Orchestrate Against Atomism | IAS12
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Transcript of Orchestrate Against Atomism | IAS12
Orchestrate Against Atomism
Patrick QuattlebaumIA Summit 12 | New Orleans
March 23, 2012
#AgainstAtomism
source: http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/orchestra-conductor.jpg
Hi. I'm Patrick. I'm formally with Macquarium, an experience design consultancy with offices in Atlanta and Charlotte, and I will be joining adaptive path next month in San Francisco. And I'm a first time speaker at IA Summit.
cross channelis not new
#AgainstAtomismAnd I'm really excited to be speaking this year considering the theme. Cross-channel experience design is not a new topic, but it is a timely one. There's a shift I am seeing at our clients and in our industry.
#AgainstAtomismThe growing expectations of customers in having seamless, cross-channel experiences is beginning to push more companies to invest in cross-channel experience. It is opening up new opportunities for our community to add value and lead. I'm sure we will see some good case studies this weekend about how members of our community are helping organizations large and small bridge channels. i know i’m ready to see the well-deserved poster-children of cross-channel experience design get some company.
mostcross-channel experiences
suck
#AgainstAtomismBut... let’s face it... most cross-channel experiences leave a lot to be desired. The growing investment in user experience and customer experience - to paint a broad stroke - rarely have the additive effect of delivering the promise of seamless, holistic cross-channel customer experiences.
#AgainstAtomismCompanies are struggling with cross-channel because it is complex. The end customers we design for expect not just more from each interaction with brands and corporations. they expect to choose their own path through a myriad of touch points that meet their needs. falling short of these expectations leads to at best frustration and dismay; at worst public admonishment.
#AgainstAtomismCompanies are struggling with cross-channel because it is complex. The end customers we design for expect not just more from each interaction with brands and corporations. they expect to choose their own path through a myriad of touch points that meet their needs. falling short of these expectations leads to at best frustration and dismay; at worst public admonishment.
#AgainstAtomism
déjà vu
if you are like me you have had déjà vu the last couple of years. Cross channel feels like user experience did a decade ago when corporations started to wake up to investing more in user experience and changing their business strategies as they did so. The information architecture community, with our mindset, experience, and skills that have been so critical in inventing the new medium of the web are even more valuable and necessary as cross-channel experience design evolves from “you should do it” to “if you don’t do it, don’t expect to prosper.”
"Information architecture is a design connector between
channels and contexts."
#AgainstAtomismWe know it's the space in between touch points - the bridges, the connectors, life - that can make or break a cross-channel experience. We understand the elements of language, visuals, behavior are critical to keep the experience consistent and coherent within and among channels and touch points. We believe people are as important to complex system design - to ecosystems - as zeroes and ones, brand style guides, and so on.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://prezi.com/aafmvya6bk7t/understanding-information-architecture/
can i get original from peter?
The IA discipline has always served as the badly needed "glue" in designing user experiences and building bridges between almost anything involving information, people, technology, and the institutions we have worked for and consulted with.
#AgainstAtomismAs cross-channel customer experiences have become more central to our companies’ and clients’ strategy, it is no surprise that some great thinking is coming out of our community to offer concepts, frameworks, and heuristics to tie all channels and touch points together.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://adaptivepath.com/ideas/the-anatomy-of-an-experience-map
Our community is developing and evolving tools to understand the complexities of cross-channel design and communicate holistic solutions to our clients and stakeholders.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.slideshare.net/morville/the-future-of-information-architecture
#AgainstAtomism source: Pervasive Information Architecture
We are helping other understand the opportunities to innovate and painting a vision of how channels fade into the background and people accomplishing their goals move to the foreground.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://tylertate.com/blog/2012/02/21/cross-channel-ia-blueprint.html
We are evangelizing how to provide the right experiences on single touch points while balancing consistency across all touch points.
most cross-channel experiences
suck
#AgainstAtomismYet... most cross-channel experiences still suck. So, what i wanted to spend my time with you today talking about is one of the reasons why this is true, and how we can all add value in our organizations at our clients to make things better.
#AgainstAtomism#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.illustration4hire.com/apollobeyond/Files/9.Project%20Gantt%20Chart/GanttChart.8.png
holistic
The word holistic gets thrown around a lot both in business and experience design. I know i’ve done my fair share of using the word in strategy work when I’m helping my clients see the importance of cross-channel design and how to change their processes to approach their customer experience... uh, holistically.
#AgainstAtomismThis type of vision work its easy to point out inconsistencies across channels, frame the business value of doing something about it, and to show conceptually the types of experiences that should unfold for customers cross-channel.
#AgainstAtomism source: http-//28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ld4tzwIlqV1qcf25xo1_400
Pulling off a holistic cross channel experience, however, is much easier said than done.
#AgainstAtomismOutside in thinking can paint a nice pretty picture of how all the pieces not just fit together but are of one.
#AgainstAtomismBut as each functional area - marketing, mobile, web, call center, etc - starts to work on their piece of the puzzle, things start to get a little messy.
#AgainstAtomismHolistic vision begins to give way to myopic channel or touch point design and execution. The whole - the seamless cross-channel experience - is no longer top of mind.
#AgainstAtomismWhat does typically become top of mind is how creative and wonderful one touch point will be by the team who designs it.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.illustration4hire.com/apollobeyond/Files/9.Project%20Gantt%20Chart/GanttChart.8.png
Because, let’s face it, this is where human desire for control and to show one’s individual value kicks in. Each stakeholder and craftsperson - whether it be digital, physical, people - can begin to lose site of the big picture - the cross-channel experience - and passionately make their touch point the object of their sole focus.
atomism
#AgainstAtomismThis tendency to focus on the pieces and hope they magically arrange and connect themselves as one customer experience is the opposing philosophy to holism. It is atomism. Designers and architects create holistic visions but then organizations try to realize them using reductionist management techniques. We work in silos on our pieces and our companies and clients expect it to come together as whole.
orchestrate against
#AgainstAtomism
atomism
And that needs to change. Our companies, clients, and their users need us to step up to the challenge of not just conceptually framing cross-channel customer experience, but to orchestrate across silos and disciplines within organizations to make more of the vision of coherent, continuous, and valuable cross-channel experiences to exist in the world.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.picturesofknights.net/King_Arthur-and-the-Knights-of-the-Round-Table.jpg
And while a better seat at the table is in order as our colleagues move higher up in organizations, we can’t wait. Over the last few years, I’ve been fortunate to consult with several companies that have presented me with the opportunity to both observe difficulties they are having with cross-channel experience design and to experiment with how to do better design planning, to advocate for change, and to create new value.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chickenroad7.jpg
But most importantly, I’ve been thinking about the context of our work and how to help lead the way to realize the great cross-channel experiences that conceptually are possible.
understand the context
#AgainstAtomism
frame the problem
build bridges
expand the toolkit
1. Understand the context2. Frame the problem3. Build bridges4. Expand the toolkit
understand the context
#AgainstAtomismHere’s what we are up against: more companies are acknowledging the importance of cross-channel experiences but are struggling to create them. Why? Because most organizations were not architected to design and deliver cross-channel experiences that they and their customers desire.
#AgainstAtomism
cogs in the machine
source: http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Chaplin,%20Charlie/Annex/Annex%20-%20Chaplin,%20Charlie%20(Modern%20Times)_01.jpg
While there are exceptions, most organizations are designed as large bureaucracies that are intended to run as efficient machines and produce predictable, measurable results.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DmtdGP6kzMQ/TIlKaHSi14I/AAAAAAAAPec/0FW9Fbnc7ZU/s1600/ExtinctDinosaurs.bmp
I’ve worked with many companies that are attempting to move away from command and control, dehumanistic work environments in hopes of being more agile and innovative in the global economy. But when you look at the org chart of most of large companies, you see the legacy of Taylorism - the mechanization of work into silos with cavernous divides between functions.
source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYkFdryP-Co/Tj7-0q3DyPI/AAAAAAAABJU/6tETrv8zyb4/s1600/OpsSilo.jpg#AgainstAtomismCorporations struggle with silos myopic plans, competing objectives, duplicative work, and difficulties in communication and partnership - all of of which is antithetical to what we need to produce great cross-channel experiences.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://blogs.attask.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/fa40a79667504eacecdf3537aa149f29.jpg
This issue has not been lost on upper management. They hear the buzzwords of cross-channel, omninchannel, synergy, etc... and they want to squeeze out any actual or perceived waste. A decade ago, organizations started creating Program Management Offices (PMOs) to improve cross-silo communication. If you have worked with one, you know PMOs focus on delivery - on time, on budget, and as efficient as possible.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.illustration4hire.com/apollobeyond/Files/9.Project%20Gantt%20Chart/GanttChart.8.png
pmo = efficiency
PMOs add value, but in some ways they reinforce the Taylorist mindset. By defining workstreams, tracking status, and reporting issues, PMOs have become the glue across parts of the organization on whether the work that is being produced is “green”... but “green” is defined as hitting dates or staying within budget. PMOs facilitate project management collaboration, but not the project collaboration needed for cross-channel design.
frame theproblem
#AgainstAtomismSo, here’s the problem we need to frame for the organizations we work for and with:
Acknowledging customers expect all the channels and touch points to work in harmony requires getting the organization to design holistically and work more collaboratively.
source: http://www.conairgroup.com/silverstripe/index.php/products/material-storage/#AgainstAtomismBut our organizations are built and operate antithetically to how they should be to produce good cross-channel experiences for customers.
source: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/story-lab/assemblyline.jpg#AgainstAtomismThey are built for breaking things down. To functions. To work streams. To tasks. To requirements. To user stories. To deliverables. Pieces and parts everywhere.
source: http://projectmanagementcommunications.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/cartoon_report-all-green.png#AgainstAtomismAnd project charters, program management, and status reports may create efficiencies, keep budgets in check, and allow different functions to check the “we’re green” box, but it doesn’t come close to ensuring realization of seamless, delightful cross-channel experiences.
source: http://www.capgemini.com/technology-blog/mt-files/Business%20as%20Unusual%20Logo.jpg#AgainstAtomismThe problem is that business as usual - siloed, unorchestrated work - isn’t and won’t cut it.
source: http://www.brainsonfire.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mumford.jpg#AgainstAtomismAnd regardless of how things work above us, we need to reach out to our peers or urge our clients to work together from vision to realization.
build bridges
#AgainstAtomismAnd as information architects, we are the natural community to spur this on.
#AgainstAtomismWe are the bridge builders.
#AgainstAtomismAnd we need to build bridges internally to build bridges externally.
We need to constantly break down walls between silos and build bridges person by person, team by team, function by function. We have to help our colleagues better understand the context of their work and the issues it causes.
source: http://good-wallpapers.com/pictures/3722/soap_bubble.jpg#AgainstAtomism
pop the ux bubble
Which means we need to pop the UX bubble and work even harder to learn all we can about other parts of the organization. It’s a giant design problem we need to attack.
empathy
#AgainstAtomism
empathy
source: http://www.pccfun.us/blog2/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/empathie-69-96.gif#AgainstAtomismAnd to start attacking that problem and building bridges, we start where we often do - with building empathy for what our partners and clients are facing internally. What affects their behavior to tend towards atomism? We need to be able to see the organization, their role, and their goals from their perspective and acknowledge through action their importance.
#AgainstAtomism
motivations
source: http://samplewords.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/motivation.jpg
Always keep in mind that the management philosophy of hierarchical relationships, functional performance plans, and siloed thinking is predominant. You need to approach your intended collaborators as likely being motivated by a competing objectives to harmonizing the cross-channel experience.
#AgainstAtomismThis is how we end up with fragmented customer experiences where channels and touch points fail to connect seamlessly. The teams and partners you are depending on are often being pushed towards that end for the good of their department’s objectives.
source: http://www.global-integration.com/blog/breaking-down-silos.html#AgainstAtomismIncentives and performance plans only amplify and encourage this behavior.
taking risks
source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QcfQ-yo5gQA/TlRaJzAjfyI/AAAAAAAAAQY/4p9cDrP-kkI/s1600/tightrope.jpg#AgainstAtomismBuilding consensus on cross-channel initiatives is really asking your collaborators to take a risk, to go against the grain.
source: http://lsilverwoodwaltona2media.blogspot.com/2011/05/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs.html#AgainstAtomismA key driver for someone in a large organization is safety of employment. As you work to get buy in and collaboration on building a cross-channel vision, they may think that this is beyond scope of their role (“this is not on my PDP. i can’t spend time on this.”) or they may see this as giving up control (“i need to own mobile and show that i own it.”) Cross-channel work challenges organizational boundaries and how companies are set up to reward performance.
source: http://farmlandgrab.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/spooner_1504_main-420x01.jpg#AgainstAtomismAnd in some cultures, defensive posture to collaborate can be based more of fear of ulterior motives, especially land grabbing.
Trust
source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aoXidpr7qR4/TCWgYrYw_nI/AAAAAAAAEtk/VmtceZ_-f3U/s1600/ShorelinePark1000620-014.JPG#AgainstAtomismSo, you need take your understanding of what motivations, fears, and desires your collaborators have and begin to build trust among your internal collaborators.
Results
Accountability
Commitment
Conflict
Trust
Inattention to
Avoidance of
Lack of
Fear of
Absence of
#AgainstAtomismTrust is a foundational element to any team, and I’ve seen large cross-channel initiatives struggle as partners assert ownership of their channel at the expense of creating a seamless experience. At best this is driven by not yet seeing the cross-channel problem and how to solve it; at worst, politics and empire building are the actions that push the words “customer-centric” to the sidelines.
#AgainstAtomism
earning respect
source: Gap, Inc.
To build trust, you need to earn the respect of your collaborators. In addition to signaling you understand them and the context of their work, you need to lead the way in building new knowledge, learning a new language, and an understanding of each functions value and ownership.
#AgainstAtomism
learn the ropes
source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TnDZ9_K7Qw0/TlhQ2lzgf2I/AAAAAAAAG18/KTODLYOeYA8/s1600/Mx21.JPG#AgainstAtomismThis starts with being an apprentice to other parts of the business so you can act as an effective connector internally.
How does the call center approach the customer experience? What’s their process for defining, designing, and implementing new initiatives? How does store operations roll out changes? What lead time does marketing face across broadcast, direct mail, print, etc?
Get knowledgeable enough to be dangerous... it will help remove some blind spots and open up new avenues for empathy and collaboration.
#AgainstAtomism
learn the language
Learning the lingo of internal partners is critical. It will help you build rapport. Don’t be hesitant to ask what a term means when you hear it. This simple action communicates your interest in understanding better the domains of your partners.
And then help build a common language among channel and touch point partners.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdQdamT0uv4/T0nl8H_76OI/AAAAAAAAAm4/OT1YV3q18ng/s1600/step+on+foot.JPG
Nothing can undercut trust and respect more than making dumb mistakes. I know I’ve often been hired by one group to craft cross-channel experience visions, only to step on the toes of other groups who own the touch points being re-imagined or impacted.
roadmap detective
#AgainstAtomismMy advice on this is to keep your ear to the ground for what initiatives are going on around you. Find overlaps, duplicative efforts, etc.
I like to think of this step as a being a roadmap detective... searching through sharepoint sites, asking teams to share their plans, sitting in on cross-functional meetings... piecing together all the visions for each channel and looking for synergies, gaps, conflicts....
#AgainstAtomism#AgainstAtomismI also make it point to help all stakeholders see sooner than later the impact their ideas will have on the cross-channel experience, both for the business and customers.
Simple visuals like this back of the napkin touch point impact diagram communicate to other parts of the business that you are thinking through the problem space holistically - an important signal to send if you are asking for their collaboration in creating a new or improving an existing experience.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://www.fuad-luke.com/images/home/co-design_loop.png
And the spirit of everything that I am talking about - of building bridges - is to encourage collaborators to trust one another to work towards common solutions that are good for the corporation and good for its employees and customers... not to fall into the muscle memory of old patterns that get the same results.
expand thetoolkit
#AgainstAtomismOrchestration requires refining existing methods, stealing from other disciplines, and inventing new ones. Over the last couple of years I’ve been inspired by gamestorming, service design, and cinema. Here’s a few I wanted to share...
source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aoXidpr7qR4/TCWgYrYw_nI/AAAAAAAAEtk/VmtceZ_-f3U/s1600/ShorelinePark1000620-014.JPG
invite to play
#AgainstAtomismAn underlying philosophy I have - and many others do - is that we need invite our colleagues to play more at work. And I’ve found that the more I take the lead in meetings with clients and their organizational peers in making turning meetings in working sessions and working sessions in workshops, the better results we see.
#AgainstAtomismMost of us in this room have likely been leveraging gamestorming techniques recently or for much of our careers. And I‘ve sat through too cross-functional meetings in which attendees sit around a conference table talking about a project or a concept... I built this little box to have on hand for meetings and offer to facilitate. This good will gesture makes meetings more fun, communicates the importance of active collaboration, and also exhibits my willingness to serve the team for the greater good of the program.
source: http://ingridsnotes.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/stage-play.jpg#AgainstAtomism
service design
The service design community is developing a lot of great tools that can be leveraged for holistic design and orchestrating the pieces to realization.
source: http://www.servicedesigntools.org/sites/default/files/res_images/CJM.png#AgainstAtomism
journey mapping
The first method is customer journey mapping, which has become a very popular method in the industry.
source: http://bellthompson.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/sdc13082.jpg#AgainstAtomismCustomer journey maps are created collaboratively with a cross-functional group. Ideally they are backed by research and observations of customers actual experiences with a product, service, or brand, or with a specific context in which a new product or service can help them accomplish a goal. This technique can also be used to create maps of target experiences for products and services under consideration.
source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/fig/154_10_1108_S2041-272X_2010_0000002012.png#AgainstAtomism
blueprinting
Another technique I use is blueprinting, which begins to get deeper into complexities of pulling off these experiences and moving them through the planning process towards execution by multiple teams across multiple channels.
source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelshadoan/4171746951#AgainstAtomismHere’s an example of a blueprint for a grocery delivery service. There are rows that describe the customers actions, the physical/digital artifacts they interact with, the actions of front line staff, the actions of support staff behind the scenes, and support systems and processes integral to the delivery of the service. Each column is a step in the customer service experience.
Diagram style adapted from This is Service Design Thinking & Brandon Schauer, Adaptive Path
LINE OF INTERACTION
LINE OF VISIBILITY
INTERNAL INTERACTION
CUSTOMER ACTION
FRONT STAGE
BACKSTAGE
EVIDENCE
Action Action
Experience Blueprint mySmileage Card Customer Help v1 10.17.2011
This blueprint speci!es the Menchie’s customer experience for handling customer service issues related to registering a mySmileage Card online. This mySmileage Card allows a Menchie’s customer to earn smiles (points) towards rewards by presenting the card each time she makes a purchase.
Passportsin stock
Signage at POS
Approach registerto make purchase
Place yogurt cupon scale
Passport package
Consider programand agree to join
Ask customer ifthey have a card
Scan card andremind customerto register
Commit and signup for mySmileageCard
mySmileage Callout Registration FormmySmileage Card
Navigate to Menchies.com
Complete form, accept payment, and package tool and paperwork
Look for registrationand navigate toregistration site
Enter requiredinformation
Look for assistanceand !nd 1-800 #
Call customerservice
Card activation system
Ask customer ifthey have a card.Explain bene!tsof the program
mySmileage Card
Depart
Replenishment system
Passport package Menchies.com
Registration PagemySmileage Card
ActionGreet customerand discuss issue
Complete registrationfor customer
mySmileage Card
Registration system Card activation system
Receive emailand click on linkto view balance
Con!rmation email
#AgainstAtomism
fictionalized example
A polished service blueprint can look something like this...
DRAFT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Physical3Evidence Signage at POS Passport package mySmileage Card Passport package Menchies.com mySmileage Callout Registration Form
mySmileage CardRegistration PagemySmileage Card mySmileage Card Confirmation email
Customer3Actions Approach registerto make purchase
Place yogurt cupon scale
Consider programand agree to join
Commit and signup for MyLowe’s
CardDepart Navigate to
Menchies.com
Look for registrationand navigate toregistration site
Enter requiredinformation
Look for assistanceand find 1-800 #
Call customerservice
Receive emailand click on linkto view balance
On3Stage3(Visible3Human3Actions3or3Digital3Interactions) Ask customer ifthey have a card
Explain benefitsof the program
Scan card andremind customer
to register
Greet customerand discuss issue
Complete registrationfor customer
Back3Stage3(Invisible3Human3Actions) Passportsin/stock
Support3Processes Replenishment system Card activation system Registration system Card activation system
New3/3Impacted3Business3Processes Checkout Process Call center script Call center workflow
Scenario3Description:Bacon/ipsum/dolor/sit/amet/bresaola/tongue/chuck/tri;tip/turducken./Swine/bacon/jerky/turkey/frankfurter/strip/steak,/t;bone/drumstick/meatloaf/spare/ribs/beef/flank./Ribeye/ham/hock/short/loin/biltong,/ground/round/pork/belly/bresaola/meatball/chicken/cow/turducken./Spare/ribs/turducken/beef/tongue/capicola/meatball./Pastrami/boudin/tenderloin/tri;tip/pork/loin/beef.
Experience3Blue3Print:3mySmileage3Card3Customer3Help333
#AgainstAtomism
fictionalized example
But here’s another example, which is a simple template I use to create and iterate on experience blueprints. Typically, I run one or multiple customer journey sessions to gather all the best ideas on a specific customer experience and then I synthesize them into this template. There are then multiple iterations to improve it and flesh out with all the channel partners.
DRAFT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Physical3Evidence Signage at POS Passport package mySmileage Card Passport package Menchies.com mySmileage Callout Registration Form
mySmileage CardRegistration PagemySmileage Card mySmileage Card Confirmation email
Customer3Actions Approach registerto make purchase
Place yogurt cupon scale
Consider programand agree to join
Commit and signup for MyLowe’s
CardDepart Navigate to
Menchies.com
Look for registrationand navigate toregistration site
Enter requiredinformation
Look for assistanceand find 1-800 #
Call customerservice
Receive emailand click on linkto view balance
On3Stage3(Visible3Human3Actions3or3Digital3Interactions) Ask customer ifthey have a card
Explain benefitsof the program
Scan card andremind customer
to register
Greet customerand discuss issue
Complete registrationfor customer
Back3Stage3(Invisible3Human3Actions) Passportsin/stock
Support3Processes Replenishment system Card activation system Registration system Card activation system
New3/3Impacted3Business3Processes Checkout Process Call center script Call center workflow
Scenario3Description:Bacon/ipsum/dolor/sit/amet/bresaola/tongue/chuck/tri;tip/turducken./Swine/bacon/jerky/turkey/frankfurter/strip/steak,/t;bone/drumstick/meatloaf/spare/ribs/beef/flank./Ribeye/ham/hock/short/loin/biltong,/ground/round/pork/belly/bresaola/meatball/chicken/cow/turducken./Spare/ribs/turducken/beef/tongue/capicola/meatball./Pastrami/boudin/tenderloin/tri;tip/pork/loin/beef.
Experience3Blue3Print:3mySmileage3Card3Customer3Help333
#AgainstAtomism
fictionalized example
This template proved to be quite popular with my last client. I noticed people bringing it to meetings and writing notes on it. It served as a key touch stone for them, and I learned that marketing took it and adapted it to think through cross-channel promotions.
source: http://www.cinemaisdope.com/news/films/troublewithharry/twh-1.jpg#AgainstAtomism
cinema
Lately I have been drawing a lot of inspiration from cinema in looking for new ways to think about engendering collaboration, not losing the plot, and keeping consistency throughout the experience. Here’s a couple of methods I’ve been playing with.
#AgainstAtomism source:TBD
continuity
Another concept from film that I have been playing with is the role of continuity director, who is responsible for ensuring consistency of key cinematic elements, such as plots, places, and events, over time.
#AgainstAtomism source:TBD
Mistakes like this one can be humorous if you notice them, but some continuity errors are jarring enough to take the viewer out of the movie. Cross-channel experiences are like this. Moving from one touch point to another is like moving between shots or scenes in the film. Small inconsistencies can break flow.
#AgainstAtomism source:TBD#AgainstAtomismSo, continuity directors have developed tools to track the small details that are so important to internal consistency in a film that is produced by multiple craftspeople, working in multiple units, across distance and time. This continuity report is one example.
Element Description Bridge1From1(Originating1Channel(s)) Bridge1To1(Channel(s)) Scenario(s) Cross1Channel1Design1Guidelines
1 mySmileage Brochure (in store) This brochure is provided to the consumer both as awareness/consideration collateral and provides instructions to complete registration online.
Store > POS Menchies.com (direct)Store > POS (indirect)
• Acquiring a mySmileage Card in Store Menchies.com• URL to form to complete process• Consistent imagery and copy• Educate customer on mySmileage Card benefits
Store > POS:• Remind customer on in-store process ("scan every time you check out")• Ideally, imagery/copy related to how to use would be consistent with POS signage
#AgainstAtomism
fictionalized example
Here’s a integrated plan template I created. This is used to list out each touch point, its purpose, and how it fits with other touch points. As you can see here, it described as a bridge to the web site (and as a good place to let the customer know about its purpose and value each time they come back in the store.)
The design guidelines column provides requirements for how the brochure needs to hand off to the web site and how the web site needs tie in with the brochure. This is to provide context but also be used to go into creative briefs and to use in status meetings.
Element Description Bridge1From1(Originating1Channel(s)) Bridge1To1(Channel(s)) Scenario(s) Cross1Channel1Design1Guidelines
1 mySmileage Brochure (in store) This brochure is provided to the consumer both as awareness/consideration collateral and provides instructions to complete registration online.
Store > POS Menchies.com (direct)Store > POS (indirect)
• Acquiring a mySmileage Card in Store Menchies.com• URL to form to complete process• Consistent imagery and copy• Educate customer on mySmileage Card benefits
Store > POS:• Remind customer on in-store process ("scan every time you check out")• Ideally, imagery/copy related to how to use would be consistent with POS signage
#AgainstAtomism
fictionalized example
Here’s a integrated plan template I created. This is used to list out each touch point, its purpose, and how it fits with other touch points. As you can see here, it described as a bridge to the web site (and as a good place to let the customer know about its purpose and value each time they come back in the store.)
The design guidelines column provides requirements for how the brochure needs to hand off to the web site and how the web site needs tie in with the brochure. This is to provide context but also be used to go into creative briefs and to use in status meetings.
source: http://www.cinemaisdope.com/news/films/troublewithharry/twh-1.jpg#AgainstAtomism
rough cutting
A new method I’ve been playing with lately is roughcutting, inspired by the film production technique.
source: http://www.animationjam.nl/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/StoryboardWall.jpg#AgainstAtomismIf you have ever seen an animated film in progress, you know that each scene is presented at its fidelity at that point in time, but the film can be viewed from end to end.
source: http://vimeo.com/9339739#AgainstAtomismSome frames may be words describing what the animation may be, others may be animatics, and others may be complete production quality.
#AgainstAtomismOn a recent initiative I worked with, my team and I ran post-mortem of the cross-channel experience with all the functions that work on different elements. We filled a conference room up with 40-50 people, and walked through the experience, sharing issues we were seeing and feedback that had been collected from customers. This is was eye opening for the attendees because they could see their work in the context of the entire experience, and they were invited to suggest improvements via sticky notes on any element they wished.
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Prosciutto chuck meatloaf ball tip rump. Tongue capicola strip steak ball tip brisket spare ribs t-bone salami, pastrami kielbasa filet mignon tenderloin andouille ham frankfurter. Drumstick tongue tenderloin ground round shoulder sirloin swine, hamburger jerky salami kielbasa. Bresaola kielbasa ball tip shank rump. Cow t-bone ball tip pig, bresaola short loin turducken fatback tenderloin ribeye.
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#AgainstAtomism
fictionalized example
I’m now having success in having initiatives work rough cutting into the process where a war room. Here’s a mocked up example of loyalty card design placed next to the online sign-up form the customer would navigate to following the URL on the card.
source: http://oliveyuba.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-not-about-olives.html#AgainstAtomism
In concert, these methods and others are what I’m finding I am leaning on more to help the broader team see the forest for the trees and balance seeing the big cross-channel picture with their piece of the puzzle.
#AgainstAtomismAnd to do this, we need to keep learning about the people we work with in the organization, what they own, what their vision is for the customer experience, what their plans are, and what is motivating them.
#AgainstAtomismWe need to help them see their touch point, their channel, their initiatives, and their work not only within the context of the other parts of the customer experience and the organization...
#AgainstAtomism... but as part of a holistic vision for that experience that requires greater collaboration and new ways of working to achieve.
#AgainstAtomism source: http://dandelion6oclock.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/try_again.png
Important to point out that this is an iterative process within projects and programs, across initiatives and over time. This is about change in business is done in the long run. But it starts one project at a time, and one relationship at a time.
understand the context
#AgainstAtomism
frame the problem
build bridges
expand the toolkit
1. Understand the context2. Frame the problem3. Build bridges4. Expand the toolkit
Orchestrate Against Atomism#AgainstAtomism
Patrick Quattlebaum@ptquattlebaum
source: http://mysuccesscircleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/orchestra-conductor.jpg
Thanks!