Beyond the Waterfall: Rethinking How We Work

Designer passes comp to developer. Developer develops. Project done. Except this traditional waterfall approach is riddled with missed opportunities. Given the complexity of our web projects today, collaborative workflows can dramatically increase the efficiency and quality of the final product. Learn how to engage clients and the full breadth of your team from the beginning of the process, so that research, sketching, prototyping and beyond become a collaborative effort. Maya will share concrete tools and techniques she's used to make all members of the team (including clients!) active participants instead of passive recipients. All while having a lot more fun in the process.

Transcript

1. Beyond the Waterfall
   Rethinking how we work. @mayabruck // www.pixotech.com
3. Collaborative Workflows I
6. SERIOUSLY?
8. The Epic Waterfall Adventure
9. Research
10. Research
11. Research UX
12. Research UX Design
13. Research UX Design Development
14. Research UX Design Development QA
17. #WATERFALLFAIL
18. #WATERFALLFAIL
19. ABOUT TO #WATERFALLFAIL
22. If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat...
23. I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the Fall.
24. #NEVERAGAIN
25. The Post-Waterfall Workflow
26. Our methodology 
 needs to respond to the needs of each project
27. Programming…boils down to reducing the number of “unknowns” on a project to a manageable number. One is fine, two is a stretch, and three is asking for trouble. Mark Llobrera
28. Sketch Studio
30. Start with Research
31. Feature Report
37. A good sketch studio needs clear objectives
38. Include the full team
39. UX Design Dev
40. Keep it focused
41. Identify Priorities
42. Feature Brief
45. A Feature Brief establishes the sketch studio’s priorities
46. Sketch. Erase. Sketch.
51. Capture Decisions
53. Adapt It
54. Large Groups
56. Remote Team/Client
57. IPEVO Document Camera
58. Sketch Studio • Build a shared understanding • Iterate & test ideas in real-time • Create a sense of ownership
59. Group Critiques
62. We need to get comfortable exposing unfinished work to the rest of the team.
64. When you get over the embarrassment, you get more creative…It’s not obvious to people, but starting down that path helped everything we did. Ed Catmull, Pixar
65. Design Digs
67. Ask the Right Questions
68. Questions I ask when reviewing a design by Jason Fried
69. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds?
70. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds? Why is that worth a click?
71. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds? Why is that worth a click? What’s the simpler version of this?
72. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds? Why is that worth a click? What’s the simpler version of this? Why that order?
73. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds? Why is that worth a click? What’s the simpler version of this? Why that order? Would it matter if someone missed that?
74. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds? Why is that worth a click? What’s the simpler version of this? Why that order? Would it matter if someone missed that? Is this better as a sentence or a picture?
75. What’s the takeaway after 8 seconds? Why is that worth a click? What’s the simpler version of this? Why that order? Would it matter if someone missed that? Is this better as a sentence or a picture? What problem is that solving?
76. Group Critiques • Get feedback from a broad audience • Push ourselves to innovate
77. AND NOW…. Another Client Story
78. Cohesive Teams
81. Avoid Hot-Potatoing Projects
82. Always Keep the Team Together
83. Cohesive Teams • More efficient • Greater sense of ownership • Build camaraderie and trust
84. Work in Parallel
86. Research UX Design Development QA
87. Research
88. Research UX
89. Research UX Development
90. Research UX Design Development
91. Research UX Design Development QA
95. Work in Parallel • Saves time • Gives room to respond to project needs • Makes for super-happy clients
96. Communicate. A Lot. Talking designed by Ian Kirkland from the Noun Project
97. Do you have what you need to keep working?
98. Projects with more team meetings are ones that tend NOT to go over-budget
99. Communicate. A Lot. • Keep projects moving forward • Increase team accountability • Help create trusting, cohesive teams
100. Agile Task Boards
101. To Do In Progress Blocked Done Task Task Task Task Task Task Task Task
112. Ticket for task
113. Backlog of tasks
114. Tasks added to board
115. Agile Task Boards • Provide transparency • Address bottlenecks immediately • Capture and organize project’s tasks/issues • Prioritize and take action on what’s important
116. Task Boards I
117. Beyond the Waterfall
118. Thumbs Up designed by Chris Brunskill from the Noun Project
121. Whatever tool or method you use, let it be one that empowers your team and allows them to be true partners
122. Thank you! @mayabruck // www.pixotech.com