Ways I can help your organization make an impact
Research planning & execution
The key to getting to promising new opportunities and ideas is to start with careful observation. By understanding the people that will be using the product, service or software you intend to bring to market, you can begin to identify and understand their unmet needs and desires.
Scope can range from designing and executing national or international studies to spending a couple of days going deep with a handful of thoughtfully selected users.
Activities often include:
Define what we want to learn
Decide who we will learn from, and what methods we will use
Develop recruiting screener describing the participants we want to recruit
Create a plan for transfer of existing client knowledge, and for tapping into inspiration from parallel spaces
Coordinate efforts of regional recruiting agencies to line up research participants
Coordinate additional human factors researchers from network of IDEO alumni, for coverage in essentially all markets as needed
Develop a discussion guide to provoke inspiring conversations
Conduct user observation/interview sessions, gather learnings
If desired, photograph and/or film sessions for later use in communication deliverables
Strategy & early ideation
I have always been interested in making information actionable, and have worked on developing methods and tools for making this process transparent, collaborative, and effective. This phase often involves some close client collaboration, often in the form of a one to two-day synthesis and initial ideation workshop. It can also be done independently. Or together, but everyone stays six feet apart.
Activities often include:
Synthesize observations/learnings (also integrating existing client research) into design opportunities and topics for ideation — can be highly collaborative with client if desired
Initial ideation — can be highly collaborative with client if desired
Develop communication piece communicating opportunities, insights and initial ideas
Protoyping & storytelling, detailed UX design
Ideas often live or die by the strength of the stories surrounding them. At this stage, strategy is brought to life with tangible images, storyboards, and/or films depicting key moments in the potential future user experience. These visualizations are useful for internal communication, sharing with partners, and for obtaining user feedback.
Example prototyping/storytelling approaches can include:
Rapidly generated user scenario storyboards
Rapid screen-based prototypes, which can be shown to internal stakeholders and users for feedback/testing to inform iteration. Sophistication can range from simple and quick to fully functional.
One or more short films that simulate the future user experiences we are envisioning. These can be produced surprisingly efficiently and they can make a real impact. I have produced short films for clients including Instagram, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, City of Santa Monica and more.
Small film production capabilities include:
Script and storyboard development
Casting
Custom models/props/practical effects development
Location scouting and access
Suitable cameras/lenses/motion control equipment
1080p or 4k workflow/deliverables
Editing and color grading
Audio engineering
Access to additional resources as needed (additional writers, producers, 3D modelling/animation, motion graphics, etc)
Detailed UX design deliverables can include:
Detailed looks-like/works-like prototypes
User testing
Assistance accessing technology partners and technical resources
Design specification documentation
Collaboration/consultation with engineering team during implementation
Design reviews as offering is implemented
