Remote Content Design

How to design content working in remote teams.

Content design at home
Tips for working better remotely
How to stay productive wherever you work

Transcript

1. Lunch and learn Remote Content Design Helping from afar 1
2. Housekeeping • Mute your microphone and camera • This presentation is being recorded • Recording included in the next content community newsletter • Use the chat box to ask questions • The presentation should last 45 minutes
3. Laura Parker Content Designer Service experience design team API Platform @LauraParkerUX
4. What I’ll talk about • Content design at home • Tips for working better remotely • How to stay productive wherever you work
5. Q1 How do you feel right now?
6. Content design at home The challenge • Content design is collaborative • Isolation is a creativity killer • Thinking is harder to do • Tech gets in the way of conversations • Video calls are exhausting 6
7. Tips for working better remotely
8. Get to know your team (again) • Have a look at your roles and responsibilities • Identify new areas you can help others • Review working methods/order of things • Be aware of roughly how long it takes others to work through a project • Schedule 1 to 1 chats
9. Have empathy Collaboration starts with empathy • It’s easy to ask questions, it’s harder to listen • “Can you explain your perspective to help me to understand?” • You might not be the cause of someone’s frustration, even if you’re the recipient of it • Self reflection is a good idea • You’re wrong sometimes
10. Write better meeting invites • Call your meetings a decision making session instead • Tell your invitees what the plan is • Make it clear that your meeting will end in a decision • Use the user story to guide the conversation • It’s ok to decline meetings to avoid burnout
11. Three amigos call • 3 people with opposing views join a call • The meeting organiser spends 2 minutes laying out the problem • The problem is discussed and the group attempt to reach a decision • The meeting should be no longer than 15 minutes • Notes are taken and shared with the wider team
12. Fika! Take a break • Fika is a Swedish word meaning “to have a break” • 15 to 30 minute conversation • No work talk allowed • Usually includes coffee/tea and biscuits • Host a Fika in the morning
13. Bored of quizzes? Try something different • Through the keyhole • What’s on the bookshelf • Hangman (works better with fewer people) • Name the movie quote • Lightening talks
14. Ways to collaborate better Thanks to Mia O’Donoghue • Demo smaller things - don't wait for the big reveal • Keep sessions to the minimum number of team members - share the output with the wider team • Keep presentations short and to time - use props to keep on track • Use GoToMeeting for card sorts - you can hand control of the mouse to participants • Use Google Docs for individual feedback - you can refer back to comments after you 'delete' them
15. Q2 Share a remote working tip
16. How to be productive anywhere
17. Be productive anywhere • Recognise when you work best • Use flexible scheduling to your advantage • A/B test different productivity methods • Track your activity and productivity • Try time blocking and colour code your diary • Have a bottle of water nearby and a designated snack jar
18. Be productive anywhere How does a user researcher stay productive? • Regularly change your workspace • Accept that there are some things you can't change • Have a goal that's unrelated to work • Remember to be silly and have fun • Exercise and eat a healthy diet
19. And remember • Inaction is a roadblock for remote collaboration • Don’t worry about whether you’re doing it right or not • Design is a journey, remote work is ‘work in progress’ • Respect your team and have empathy • Stay professional and get dressed
21. Q3 Recommend any book/ website/podcast
22. Thank you Any questions for me?
23. • https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/collaboration-begins-with-empathy/ • https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/mastering-remote-ux-workshops • https://everythingsweden.com/what-is-fika/ • https://theblog.adobe.com/wfh-101-tips-to-stay-productive-wherever-you-work/ • https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/remote-work-problems-solutions/ • https://twitter.com/trishgreenhalgh/status/1260642836921401348?s=20 • http://www.tomatotimers.com • https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/three-amigos/ • https://zapier.com/blog/productive-remote-work/#test