Inform to Inspire

A talk I presented at #fowd 2012 on using problem framing and research to enhance our creative process.

Transcript

1. Future of Web Design 2012, London Stephanie Troeth Inspire Inform to
2. Hi! I’m Steph. @sniffles
3. Sorry for the funny accent. Born here Grew up here Lived here Living here
4. Who are you?
5. Idea.
6. The best way to think about epiphany is to imagine working on a jigsaw puzzle. [...] The only reason that the last piece is significant is because of the other pieces you’d already put into place. —”The Myths of Innovation”, Scott Berkun
7. We can get too attached to ideas.
8. Ownership is not limited to material things. It can also apply to points of view. Once we take ownership of an idea—whether it’s about politics or sports— what do we do? We love it perhaps more than we should. We prize it more than it is worth. And most frequently, we have trouble letting go of it because we can’t stand the idea of its loss. — “Predictably Irrational”, Dan Ariely.
9. Idea. ? a way to a solution
10. “Well, I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. One of our greatest statesmen has said that a change of work is the best rest. So it is. When I had succeeded in dissolving the hydrocarbon which I was at work at, I came back to our problem of the Sholtos, and thought the whole matter out again.” — “Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four”, Arthur Conan Doyle “You recollect how annoyed I was at being baulked by so small a thing?” “Yes.” http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4182466358/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4182466426/
11. Giving your mind a rest.
12. Idea. a way to solution ?
13. Idea. a way to solution Incubation?
14. Ҫఈ೭֝ A frog at the bottom of a well.
15. Expand our world. (crawl out of our well)
16. Inspiration by (free) association
17. Tony Buzan’s “Radiant thinking” Brian Eno’s “Oblique Strategies” The Standardistas’ “Double Whammy” Stephen Anderson’s “Mental Notes” The Standardistas’ “Pic’n’Mix” @standardistas’ workshop “Good Ideas Grow On Paper”:
18. Similar or different?
19. Idea. ? solution space problem space
20. Problem framing
21. The problem frame is your point of departure. (And where you return.)
22. What problem(s) are we solving? Who are we solving it for? Why are we solving it? What impact do we want to have? How do we measure success?
23. business model canvas What are the most important costs inherent in our business model? Which Key Resources are most expensive? Which Key Activities are most expensive? ATeT]dT
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    <P]PVT\T]c ATP[cX\T<PaZTc This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http:/ /creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
24. Understanding who you are designing for.
25. User matrices Hat tip: David Rollert, whose original method I adapted (one tool among many)
26. Example: The “Run Collector”
27. 1. Establish your axes social individual explore compete frequent occasional visitor local curious engaged
29. 2. Choose two key axes. 3. Identify questions. ✦ What do they need? ✦ What do they want? ✦ What can they do?
30. set a record stalk other runners visitor local explore compete What can they do?
31. find new routes share local insight create most popular route set a record find new routes set a record stalk other runners find new routes set a record visitor local explore compete What can they do? (acquainted)
32. 4. Vary your axes, then your questions. 5. Rinse and repeat.
33. key insight
34. User modelling with user matrices Uncover your underlying assumptions Uncover assumptions on behaviour, needs and motivation Establish hypotheses Validate with research Find out what you know and what you don’t know
35. Research (and conquer)
36. Ask questions. Look for some answers. I wonder if ...? Would it..? Can it..? Hypothesise. Know your assumptions.
37. Common user research methods open-ended close-ended “listening labs” “contextual enquiry” interviews scenario testing remote testing tools surveys focus groups card sorting exploring the problem space improve the solution heuristic evaluation personas A/B testing analytics
38. Someone else might have done relevant research.
39. Try it for size. Sketch. Prototype.
40. Leah Buley’s six-up. Sketch six different versions of an interface within a limited time.
41. http://webstandardssherpa.com/
42. http://webstandardssherpa.com/
44. Take a well- deserved rest. (do something completely different.)
45. solution space problem space incubation inspiration & research problem framing prototyping Ideas
46. solution space problem space incubation inspiration & research problem framing prototyping Ideas
47. Rinse, repeat. Swap in, swap out.
48. How do we plan for this?
49. Problem framing Monday Inspiration & research Prototype Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Prototype
50. Problem framing Monday Inspiration & research Prototype Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Inspiration & research Prototype
51. Problem framing Monday Inspiration & research Prototype Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Incubate Problem framing Prototype
52. Delay the decision. Get unstuck from your first idea.
53. Your creative process is not an assembly line. design
54. Inspiration is not magic.
55. Inspiration is in your hands.
56. Thank you! (Yes, these slides will be online.)
57. My eternal gratitude to great shoulders I stand upon: David Rollert, Johanna Kollmann, Olivier Thereaux, and my sister Samantha who drew the proto-frog. Stephanie Troeth @sniffles http://about.me/stephtroeth funny cat photo “It’s not that I’m smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” — Albert Einstein