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How User Experience Designers
Take Hugely Complicated Systems
and Make Them Less Complicated
For The People That The
Organization Serves.Starring James Schmittler & Tim Leisio
01.14.16
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UX Simplification & StrategyStarring James Schmittler & Tim Leisio
01.14.16
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Tim LeisioUser Experience Architect
Twitter & Medium: @timleisio
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/timleisio
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James SchmittlerUser Experience Team Lead
Twitter: @jamesschmittler
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/jamesschmittler
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Who are we?Write this down, there might be a test later.
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James & TimExperts...probably.
● Bit of experience
● Lots of ideas
● A presentation
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Legal UXWe stole all the whiteboards.
● 50+ people
● 40+ projects
● Design, IA, Research, CSS, Accessibility, etc...
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Thomson Reuters“The Answer Company”
● Lots of segments
● Billions (with a B) in revenue
● Many employees
● Global
● Eagan is the largest
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Where are we headed?I’m think a beach somewhere. Is Minnesota always this cold?
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Company ShiftDesign thinking company
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Planning the Future*Maniacal Laugh!*
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Cross UX Team CollaborationLean on me...when you need a wireframe.
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Cross Company AwarenessPeople know me. I’m...kind of a big deal.
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How are we changing who we are?pain (n) 1. physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury 2. careful effort; great care or trouble.
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Level UpReal mature.
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2013/12/applied-ux-strategy-part-1-maturity-models.php
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Level UpReal mature.
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2013/12/applied-ux-strategy-part-1-maturity-models.php
25%50%25%
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3 Years Ago...So, what’d we actually make?
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2 Years Ago...Can I haz juice box too?
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1 Year Ago...We need more coffee.
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Why is all of this important?So we’ve grown up. Good for us. Why do you care?
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ContextThe environment and situation people are experiencing.
● Growing team
● Large enterprise company
● UX only one of many voices
● Takes time to build relationships
● Change is slow
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ContextThe environment and situation people are experiencing.
● Growing team
● Large enterprise company
● UX only one of many voices
● Takes time to build relationships
● Slow to change
● We have complex products
● Ever growing scope
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ContextThe environment and situation people are experiencing.
● Growing team
● Large enterprise company
● UX only one of many voices
● Takes time to build relationships
● Slow to change
● We have complex products
● Ever growing (potential for) scope
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What happens if we lose control of scope?The first step is admitting you have a problem.
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It Doesn’t FitYou can try all day lady, but that couch isn’t going in that car.
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Why is it so damn hard to maintain
scope?Go home scope, you’re drunk...
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Mind Your SurroundingsOr fall through the ice like a ninja.
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Short on UX KnowledgeCan you make it a blue button!?
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Attitude Bias EvidenceWe build what they say they want.
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/
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People for ResearchOr just empty seats?
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Funding the UnknownNot quite as epic as exploring strange new worlds.
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Role Ratio DisparitiesWhen you have 1:100 ux-to-not ux skill sets on your product team.
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Focus on FeaturesI heard the abominable market wants a spoon.
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Fear of Damaging RelationshipsNo. And here’s why...
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Dogma of “The” TechnologyWhen competition isn’t good.
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Reliance on 3rd PartyThe world changes. Change with it.
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UX DebtI thought there was only technical debt...
http://nform.com/blog/2013/05/user-experience-debt/
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Are We Done Yet?Not at all, but OK.
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What do we know about scope?Well, how about an example.
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We’ve Been ThereWireframe hell!
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Taking a RiskJump now, worry about landing later.
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Organizing the ChaosWhat the hell are we trying to build here anyway?
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Presenting Our IdeasHave at you!
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Coming to an AgreementNo one sleeps until we figure this out.
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AftermathBlue skies and happy faces next 100 miles.
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Customer PartnershipsEveryone being super friendly.
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Better ProductJust in time for Spring too!
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Better ProductOh, you meant Spring in Minnesota...
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Why We Think Less Scope = More HopeDOWN WITH SCOPE! UP WITH HOPE!
● Sustainability
● Growth
● Market understanding
● User research
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How do YOU advocate for simplicity?Can you make it simple. Like 3 a step process?
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Find the CoreCut the crap, strengthen the core
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Seed PossibilityAnd maybe prototype it...
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CollaborateMilk could make a Dark Side parody...
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How to handle chaos & prepare for the
future?Scout Motto: Be Prepared
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Do Things That Make You BetterTreat Yo’Self
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Build TrustHow to influence friends and eliminate enemies.
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Be A Part of the Project TeamCowabunga!
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Increase Your SkillsetChange is good. Sometimes you’re an alien, sometimes you’re a pop star.
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Be Strategic Without Being AskedStill waiting for that invitation?
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Be VocalFor example...
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Follow ThroughEven the best laid plans have flaws.
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Learn From MistakesObviously, you wouldn’t design the same flaw twice...obviously...obviously…
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Questions?Besides “Who shot first?”