Jade Davis and Elizabeth Simister Presentation at User Focus, the UXPA DC Chapter conference, Washington, D.C. – October 17, 2014 Whether you are an external consultant or internal UX resource, there will be situations when you can’t be there throughout the full project. And, let’s be honest, the delivered designs and what actually gets implemented and maintained aren’t always the same things. At some point, the UX designers wrap up and hand over, and the project team implements, maintains, expands, and continues the work. Often this is quite an undertaking, as team members deal with their day jobs as well as constantly shifting priorities. It can be challenging for teams to hold the line on needed improvements, advocate for user needs, foster the “big picture” over the long haul, and build on the UX work that was done. With one presenter coming from a UX background and one coming from the client side, we will discuss practical ways UX experts can help set the project team up for long-term success and maintain the value of the UX investment. UX practitioners will hear specific ideas about how to provide support, empowerment, and the needed resources that will be useful long after they’ve moved on to other things. Project team members will hear what they can do to continue to sustain the quality and tell the stories that advocate for users.

1. Beyond
Wireframes
EMPOWERING
LONG-­‐TERM
PROJECT
SUCCESS
AFTER
THE
DESIGN
WORK
ENDS
UserFocus
Conference
•
October
17,
2014
Presenta<on is on Slideshare – Go to www.designforcontext.com/publica<ons
Jade
Davis
jade@designforcontext.com
Elizabeth
Simister
elizabeth@designforcontext.com
@design4context
#userfocus2014

2. Elizabeth
Simister
@design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus 2014
2
Jade
Davis
COMMUNICATIONS
MANAGER
Communica<ons exper<se,
focused on making projects,
implementa<ons, and users
successful.
INTERACTION
DESIGNER
User experience research
and design exper<se, as an
in-­‐house resource and
consultant.

3. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus 2014
3
PERSPECTIVE
UX work has a long half-­‐life and project
teams face many challenges… What else
can UXers do to empower them for long-­‐
term success?

4. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus 2014
4
STRATEGIES
ThoughTul communica<ons and documenta<on can
support project and implementa<on teams in <mes
when you aren’t there.

5. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
5
Big
picture
in
mind,
always
● Keep
full
view
of
micro
and
macro
levels
● ArKculate
connecKons
between
the
specifics
of
the
design
and
the
larger
vision
● Draw
a
picture
and
share
it
Vision
Org
/
Business
Strategy
Specific
Project
ObjecKves
Project
Approach
Design
Approach
Design
Specifics

6. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
6
PlanKng
seeds
● Nurture
champions
● IdenKfy
influencers
in
each
segment
of
the
project
team
and
stakeholder
group(s)
● CulKvate
understanding,
ownership,
and
advocacy:
● Use
stories
and
soundbites
that
resonate
● Encourage
a
shared
narraKve
● Use
props

7. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus 2014
7
DOCUMENTATION
Provide materials that help the team
maintain the design and its intent over
<me, and expand as needed.

8. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
8
Map
out
the
journey
● Break
the
work
into
manageable
pieces
● Prevent
overwhelm
● Contextualize
today’s
work
with
the
larger
goal
● Provide
a
larger-­‐scale
conversaKon
piece
● Help
maintain
alignment
● Aid
decision-­‐making
and
prioriKzaKon
● Sparks
more
substanKal
discussions

9. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
9
Original
Roadmap
Category
Length
of
Time
and
Themes
Short-­‐term
Mid-­‐term
Long-­‐term
Search
Update
and
improve
Take
advantage
of
semanKcs,
taxonomies
Enhance
with
visualizaKons,
new
features
Specialized
sub-­‐sites
Improve
organizaKon
and
interacKon
Accommodate
sub-­‐sites
Provide
greater
integraKon
and
opportuniKes
MulK-­‐pla`orm
Incorporate
responsive
design,
pilot
concepts
Provide
valuable
offering(s)
Extend
capabiliKes
PersonalizaKon
Improve
visibility
Foster
sustained
involvement
Extend
responsiveness
AnalyKcs
Set
foundaKons
for
ongoing
analysis
Improve
analyKc
capabiliKes
Extend
responsiveness

10. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
10
Evolving
Roadmap
Category
Length
of
Time
and
Themes
Short-­‐term
Mid-­‐term
Long-­‐term
Search
Update
and
improve
Take
advantage
of
semanKcs,
taxonomies
Enhance
with
visualizaKons,
new
features
Specialized
sub-­‐sites
Improve
organizaKon
and
interacKon
Accommodate
sub-­‐sites
Provide
greater
integraKon
and
opportuniKes
IntegraKon
with
other
systems
Keep
up
with
current
key
players
Provide
valuable
offering(s)
Extend
capabiliKes
MulK-­‐pla`orm
Incorporate
responsive
design,
pilot
concepts
Provide
valuable
offering(s)
Extend
capabiliKes
PersonalizaKon
Improve
visibility
Foster
sustained
involvement
Extend
responsiveness
AnalyKcs
Set
foundaKons
for
ongoing
analysis
Improve
analyKc
capabiliKes
Extend
responsiveness

11. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
11
Personas
and
Scenarios
Grant
-­‐
PracRcing
engineer
28
years
old
KNOWLEDGE
Engineering
subject
maber
●●●○○
EXPERIENCE
Years
of
job
experience
●●○○○
TECHNOLOGY
Computer/web
knowledge
●●●●○
DEMOGRAPHICS
&
CHARACTERISTICS
• Can
travel,
but
might
do
it
less
now
• Busy
WORK
/
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Working
engineer
• Master’s
not
PhD
RELATIONSHIP
TO
TRADE
ORGANIZATION
• Not
acKve
member;
not
enough
Kme
to
volunteer
• Abends
local
chapter
meeKngs
BACKGROUND,
KNOWLEDGE
&
EXPERIENCE
• Very
familiar
with
the
industry
GOALS
&
MOTIVATIONS
• Networking
• Wants
to
get
licensed
/
keep
license
USE
OF
TECHNOLOGY/WEB
• Tech
savvy
IMPLICATIONS
FOR
SITE
DESIGN
OR
CONTENT
Membership
in
trade
organizaKon
could
help
him
with
career
development
and
networking
(conversion)
Create
a
list
of
references
WHO
Research
Project
Assistant
WHEN
At
any
Kme
FREQUENCY
Daily,
potenKally
mulKple
Kmes
a
day
ENVIRONMENT
Online
TRIGGER
Primary
researcher
requests
a
list
of
potenKal
publicaKons
that
can
be
used
as
references
SCENARIO
In
preparing
to
publish
a
research
arKcle
in
a
peer-­‐reviewed
journal,
the
Research
Project
Assistant
begins
to
create
a
list
of
references
that
either
in
support
of
the
research
or
against
the
research
so
that
when
the
primary
researcher
is
ready
to
begin
wriKng
the
arKcle,
she
has
a
list
of
relevant
references
to
use.
PROCESS
VARIATIONS
• Depending
on
the
journal
in
which
the
references
will
appear,
they
will
need
to
created
in
various
formats,
such
as
APA
or
Chicago.
PERSON
VARIATIONS
• Some
Research
Assistants
keep
a
list
of
previously
used
references
on
hand
with
secKons
marked
so
that
when
the
researcher
is
preparing
a
new
arKcle
similar
to
a
previous
arKcle
she
all
ready
has
the
needed
references
DATA
CONSIDERATIONS
• None

12. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
12
Style
Guide

13. “2014
Vision”
page
Dept.
home
page
@design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus2014
13
Decision
Tree
What
kind
of
content
is
it?
Product
markeKng?
Help
content?
“About
us”
info?
Other?
Future
product?
Current
product?
Product
Overview
page
“On
the
horizon”
area
Org
strat.
and
goals?
Dept.
details?
Our
people?
Clickable
org.
chart
Help
repository
Call
webmaster

14. @design4context
Beyond Wireframes UserFocus 2014
14
SUMMARY
Keep a big picture mindset, and encourage others
to do the same
Help team members tell meaningful stories
Create ar<facts to support evolu<on over <me

15. Thank
you!
BEYOND
WIREFRAMES:
EMPOWERING
LONG-­‐TERM
PROJECT
SUCCESS
AFTER
THE
DESIGN
WORK
ENDS
UserFocus
Conference
•
October
17,
2014
Presenta<on is on Slideshare – Go to www.designforcontext.com/publica<ons
Jade
Davis
jade@designforcontext.com
Elizabeth
Simister
elizabeth@designforcontext.com
@design4context
#userfocus2014