Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Hi Daniel, I guess with where to start, that is pretty clear (or rather, has become so since my original post). They have said, basically Here's what we're adding to the product—go design it. So whatever I do will have to be within the constraints of this particular task, rather than me being able to pick and choose where I would like to make improvements. I guess my refined question is Apart from the obvious things that I can figure out myself, should I, and *how *should I, be integrating user research and/or usability testing into my design process? Given very limited time, etc. What specific things can I do to make sure that what I design will support user goals and activities? And thanks for the link. Great article. The blanks I am trying to fill are in the process that *leads up* to having a design to walk though with them. Thanks, Martin 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
[IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
This may have been asked - How much time available do you have to include user research before you need to show them new designs? That's one of the first questions that I will be asking when I get back to work on Sunday :) Martin 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Caveat - I am in the same position as yourself and do not in any way consider myself an expert. That said, I feel your strategy here is entirely dependent on how early on in the process you are working, what your timeframe is, and how much flexibility you have. In my case, I am being brought in during concept stage, with the plan to start developing the software in July, and the opportunity to develop a new branding identity and marketing materials as well as user assistance documentation once the software is well into development. So I have time for all kinds of data collection from the marketing department, and to develop user scenarios, usability testing procedures, and eventually personas and use cases. Following that I plan to do wireframes and paper prototypes with iterative testing and design refinement, based on various concept models for testing usability. In other words, I've been given the time and leeway to go all out on not just usability testing but user experience design including re-architecting documentation and designing marketing materials as well as help systems. On the other hand, you may have very little time or leeway for usability testing. There is definitely information out there for executing guerilla usability testing. Certainly any testing is worthwhile, and if you Google you will find lots of resources. It is up to you which way you take it. Cheers, Erica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29332 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Hi Erica, ... your strategy here is entirely dependent on how early on in the process you are working, what your timeframe is, and how much flexibility you have. I think my timeline is going to be a bit more compressed than yours. I'm coming into a project in the middle, where the functionality of an existing product is being extended. So I probably will have to take a somewhat guerrilla approach. But I certainly get the importance of usability testing, and I'll try to incorporate it *somehow*. And I still have to make sure the documentation is ready on time *as well*. Thanks, Martin On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 8:14 PM, erica [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Caveat - I am in the same position as yourself and do not in any way consider myself an expert. That said, I feel your strategy here is entirely dependent on how early on in the process you are working, what your timeframe is, and how much flexibility you have. In my case, I am being brought in during concept stage, with the plan to start developing the software in July, and the opportunity to develop a new branding identity and marketing materials as well as user assistance documentation once the software is well into development. So I have time for all kinds of data collection from the marketing department, and to develop user scenarios, usability testing procedures, and eventually personas and use cases. Following that I plan to do wireframes and paper prototypes with iterative testing and design refinement, based on various concept models for testing usability. In other words, I've been given the time and leeway to go all out on not just usability testing but user experience design including re-architecting documentation and designing marketing materials as well as help systems. On the other hand, you may have very little time or leeway for usability testing. There is definitely information out there for executing guerilla usability testing. Certainly any testing is worthwhile, and if you Google you will find lots of resources. It is up to you which way you take it. Cheers, Erica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29332 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 -- Martin Polley Technical writer, etc. +972 52 3864280 Calendar—http://capcloud.com/calendar Site—http://capcloud.com/ 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 12:28 PM, Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I get the definite impression that they are after something more visual that they can take and translate into the built product. Which raises another question: how interactive/hi-fidelity to make wireframes/prototypes? Whiteboard/paper? Visio with layers to simulate different page states? HTML/CSS/JS for something that wags and barks like the real thing? (The latter will require a crash course to fill in some big blanks...) They are used to receiving PPTs to illustrate interaction flows, so I guess anything's better than that :) Ugh Visio layers, what a sadly broken feature. You've listed some good choices. The usual criteria to select might include: - What you know how to do - How much time you have to do it in - What your customer prefers - Why you are prototyping or wireframing For usability testing, it's great to have a working prototype. It's perfectly acceptable during an early design stage to use a paper prototype. A paper prototype gets done quick, finds lots of problems, is easy to work with, low tech, cheap. No style points but big results, and early in the project where it can really count. Powerpoint can work for you too if needed. Flash is a great prototyping tool, as is HTML/CSS/Javascript. There's a tendency for Flash or HTML prototypes to end up as front end code in the app sometimes so heads up there. Since you're introducing design into the process for the first time, and it's a bit new to you, I'd recommend that you focus more on facilitating design processes and communications than on higher fidelity prototypes, at least during the early phases of the project. Good luck! Michael Micheletti 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Thanks, Michael. Those are all important factors. I didn't have it as clear in my head as how you articulated it. As for what the customer prefers, I think they are open to being educated and respect and defer to the expertise of people in fields other than their own. (Not that I'm in any way an expert at this stage.) There's a tendency for Flash or HTML prototypes to end up as front end code in the app sometimes so heads up there. Not likely in this case, luckily. I'll be working on enhancements to an existing project, so it will be implemented in GWT, for better or for worse. ... I'd recommend that you focus more on facilitating design processes and communications than on higher fidelity prototypes, at least during the early phases of the project. Good luck! Sounds sensible. I get the impression that I am just expected to come up with one design that will work, which the developers can then go build. So I'll have to impress upon them that this will require *some* sort of user input. The thing is, I'm not clear about which would better serve the design: some sort of ethnographic research, or some kind of usability testing. (Sure, doing both would be best, but in this situation, what would give me more bang per buck? I think usability testing would be the easier sell, in any case...) Thanks, Martin 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Hi Michael, Thank you for the wise words. Offer to facilitate design/whiteboard sessions and volunteer to write the design specs. ... you can offer suggestions on interfaces ... prepare two or three different versions of wireframes ahead of time as discussion aids. I get the definite impression that they are after something more visual that they can take and translate into the built product. Which raises another question: how interactive/hi-fidelity to make wireframes/prototypes? Whiteboard/paper? Visio with layers to simulate different page states? HTML/CSS/JS for something that wags and barks like the real thing? (The latter will require a crash course to fill in some big blanks...) They are used to receiving PPTs to illustrate interaction flows, so I guess anything's better than that :) If you can get a little budget for field studies... I will definitely try to get them to let me do some sort of usability testing. Something small to begin with, to prove its worth. The main idea is to be a facilitator of design on the team. I'll try to keep that in mind at all times. Finally, if you're good with graphics, symbols, colors, visual design - offer to contribute to this part. Otherwise some Java programmer will do it all in the Gimp, underwhelm, and deliver code late. Or more likely it will be the standard GWT look with a logo slapped on it :) Thanks very much, Martin 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Hi Martin, I'd talk to your CEO or whoever is in charge, show them before and after scenarios and make a case as to why you think usability = increased revenue. I would also do a bit of internal marketing, ensure your team are referred to as interaction designer (never graphic designers) and do some educational sessions on why preplanning and information architecture add to the product and is something everyone can support. You have to solve the internal attitude to it before you (and your coworkers) can educate the client. I would research industrial design history and how they got into the mix (they were seen as glorified prettifiers before). hope that helps. james On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 4:38 PM, Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thanks, Michael. Those are all important factors. I didn't have it as clear in my head as how you articulated it. As for what the customer prefers, I think they are open to being educated and respect and defer to the expertise of people in fields other than their own. (Not that I'm in any way an expert at this stage.) There's a tendency for Flash or HTML prototypes to end up as front end code in the app sometimes so heads up there. Not likely in this case, luckily. I'll be working on enhancements to an existing project, so it will be implemented in GWT, for better or for worse. ... I'd recommend that you focus more on facilitating design processes and communications than on higher fidelity prototypes, at least during the early phases of the project. Good luck! Sounds sensible. I get the impression that I am just expected to come up with one design that will work, which the developers can then go build. So I'll have to impress upon them that this will require *some* sort of user input. The thing is, I'm not clear about which would better serve the design: some sort of ethnographic research, or some kind of usability testing. (Sure, doing both would be best, but in this situation, what would give me more bang per buck? I think usability testing would be the easier sell, in any case...) Thanks, Martin 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
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Introducing design to a dev team for the first time
Martin's question - Where to start? What are the things I can do right now that will have the greatest positive impact for the effort I will be putting in? Speak to the team about key pages or flows that are in need of help and have the greatest impact on the product. Find out where they are hurting and where you can help. Perhaps a quick usability review and to cross check the thinking with the team. When you have created some design ideas, walkthrough with the team - http://www.uxmatters.com/MT/archives/000199.php rgds, Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=29332 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
