Tactical Goal-Setting
Designing the Right Thing
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Slides need narrative, so
I’ll scatter notes like this
throughout the
presentation to give you
a sense of what I was
saying during the talk.
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Who do you design with?
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
We design in a lot of
contexts: agencies,
internal teams, etc. The
common factor is that
we always design along
with other people.
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michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Project timeline
Sometimes design
projects can be
disappointing. As we get
design feedback, we have
to alter our designs more
and more.
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michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Project timeline
When we establish goals
and agree on them with
our stakeholders, the
design process can be
shorter and less painful.
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michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Project timeline
Why do we get projects
like this?
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Design by elephant
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
We’re designing by
elephant.
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michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
There’s an ancient story
about six blind men
standing around an
elephant. They each have
a different perspective
to offer. This is what it’s
like to design something
with other people.
Everyone brings a unique
perspective to the table.
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Who’s designing the
experience?
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Often, we’re concerned
with who is designing
the user experience
itself, with sketches,
prototypes, code, etc.
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Who’s designing the
design process?
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
However, we can (and
should) apply our design
abilities to the design
process itself.
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michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Project timeline
When you’re close to the end
of one of these projects that
isn’t working so well, you
realise that it’s actually an
elephant. It’s bigger than you
thought, and there are many
perspectives you didn’t
account for.
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A goal-setting framework
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Design goals
What problem do we want to solve?
Communication goals
What do we want the customer to know?
Business goals
What do we want to achieve?
Here’s a simple
framework I use with
stakeholders. The
categories for feedback
are tailored to the team.
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Use the element of
surprise
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
This doesn’t have to be a
big, formal thing. Pull it
out during a meeting and
use it tactically.
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Make sure everyone
feels heard
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
The whole point of this
exercise is to understand
stakeholder concerns
and design to address
them. Make sure
everyone feels heard and
understood. Change the
categories if necessary.
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Keep it quick
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
The great thing about
this method is that you
don’t have to add much
time to the project or feel
like you’re backing things
up. Keep the goal-setting
process quick.
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Goals should be:
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
- Clear and actionable
- Descriptive, not prescriptive
- Agreed on by the whole team
A goal that’s actionable should a
thing you can do. “Sell more
things” isn’t actionable. Don’t
prescribe design solutions like
“make the button bigger.”
Everyone has to agree.
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Sample business goal
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
“Sell more subscriptions!”
Here’s a sample business goal for
a freemium SaaS product. It’s
not terribly descriptive or
actionable. Why do we want to
sell more subscriptions? What
kinds of subscriptions do we
want to sell?
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Sample business goal
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
“Sell more of our mid-tier
subscription plan.”
This is better. We believe the
mid=tier plan is valuable and we
want our customers to enjoy it.
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Sample business goal
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
“Find more ways to draw
attention to our mid-tier plan.”
This is even better. A designer
can’t directly sell more things,
but they can find ways to make
those things easier to find,
understand, and purchase.
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Let’s get to it!
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
Time for a stakeholder
meeting! We went through
this really fast in the
workshop, but the length can
be tailored to your audience.
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Stage one: Capture
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
- Share your goals
- Make sure everyone agrees
- Keep goals clear and actionable
- Don’t prescribe design changes
- Facilitator records them
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Stage two: Prioritize
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
- Decide which goals are
absolutely necessary
- Limit yourself to no more
than three primary goals
Making tough choices is hard,
but it’s also rewarding. Give
your designer clear direction for
what needs to be done.
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Recap
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com
This tactical exercise has three
main benefits:
- Your designer gets clarity for
they should design
- Your stakeholders feel heard
and accommodated
- You can use the goals to
evaluate the design and make
sure it’s doing its job
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Thank you!
michael j. metts | @mjmetts | mjmetts.com