder Mapping Blend your own! Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy
70. 🧪 Experiment. 🧠 Learn. 🔁 Repeat. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy 🤝 Trust & Human Connection. + The Secret Sauce 💧
71. Organizations exist to serve the needs of humans. The systems that we build should too. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy illustrat ions by Arun Swamy