ux lessons from the ussr: the trouble with manifestos with erik von stackelberg
DESCRIPTION
Agile purists, human-centered advocates, lean UX. Manifestos, credos, value-laden proclamations. The intersection of user experience and process is the site of intense debate and scrutiny as various schools of thought enter and transform UX discourse. Relativist arguments and trump cards abound (“if you had to modify the method, you weren’t doing it right;“ “the rules require that you abandon all rules”; “it’s not true x or y”). But is a dogmatic approach truly effective for building user experiences in a professional services context? What does Agile look like outside of software product development and where do the rules need to bend to serve clients effectively? In an attempt to share findings, lessons, and insight with other young user experience companies, this talk explores some of the trials, tribulations, steps and missteps we’ve experienced over the past year while evolving into an Agile UX professional services company.TRANSCRIPT
UX Lessons from the USSR: The Trouble with Manifestos
UX & professional services.
Erik von who? Erik von Stackelberg, Creative Director @stackelberg
The Argument
Creating digital products is an interdisciplinary undertaking. Equally, the process we use should also embrace diverse methods where they make sense.
Goals, in order of usefulness…
• Discussion for process wonks. • Survey of techniques. • A sample process for building
digital products (no patents pending!)
Disclaimer
• This isn’t sexy. • This is anecdotal. • I’m not from Russia. • I speak really quickly.
On Manifestos
Wikipedia says:
“A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or
public consensus and/or promotes a new idea with
prescriptive notions for carrying out changes the author believes
should be made.”
The Communist Manifesto.
On Manifestos
Religious creed.
On Manifestos
Brand manuals.
On Manifestos
Process manifestos.
On Manifestos
Adaptive: The Agile Manifesto.
On Manifestos
The Agile Manifesto (Abbreviated)
• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan
A Really Reductive Explanation of Agile
Predictive: The Waterfall Manifesto.
On Manifestos
A Really Reductive Explanation of Waterfall
The Lean “Manifesto.”
On Manifestos
The UCD “Manifesto.”
On Manifestos
On Interpretation
Words don’t kill process.
On Manifestos
People kill process.
On Manifestos
Opinion!
Proposed Spectrum of Interpretation
• Fundamentalist • Dogmatist • Moderate
Appropriate and mashup.
On Manifestos
On Bricolage
Wikipedia says:
“…bricolage is the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a
work created by such a process.”
A spectrum of interpretation.
• Fundamentalist • Dogmatist • Moderate • Bricoleur
Process bricoleurs.
On Manifestos
Being agile about Agile.
On Manifestos
The Lean user-centred Agile waterfall bricolage.
On Manifestos
Disclaimer: Apples & oranges.
On Manifestos
Key Roles & Team Structure
Team Structure
There’s no “I” in team. On mixing the traditional creative process with some Agile !avouring.
Death of the design hero.
Jeff Gothelf
Team Structure
Nunchuk skills, bow hunting skills.
Team Structure
Team pwnership.
Team Structure
Collaborative client buy-in.
Team Structure
Key Roles
Balancing expertise and empathy. On modifying traditional Agile roles to share responsibility but maintain diversity.
Key Roles
Creative & Tech Reps.
Key Roles
PO as UX strategist.
Key Roles
“We’re special”-ists.
Key Roles
Process
Process
Process: Discovery
On adding an early dash of UCD research and Lean validation into the Agile framework.
“What” is dangerous.
Process: Discovery
Ask why before what.
Process: Discovery
Process: Product De!nition
On mashing some user-centered design planning into the Agile framework.
UI should be pop, not high art.
Opinion!
Process: Product De!nition
Backlogs are useful.
Process: Product De!nition
Story maps are hella useful.
Jeff Patton
Process: Product De!nition
Look ma, it’s the MVP!
Process: Product De!nition
Process: UX De!nition
On adding models into the mix to net waterfall-like client comfort and design vision (and Lean early validation).
Dawn berret, begin design studio.
Process: UX De!nition
Stop and smell the "owers.
Process: UX De!nition
Create an archive of cheat sheets.
Process: UX De!nition
Get early effort estimates.
Process: UX De!nition
Anyone can play!
Process: UX De!nition
Play with some models.
Process: UX De!nition
Colours, lens !ares, bevels, ooh la la!
Process: UX De!nition
Defy the mishmash GUI.
Process: UX De!nition
There’s more to life than being ridiculously good-looking.
Process: UX De!nition
Complementary head massage?
Process: UX De!nition
Process: UX De!nition
On MacGyvering experience criteria into the backlog.
MOAR! Process: UX De!nition
De"ne the MDP.
Process: UX De!nition
Process: Implementation
On integrating UCD practices into Agile sprints.
Inline vs. staggered design.
Process: Implementation
Client input windows.
Process: Implementation
Creating digital products is an interdisciplinary undertaking. Equally, the process we use should also embrace diverse methods where they make sense.
Sans Bricolage
Sans Bricolage
There are arguments against process bricolage. Here are some.
If you have to change it, you’re doing it wrong.
Sans Bricolage
Aren’t we supposed to stay "exible?
Sans Bricolage
First, become a master.
Sans Bricolage
Become a master of the principles.
Sans Bricolage
This is all kosher.
Sans Bricolage
Wrapping Up
Creating digital products is an interdisciplinary undertaking. Equally, the process we use should also embrace diverse methods where they make sense.
Sample Pro-Services UX Bricolage
• Roles: T-shaped people • Lean Research: Asking why before what • UCD Backlog: Story maps • Collaborative Visioning: Design studios • Models: Art boards, key archetypes • MDP: Experience criteria • Implementation: Lean validation
Resources I wish we had 4 years ago.
Erik von Stackelberg @stackelberg
Thank you!
Myplanet Digital myplanetdigital.com @myplanetdigital
UX Lessons from the USSR: The Trouble with Manifestos
Dwight D. Eisenhower says:
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are
useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Sun Tzu says:
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics
without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
On Manifestos
MacGuyver Moment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9L0gVzOLds 2:05
Items
• MAKE IT USEFUL FOR THE AUDIENCE. • MAKET IT ENTERTAINING. • More anecdotes? • Todo: mine responsive design for quips./ • Intro, Framing • 5min MPD/Erik Intro • 5min Argument: Manifestos, value systems are products of metanarratives.
People commit so heavily to a particular ideology or literal approach (fundamentalism) that they can sometimes forget the intention (USSR/marxism history here.) Bricolage inhibits fundamentalism because it exposes us to other approaches constantly. Trouble with manifestos is actually trouble with fundamentalism. Fundamentalism (Stalin)—> Moderates (selective church goers—don’t do everything) —> Bricoleurs (using the pieces that make sense but actually adding their own too) (Canadians). Give art example? Realists, Modernists, Postmodernists?
• 5min Argument: Bricolage 5 min, postmodern video. Bricolage as the opposite of fundamentalism. Use what works.
• Agile, Waterfall, UCD, The Manifestos • 5min Our process, broadly (rather than going into details of each school of
thought) Lifecycle of a project. Disclaimer: not here to make a case for the process, just using it as a case study to explore bene!ts of bricolage/avoiding fundamentalism. ( Q: is bricolage the same as denying fundamentalism/manifesto?) Initial “why”—ensures we minimize the waste in pivoting.
• Focus on different parts, the things we integrate, rather than proving lack of value in/issues with other approaches? E.g. “De!nition” todo list as a backlog—goal-centric (bring in UCD). Why? Spec, problems. Agile solves. Feature backlog problems, UCD solves.
• Team structure—Agile asks for a role blindness. • Primer/Context. Agile – things we like, things we don’t. Waterfall, things we like,
things we don’t. Lean UX things we like, things we don’t. • 5min Peculiarities of UX: Roles, spread of skills, need for holistic view. • 5min Peculiarities of Professional Services: Single releases, waterfall
expectations, multilayer approval. • “War stories?” Staggered sprint (Sav), Delayed approval (not everyone in the
room), Business validation but no user validation. • Mashups/remixes. Macguyver moment. Focus mashups—e.g. “Staying
Creative.” Interdisc. of Agile + Design studio of UCD/arch + deliverables of waterfall?
• Key lessons?
• Techniques & Tools • 5min Vision: Story maps • 5min Collaboration and insight: Design Studios • 5min Inline design & inline testing
• Resources
Lean validation.
Process: Implementation
Design spikes
Process: Implementation