Connor Harrison_How Content Designers can Expand Their Impact in the Discovery Phase_UX Y'all 2022

Transcript

1. CONNOR HARRISON How Content Designers can Expand Their Impact in the Discovery Phase
2. Who am I? Senior Content Designer, WillowTree Based in Nashville, TN (fully remote) Humanities→ journalism school → marketing → content design
3. In discovery, teams are researching a problem space and gathering evidence on what to do next. Discovery is usually broken out into discover and definition stages: Discover stage - the team asks broad questions and conducts research as they explore the problem space Define stage - the team aligns on findings to develop a vision for the future (e.g., concept wireframes to be expanded on in the next phase) What is the Discovery Phase?
4. Highly intentional collaboration with UXR: • Include content-related questions in research protocols • Document content activities, either internal (e.g., content audit) or user-facing (e.g., content workshop) alongside other research initiatives 1. Embed with Research Initiatives
5. 2. Celebrate Overlap in UX Activities across Disciplines Typically, content designers will conduct a content audit, researchers will write protocols, and designers will wireframe. But any discipline can take on most activities in the Discovery phase, such as a competitive analysis, assumption mapping, user flow diagramming, low-fidelity wireframing, etc. This overlap helps with: • Short-term project planning • Long-term definition of the content design discipline
6. 3. Embrace Reaction beyond Collaboration The UX process especially on discovery projects is messy. There is so much overlapping work! Content designers may sometimes feel they are reacting to others' work more than they are driving their own. That’s OK - this actually has huge value potential. • Core values: there’s no need to own a workstream just to check a box. Give others’ work the same aention to detail you would give your own • A reactive mindset will present opportunities for ownership
7. Thank You!