mentoring collaborative ucd
DESCRIPTION
The benefits of mentoring in user-centred web design. Presented at OzCHI 2007 in Adelaide.TRANSCRIPT
Mentoring Collaborative User Centred Design
OzCHI, AdelaideNovember 2007
Patrick Kennedy, Step Two Designs
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
User Centred Design can be hard enough, but
what if you and your team have no experience?
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Case study: government agency who did not have
the skills to fix a website that was out of control
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Mentoring has many advantages and a mentor is
an extremely valuable asset for any team
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Mentoring hit the spot in terms of achieving
project objectives within present constraints
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
More than just training, mentors provide guidance
and help point the team in the right direction
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Mentoring does have some constraints but with
some juggling they can be overcome
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
There are several ‘tips of the trade’ for those
considering mentoring in this type of situation
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
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Step T w o DESIGNS
The issue of time
How much of the mentor’s time is taken up? 5% of the working week, up to approx 90% peak
Overall increase in project time If team inexperienced this will be substantial
But mentoring is quicker than training before starting
Delays due to mentor unavailability This is an issue, especially if the mentor is not in-house
But can be beneficial, forces team to stretch themselves
and build confidence
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Feedback after the project
Consequences of up-skilling “It’s unusual that the organisation would want to build up
the skills of the team”
“Yeah but the problem is that once you train them up, they
will leave and get an IA job”
Yes, but not an exclusive issue for mentoring
Long term sustainability “How sustainable is it? Have the mentorees become
mentors and champions of UCD?”
Yes (‘train the trainer’ ripple effect)
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Conclusion Mentoring can be a superior alternative to outsourcing,
using contractors and up-front training It’s often more cost effective Allows immediate progress while ensuring quality Builds internal skills and ensures long-term capability
Perfect for inexperienced teams with limited time/budget Flexible solution, allowing many different activities Guidance and direction are key roles of a mentor Face-to-face is best, but workarounds can be found Demands on mentor’s time is not excessive
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
Thank you
Original paper is on the conference proceedings CD
Your feedback is most welcome
Patrick Kennedy
Blog: www.gurtle.com/ppov/
Website: www.steptwo.com.au
Step Two Designs (www.steptwo.com.au)
Step T w o DESIGNS
Step T w o DESIGNS
So why are they so unpopular?