Design for Humans: How to make better modernization decisions

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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.

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Our journalism is for people. Our systems should be too.

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👋 modernizing systems 👋 building systems that are used by people RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE

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“ “ …hey, did you really need a designer? ✅ Legal ✅ Compliance ✅ Security ✅ Performance ✅ Scalability ✅ Observability ❓ User Experience Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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reading the paper solving wordle cooking together our users Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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our systems

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reading the paper solving wordle cooking together our users Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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reading the paper solving wordle cooking together WHAT HAPPENS WHEN… the complexity of our systems bleeds into the user experience?

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when system complexity bleeds over can’t switch subscriptions

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when system complexity bleeds over can’t switch subscriptions unexpected problems

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can’t innovate on features when system complexity bleeds over can’t switch subscriptions unexpected problems

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Everything evolves… or it dies 🪦☠ Newspaper delivery Early digital content Publishing on nytimes.com Digital subscriptions introduced Expansion of products

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If your existing system cannot change with the pace of the market… Ultimately, you’re not going to compete in the market.

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⚙ 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

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3 ??? 4 Proﬁt ✨ 1 Use cases workshops 2 Eventstorming Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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docs meetings meetings meetings going in circles 😭😭😭 more docs?! eventstorming rabbit holes … reality

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WE’RE GOING IN CIRCLES How do you build a shared model of understanding?

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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

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Touchpoints User Actions Frontstage Backstage Exploring Subscribing to the Paper Selecting a product Registering

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Service Blueprinting Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Stakeholder & User Research FIND THE GAPS Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy PROCESS

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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

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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

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Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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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

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Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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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

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A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID

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Questions & Assumptions ➡ Stakeholder Mapping ➡ Guided Stakeholder Interviews ➡ Analysis with ORID A STRUCTURED RESEARCH APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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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

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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

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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

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Service Blueprinting Stakeholder Research Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Rewriting our systems MODERNIZING THE SYSTEM Rewriting our systems?? Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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… usually don’t have happy endings Big Bang Rewrites Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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… usually don’t have happy endings Big Bang Rewrites WHAT HAPPENED? We didn’t prioritize what our users needed.

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A different approach to modernization API Integration Points ✨Modernized user experience ✨ Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Healthcare.gov’s approach to modernization 90% Modern 10% Legacy (All other scenarios) Legacy Systems Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Modernize incrementally by continuously delivering value to your users. PRINCIPLE Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Service Blueprinting Stakeholder Research Incremental Modernization Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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“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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Service Blueprinting Stakeholder Research Incremental Modernization Wardley Mapping Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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Heuristics for Modernizing Your Systems STEP BY STEP APPROACH Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy

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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

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🧪 Experiment. 🧠 Learn. 🔁 Repeat. Design for Humans @heyits0livia @indu_alagarsamy 🤝 Trust & Human Connection. + The Secret Sauce 💧

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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