it's the same problem with Heuristics-- if you ONLY get the short version, it is meaningless and doesn't stick. But if it is a shortcut to the longer version, which has at least been shared if not (preferably) co-created with a larger team, than it is invaluable.
On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 1:25 PM, mark schraad <[email protected]> wrote: > I really dislike 10 word summaries of complex issues. Its most often a > disservice and inaccurate. > > Abstracts work really well when done right (but rarely are outside of > academia). Keywords and subject headers can help... but If it is important > to you... take the time. > > Mark > > > > On Jan 5, 2009, at 4:18 PM, Christina Wodtke wrote: > > a heuristic is a short sentence that represents a larger body of >> experience. >> same for strategy-- your six pages should be summerizable to everyone >> working on the IxDA can quickly make choices that pushes the IxDA in the >> right direction. They can't carry six pages around in their heads. >> >> How about, "self promoting, self educating, self-replicating digital >> interaction community"? or better yet, "self sufficiant interaction design >> community" (not having read the six pages...) >> >> On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 9:56 AM, Will Evans <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> 1 sentence for a strategy? >>> I wrote a draft of the strategy document for IxDA new community platform >>> and it was 6 pages. It starts with the context, moves quickly through the >>> value and purpose of the organization and then breaks the strategy into 3 >>> major themes with objectives, goals, representative projects and metrics >>> by >>> which to measure success/failure. I don't know how kosher it is to share >>> that strategy document - but I am rather certain that it's a >>> balls-to-the-wall stellar document the likes of which would make Porter >>> himself green with envy and kneel down to kiss my ring. >>> >>> ~ will >>> >>> "Where you innovate, how you innovate, >>> and what you innovate are design problems" >>> >>> >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> Will Evans | User Experience Architect >>> tel: +1.617.281.1281 | [email protected] >>> http://blog.semanticfoundry.com >>> aim: semanticwill >>> gtalk: semanticwill >>> twitter: semanticwill >>> >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> >>> >>> On Jan 5, 2009, at 12:30 PM, Christina Wodtke wrote: >>> >>> Andrew, this is easily the smartest post on the topic. These questions >>> are >>> ones I also had to work through so I could step into my current role >>> which >>> involves shaping strategy. I'm a book person. some books I found >>> invaluable >>> in this journey >>> >>> 'What the CEO Wants You to Know' >>> 'Strategy Safari' >>> 'Four steps to Epiphany' (particularly recommended) >>> 'Innovator's Dilemma' >>> >>> I also found Art of the Start useful for entrepreneurship. >>> >>> The SVPG.com blog is terrific for seeing the other side of product >>> design. >>> This post in particular, speaks to your first question >>> http://www.svpg.com/blog/files/assessing_product_opportunities.html >>> "1. Exactly what problem will this solve? (value proposition) >>> 2. For whom do we solve that problem? (target market) >>> 3. How big is the opportunity? (market size) >>> 4. What alternatives are out there? (competitive landscape) >>> 5. Why are we best suited to pursue this? (our differentiator) >>> 6. Why now? (market window) >>> 7. How will we get this product to market? (go-to-market strategy) >>> 8. How will we measure success/make money from this product? >>> (metrics/revenue strategy) >>> 9. What factors are critical to success? (solution requirements) >>> 10. Given the above, what's the recommendation? (go or no-go)" >>> I actually printed this and hung it on my cube, I think it's so >>> important. >>> >>> Pricing is a black art. I spent a ton of time researching it, and it's >>> quite >>> difficult. Chris Anderson's latest Wired article on Free though, sheds >>> some >>> light on how to make free work. >>> >>> As for the last question, at LinkedIn it does get boiled down to a >>> sentence. >>> I've long been a fan of memes, because you can carry them around with >>> you. >>> I >>> think if strategy is not put into the form of a meme, it can't be >>> internalized and executed by the entire company, and thus can't be >>> executed >>> at all. >>> >>> On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 2:20 PM, Andrew Otwell <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> So when I ask, what should interaction designers know about strategy? >>> >>> You respond... >>> >>> >>> >>> The other answers seemed to focus on strategy for a design firm ("how do >>> we >>> >>> get and retain more and better clients") or strategy for selling design >>> to >>> >>> clients ("how do we convince clients to value our services more?") I >>> don't >>> >>> think that's what Dan's asking for here, and IMO those topics don't >>> belong >>> >>> in an introductory primer to IxD. Those are also topics that have been >>> >>> covered in depth by the consulting industry in general. >>> >>> >>> Here are some things I've either always wondered about, or learned about >>> >>> only through osmosis or just asking a lot of dumb questions: >>> >>> >>> - How is it that a great idea for a product or service might not be >>> >>> appropriate for a company at a certain point, or at all? Or, how does >>> >>> strategy think about complementary products or ideas? >>> >>> - How are competitors analyzed? What characteristics of competition >>> might >>> >>> suggest a product or service would be successful, or fail? >>> >>> - How are markets determined? When is it best to be a first-mover vs. >>> >>> fast follower vs. "best of breed"? >>> >>> - What does pricing have to do with all of this? Pricing is a serious >>> >>> black art (some might say "shot in the dark"), but when does free vs. >>> >>> cheap >>> >>> vs. expensive matter, and what are the advantages of each? >>> >>> - How are ideas and innovations worked into an overall strategy? Often >>> >>> "strategy" seems to mean "we have a great idea for Widget 2.0", but how >>> >>> does >>> >>> strategy affect the less-tangible process of innovation and development >>> >>> inside a company? How is the sausage made? >>> >>> - Finally and perhaps most importantly: what does "a strategy" look >>> like? >>> >>> Is it a diagram? A narrative document? A phrase that the CEO repeats at >>> >>> every chance? A spreadsheet of numbers? None of these? Most of the time, >>> >>> when you ask "and how does this fit into the overall strategy", there's >>> >>> not >>> >>> going to be a plain-language answer. In the absence of clarity, what do >>> >>> you >>> >>> look for to figure out what the strategy is? >>> >>> >>> Andrew >>> >>> ________________________________________________________________ >>> >>> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >>> >>> To post to this list ....... [email protected] >>> >>> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >>> >>> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >>> >>> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help >>> >>> >>> ________________________________________________________________ >>> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >>> To post to this list ....... [email protected] >>> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >>> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >>> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help >>> >>> >>> >>> ________________________________________________________________ >> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >> To post to this list ....... [email protected] >> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help >> > > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
