z-shaped thinkers

Really good interaction

design

Meaningful

Pleasurable

Convenient

Usable

Reliable

Functional (Useful)

Focused on

Experiences(People, Activities, Context)

Focused on

Tasks(Products, Features)

SUBJECTIVE / QUALITATIVE

OBJECTIVE / QUANTIFIABLE

Has personal significance

Memorable experience worth sharing

Super easy to use, works like I think

Can be used without di!culty

Is available and accurate

Works as programmed

THIS IS THE “CHASM” THAT IS REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO CROSS

“Never Use a Warning When

you Mean Undo”

“Never Use a Warning When

you Mean Undo”

“Never Use a Warning When

you Mean Undo”

“Never Use a Warning When

you Mean Undo”

“infinite scrolling”

X

“Never Use a Warning When

you Mean Undo”

“infinite scrolling”

X

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers

Why ?

‘T’ was taken...

‘T’ was taken...

Tdeep vertical

expertise

empathy to see patterns and branch out

into other areas

-Shaped Thinkers?

-Shaped Thinkers?V

iShaped Thinkers?

Z

“When everyone zigs, zag.”

X

Z

Z

Z

reliable, but diminishing returns

reliable, but diminishing returns

opportunity to ‘change the game’

?

Nicholas Negroponte

Nicholas Negroponte

George Lucas

Dean Kamen

buckminster fuller

Geodesic Dome Housing

The Fuller Projection

The Dymaxion Car

The Dymaxion Bathroom / Fog Gun Shower

“When everyone zigs, zag.”

Cool...

But What does this have to do with application design and development?

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkersapproach challenges

(of all kinds!)in different ways

Z

Zwhat happens here?

challenge assumptions

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...

“Ladders of Abstraction”

also known as...

Why?

Why?

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

*Build a tricycle

with wings!

*Build a tricycle

with wings!(Silly Request)

*B

What color do you want it?

Build a tricycle with wings!

(Silly Request)

*B

What color do you want it?

Build a tricycle with wings!

BWe can try out some

Ajax-coated titanium!

(Silly Request)

*B

What color do you want it?

bStop.

Why is this valuable? And

for whom?

Build a tricycle with wings!

BWe can try out some

Ajax-coated titanium!

(Silly Request)

transparentmessages

modal confirmation

boxes

Things not broken

Things not broken

Context makes the content explicit(remove the darn labels!)

reframe the problem

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...

?

FRAMING

DESIGN AS

PROBLEMSOLVING

FUNCTION AND FORM

STYLE

NO CONSCIOUSDESIGN

A ROUGH DESIGN MATURITY CONTINUUM

+

!!!!!

Design redefines the challenges facing the organization.

Framing sets the agenda, outlines the boundaries and axes of interest, and moves design from executing strategy to shaping strategy. Disruptive innovation lives here.

Design finds new opportunities by solving existing problems.

Design process generates alternatives within a problem space. Design also narrows down those options to a specific solution.

Design makes things work better.

This is the classic practice of design - but it's still commonly limited to incremental improvements through iteration over existing solutions.

Design is the gateway to be hip and cool.

Design is stylish, but too often is percieved and practiced as a cosmetic afterthought.

Design value isn't recognized.

This attitude fosters design by default - however things come out is fine, because there are more important issues to deal with.?

www.bplusd.org

© 2005, Jess McMullin

bplusd

BUSINESS+DESIGN

(Jess McMullin - Design Maturity Model - http://www.bplusd.org/2005/10/19/a-rough-design-maturity-model/ )

Design a vase.

(example from Marc Rettig)

Design a better way for people to enjoy flowers in their home.

(example from Marc Rettig)

(Insert Jeremy’s example from Quizno’s)

explore many perspectives

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html

Coopetition

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html

Coopetition

3rd Party Developers

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html

Coopetition

3rd Party Developers

Government Regulations

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html

Coopetition

3rd Party Developers

Global Market

Government Regulations

‘the important stuff’ changes over time...

What about different ‘time-based’ layouts?

Confirmation

‘the important stuff’ changes over time...

What about different ‘time-based’ layouts?

Navigation

‘the important stuff’ changes over time...

What about different ‘time-based’ layouts?

Check-In

‘the important stuff’ changes over time...

What about different ‘time-based’ layouts?

‘the important stuff’ changes over time...

What about different ‘time-based’ layouts?

synthesizeinformation

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...

+

=Fog Gun Shower

Project C

Project AProject B

Project B

Project A

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...

challenge assumptions

reframe the problem

explore many perspectives

synthesize information

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...

challenge assumptions

reframe the problem

explore many perspectives

synthesize information

envision unseen opportunities

in order to...

MY PERSONAL SITEME

THE BEST WAY TO REACH ME

Stephen P. Anderson / www.poetpainter.com

Thanks!