how prototyping helps you design a better product

Sarah Doody | How Prototyping Helps You Design A Better Product 1

How Prototyping Helps You Design A Better Product

@sarahdoody

Sarah Doody November 9, 2016

[email protected] +

http://www.sarahdoody.com

#UZWEBINAR

HERE’S WHAT WE’LL COVER• Why we must prototype

• The prototyping process

• Tips to prototype fast & furiously

• Q&A (so think about questions!!)

Sarah Doody | How Prototyping Helps You Design A Better Product

Why We Must Prototype

PART 1


FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT


But too often, teams just MAKE IT.


THE MOTIVATION TO MAKE

SELL SOMETHING

ATTRACT INVESTORS

RECRUIT NEW TALENT

BE THE FIRST TO MARKET

FEELING OF PROGRESS


Do not get trapped doing activities that provide a false

sense of progress.


let’s make itidea

Product Development Timeline

• Expensive

• Time consuming

• Hard to turn back

• Lots of uncertainty

• Risk

• High cost to change

• Emotionally invested

• Finish line in sight

• Ego


If you make it too soon you’ll have to fake it later.


• No clear use case; no “sticky” moment

• Too many features lead to confused users

• Slow growth … or no growth

• Extra marketing effort to explain the product

• Expensive & exhausting

• Doesn’t end well!

RISKS OF BUILDING TOO FAST


SIGNS YOU BUILT TOO FAST

PRODUCT TEAM USERS

• Scope creep

• Extended timeline

• Over budget

• Scope reduction

• Chasing tasks

• Burn out

• Declining passion

• Growing frustration

• Confusing ux

• Slow adoption

• No adoption

• No word of mouth

• Faking it allows you to avoid a lot of risk to your product, team, and users

• If you make it too soon, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do later

• Don’t fall into the trap of doing things that provide a false sense of progress

• Real progress is about smart validation, not volume of output

RECAP


The Prototyping Process

PART 2


Ever feel like you’re playing a game of

Telephone?


Too often, teams focus on execution before defining and testing a product opportunity

or value proposition.


It doesn’t matter how good your (engineering) team is if they are not

given something worthwhile to build.

Marty Cagan Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love


Get to know potential users. Identify their pain points. Dig deep and find the problems they can’t even see.

RESEARCH

PROTOTYPING PROCESS

CREATE TEST & TELLSYNTHESIZEMap the user’s journey. Show how they go from problem to solution. Use the map to keep your team in sync.

Make the prototype. Consider the audience and what level of fidelity is necessary for the prototype.

Put it to test. Take it back to the people you talked to and test, test test. Share your insights and iterate.


RESEARCH

GoalUnderstand the pain-points of the people who you are building the product for. Know how they are currently solving this problem.

Methods & Tips• One on one conversations

• Round-table discussions

• Articles & blogs

• Search social media like crazy

• Do it person so they can tell & show you how they solve the problem now

• Record conversations, take pictures, collect artifacts where possible

• If already in market, talk to key internal stakeholders


SYNTHESIZE

GoalCreate a map of the new journey the user should have and how the product will fit into that journey.

Methods & Tips• Storyboarding

• Do not start with screens

• A sketch is an aid for communication, not an art project.

• Do not start with screens, focus on the user’s journey

• Then, identify where screens fit into the journey


The full storyboard

shows the end to end journey from problem to solution.


Based on the storyboard, the userflow adds more

detail around key screens & actions in the

app.


CREATE

GoalDevelop a prototype that can be used to test the key problem you set out to solve for the user.

Methods & Tips• Consider the context

• Understand the audience

• Identify its end usage

• Establish the fidelity of the design

• List a set of features & stick to it.

• Agree on number of screens and key tasks it should represent

• Use real content where possible

• Choose your prototyping tool wisely & make it work for you


Carrier

Jack Danielle Add new

Which child is missing?

Carrier

We've sent a KinPoint alert to park guests and employees to let them know Jack is

missing.

What's Next

1. Stay where you are incase Jack finds his way back to you.

2. A Disney rep is on their way to your

Add photos Edit details

Cancel Alert

Improve Jack's alert page by adding photos and details:

Carrier

Kinpoint Missing Child Alert

Jack, a 5 year old boy, has been reported missing at Disney. Last seen at Rainforest

Cafe in Downtown Disney. Jack has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Close View details

Carrier

Jack

Last seen in Downtown Disney at the Rainforest Cafe, less than 500 feet from you.

Report Jack As Found

Carrier

We've let Jack's parents know your location.

It's important that you stay where you are until Jack's parents reach you.

Help everyone feel at ease. Call or FaceTime Jack's parents so he can

let them know he's ok.

Call FaceTime

Carrier

We've sent a KinPoint alert to park guests and employees to let them know Jack is

missing.

What's Next

1. Stay where you are incase Jack finds his way back to you.

2. A Disney rep is on their way to your location to offer support and answer any questions.

3. Turn the volume up on your phone so you don't miss the notification when Jack is found.

KinPoint Alert

Someone reported they've found Jack! To view their location and make contact

with them view the

Close View details

Carrier

Confirm Jack as reunited

Someone's reported they found Jack!

You should make your way to Jack and the person who found him. Here is Jack's location:

Call FaceTime

Call or FaceTime the person who has Jack to make contact and put Jack at ease.

Carrier

Kinpoint Missing Child Update

The alert for missing child Jack has been cancelled. His parents have confirmed that they have been reunited with him.

Thanks for your help!

Dismiss

Report missing Next steps

Alert to park goers Alert details Found, next steps

Found alert to parents Found details

Found alert to park goers

Reporting a missing child

Jack Danielle Add New

Provide some more details to help people find Jack.

Addphotos EditdetailsLastseen

We’ve sent a KinPoint alter to employees and park guests.

We’ve also dispatched an employee to your location to support you and answer

any questions.

Please,staywhereyouareincaseJackmakeshiswaybacktoyou.

Missing child alert is triggered with just one tap.


Alert DetailsClose

Jack is 5 years old, blonde hair, blue eyes, 3’6” and 42 lbs. Last seen at

Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney.

View: Parents View: Park Goers View: Parents

1 2 3

1

On confirmation screen, parents can add more information such as photos, last location, and details about the child.

Park goers & employees are alerted via push notification. Possibly consider text messages as well.

2

3

The Browns have just realized Jack is missing!!


Alert DetailsClose

Jack is 5 years old, blonde hair, blue eyes, 3’6” and 42 lbs. Last seen at

Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney.

MISSINGJackBrown3 years oldblonde hairblue eyes

LastseenatRainforestCafe,DowntownDisney

Photos Details

I found the child

Alertissuedat2:05pmSaturday, October 26 2013

Name

Age

Height

Weight

Jack Brown

5 years old

3’ 6”

42 pounds

Identifying

features

Wears dark rimmed glasses

Photos Details

I found the child

Photos Details

I found the child

Alerting park goers of missing child

Photos tab Details tabView: Park Goers View: Park Goers

Jack is likely on foot & can’t travel far. Therefore location is extremely important. The goal of the alert detail screen is to give people a photo of Jack and context between Jack’s location and their location in the park.

Addition photos and details are accessible from tabs below the map.

Kelly is at Disney and receives a KinPoint alert

Report a child as found

Provide some more details to help people find Jack.

Addphotos EditdetailsLastseen

We’ve sent a KinPoint alter to employees and park guests.

We’ve also dispatched an employee to your location to support you and answer

any questions.

Please,staywhereyouareincaseJackmakeshiswaybacktoyou.

KinPoint Alert

View DetailsClose

Someone reported they’ve found Jack! To view the location and make contact with them click to view the alert details.

Someone has reported they found Jack!

Please make your way to Jack and the

person who found him are waiting. Here is

their location:

YOU

Jackis0.15milesfromyou

Call or Facetime Jack to help put him at ease.

Placecall

Oncereunited,confirmJackisfound

Facetime

When the finder reports child as found, a confirmation screen provides further information and options to call or Facetime the child’s parents.

The detail screen for parents shows a map to the child’s location with options to call or Facetime.

View: Park Goers View: Parents View: Parents

We let Jack’s parents know your location, they’re on their way.

Please stay where you are until Jack’s parents reach you.

YOU

Jack’sparentsare0.15milesfromyou.

Call or Facetime Jack’s parents to help put everyone at ease.

Placecall Facetime

1

1

2 3

Parents are alerted by a push notification. Also consider text messaging.

2

43

4When parents confirm child as found, an alert goes out canceling the missing child notice.


TEST & TELL

GoalPut the prototype to test. See if it solves the problem you set out to solve. Test with original interviewees & new participants.

Methods & Tips• Keep it simple, mirrored rooms not

necessary!

• Make it a conversation, not a test

• Start high level with reactions, then get into specific tests for tasks

• Record all of this if possible

• Identify common themes. Iterate. Repeat.


OTHER PROTOTYPING TIPS• Set a feature list and stuck to it. Don’t fall victim to feature creep

• Set a time limit and stick to it. Force yourself to work fast

• Be very careful with motion & animations

• Don’t worry about technical requirements

• Have regular checkins, don’t create in a silo

• Use the storyboard & user journey as an anchor, a thesis

• Prototyping doesn’t start with screens, it starts with people

• Invest time early to identify the problem before you start on the solution

• Don’t get tempted by feature creep, create a prototype focused on a specific problem

• Consider the context and create with that in mind.

• Set a deadline and stick to it. Hyper-collaborate.

RECAP


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SAY HELLO :) Sarah Doody November 9, 2016

34

@sarahdoody

[email protected] +

http://www.sarahdoody.com


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