Creating an Experience-Driven Strategy: full 2011 UPA presentation

Creating an Experience-Driven Strategy
Creating and using capstone statements to articulate, evangelize, and adhere to your strategy.
presented by
Dante Murphy and Georgia Spangenberg

Background
Introduction: the evolution of a process for social change

The Need for a New Approach
Many strategic initiatives include diverse information sources…
primary and secondary research
domain knowledge and subject-matter expertise
established constraints and conventions
project and organizational history
…and a wide network of contributors…
designers
strategists
stakeholders
technologists
…who fail to achieve their potential because…
information is siloed
communication is intermittent
meetings do not foster innovation

Objectives of the Synthesis Framework
Consolidate information sources
focus on information relevant to the project
leverage the contextual knowledge of the presenter
provide a common baseline of understanding
Facilitate collaboration
ensure equal opportunity to contribute
strengthen commitment through collective decision-making
maximize efficiency and timeliness
Deliver executable innovation
apply “idealized design” tactics across the environment
align with the needs and values of key customers
achieve significant, extensible ROI

Breaking out of the silos
Why does information that is clearly critical to the success of the project stay locked in a silo?
There are too many meetings, and not every participant can make all of them
It is impractical for a domain expert to share all of her knowledge and experience
Information is consumed and interpreted differently by individuals on the project team
An idealized process…
Eliminates iteration by developing the strategy in a single unified flow
Enables experts to share their knowledge contextually and efficiently
Activates an effective “group mind” that ensures mutual understanding and agreement through consistent and open participation

Replacing communication with collaboration
What stymies effective communication?
Most media do not convey emotional, contextual, and temporal information effectively
Participants are fearful of being perceived as foolish, frivolous, or impertinent
Agendas and alliances divide participants into factions
Allows communication to happen in real time, face to face
Encourages a volume of ideas and a diversity of perspective that is inclusive and tolerant
Facilitates consensus and sustainable agreements
Attributes all outcomes to the team

Innovating in real time
Why are meetings and presentations unsuitable vessels for innovation?
Neither generally promotes divergent thinking
Most involve a single dominant presenter or a Q&A format
Participants frequently do not know what is expected of them
Short meetings preclude immersion, and long meetings invite fatigue
Involves divergent, emergent, and convergent thinking
Requires full and active participation from every attendee
Presents an actionable, directional objective that may evolve during the course of the session
Is a contiguous, activity-oriented event with a finite time requirement

Process capstone statement
The resulting process…
…maximizes the accessibility and value of all available information...
… through progressive disclosure…
… and transparent collaboration, that…
…requires equal and active participation…
…from experts across many disciplines..
…with diverse professional and personal perspectives, that…
…triggers a thematically aligned suite of innovative concepts…
…to emerge and evolve…
…in real time, that…
…represents meaningful value…
…to client business objectives…
…and customer goals, that…
…results in a plan…
…that is accurately prioritized…
…and meaningfully phased.

Selected case studies
Healthcare professional online services platform for global healthcare client
Our client came to us asking for a company portal. Our instincts and anecdotal observations told us this was not what their audience wanted. The research supported us…but what should we propose as an alternative? We needed a quick way to generate a new idea. This was the origin of the strategy statement and the prioritized release plan.
Global digital marketing strategy for global healthcare client
The size and scope of this project necessitated an approach that thrived on complexity, context, and collaboration. We added structured notes and the synthesis framework to our existing process, distilling over 11,000 observations into a single volume of planning, design, and execution guidelines.
Social media research and partnership plan for global healthcare client
Exploring the possibilities afforded by social media in a heavily regulated environment required an approached designed to deliver innovation. Adding the knowledge market as the final piece of the process enabled the inclusion of a greater variety of research inputs and unified the synthesis process.

Today you will…
take meaningful notes that will enrich research observation and facilitate innovation
collaborate to synthesize observations into insights using an integrated, flexible process
use storytelling to elicit features and behaviors
craft a capstone statement that defines specific tactics, addresses target audiences, and articulates a unified strategic objective
present your strategy and tactics for constructive critique

Taking structured notes
Section 1: get more out of your research observations

Observation is NOT a passive activity
Active observation yields a lot more data
A focused acuity that keeps participants energized and vigilant
A greater volume of observations applies a quantitative veneer to qualitative research
There is no inherent success metric to standard note-taking
Our minds are inherently editorial
Most note-takers only write down what they think is important or meaningful at the time it happens
Thinking interferes with observation
Our observations often have meaning to others
In a collaborative process, you owe it to the group to record everything you see so that others can respond to it based upon their expertise, experience, perspective, and personality

The categories
Functional Needs
“I need to make Thanksgiving dinner for my in-laws.”
Emotional Drivers
“I am afraid they will be disappointed by my cooking.”
Current Behaviors
“For big events, I usually call a caterer.”
Desired Experiences
“I wish I had an experienced chef to help me.”
Ideas and Solutions
Maybe she could do what she is an expert at…a personal favorite recipe, or decorating, or dessert, and put the focus on that…

Structure can be flexible
Most observations can align with one of the listed categories
Accuracy is less important than capturing as many observations as possible
The template provides a consistent language and shorthand
The template reminds us of the elements of an experience-driven strategy
Column labels enable most observations to be recorded much more quickly
An example:
Full text (42 words):
“Doctor Jones needs to get the correct dosing for the drug, but doesn’t use the manufacturer’s website because they require him to register before he can see that information and he doesn’t want to get a lot of SPAM, so he uses Medscape instead.”
Structured template (7 words):
Functional Need: “dosing”
Emotional Driver: “fear of SPAM”
Current Behavior: “Medscape”
Desired Experience: “no login”

The template
The more you use structured notes, the more natural it becomes. Let’s start by practicing now.

The collaborative synthesis framework
Section 2: refine observations into insights

The elements of the framework
Knowledge Market presentations by subject-matter experts
Affinity Mapping observations into insight groups
Delphic Sort of insight groups into coherent themes
Story-Plotting tactics for key audiences
A Capstone Statement that aggregates key tactics into a unified strategy

The Knowledge Market
Subject-matter experts share key knowledge with the entire core team, providing all participants the same baseline information while understanding and internalizing each others’ perspectives
Each presenter shares information such as customer personas, business metrics, technology constraints and brand guidelines
Presentations are short (10-20 minutes each) and focused only on information of immediate relevance to the project
Participants record their observations into a structured template
Functional needs
Emotional drivers
Current behaviors
Desired experiences
Individual ideas and impressions
Observations are numbered and carried forward into subsequent activities
Time estimate: 1-2 hours

Affinity Mapping
Participants group and apply labels to their collected observations using printed sheets that make the collected wisdom of the group visible and tangible
Each observation from the knowledge market is printed on a single sheet of paper in random order
Sheets are distributed to participants in equal-sized stacks
Participants create or find clusters and apply labels that describe a common thread to the collected insights
The activity is led by a facilitator, who encourages active discussion and editing, combining, or splitting clusters
When a participant gets stuck, she trades stacks with another participant
Every observation must be placed and every cluster must be given a label
Time estimate: 30 minutes

Delphic Sort
Participants review initial clusters through two rounds of review and revision, ensuring distribution of perspective
Each participant selects a cluster and goes through observation, shifting observations between clusters, creating new clusters, or modifying the label of the cluster
The facilitator encourages open discussion, tracks the progress of the activity, and urges action over analysis
Once a participant has completed a cluster, he initials the cluster label and moves on to another cluster
Activity continues until each cluster has been reviewed and initialed by two different participants
Any cluster which represents a theme that is beyond the scope of the project can be excluded, but only by unanimous consent of the group

Story-Plotting
Participants create stories that articulate the realities of the current situation for a cluster and describe idealized solutions that represent possibilities or address fears for specific audiences
The facilitator distributes the completed clusters among the participants, mindful of the relative “weight” of each
For each cluster, a “story-plot” cover sheet is distributed
Participants map each observation to a quadrant of the story-plot
Individually, participants draft a brief narrative about their cluster that describes the situation and offers an innovative design solution for a specific targeted audience
Participants report their stories to the group
Group members respond with constructive or additive feedback
The activity continues until every cluster has been reported
Time estimate: 60-90 minutes

The Capstone Statement
The team works together to craft a single sentence that defines the expected outcome and audiences of the project
The facilitator may display a “mad-lib” template to use as a starting point
The facilitator projects the working draft onto a screen for all to see
The group works together to formulate, modify, and finalize the strategy statement
The statement indicates:
the overarching objective of the project
the key tactics it contains
the audiences it serves
the benefits those audiences will derive from it
the timing of its completion

Timing and Effort
The process can be as short as a single day, but should never take more than a week
Sample timeline:
Pre-requisite: collect or complete all inputs
Knowledge Market on morning of Day 1
Print all observation sheets over lunch break on Day 1
Complete all activities through strategy statement afternoon of Day 1
Project management team drafts phased release plan on Day 2
Team re-convenes on Day 3 to finalize plan

Group Exercise
Using the provided sets of observations…
Affinity map the observations into clusters
Announce new clusters as you create them
Verbalize your process
Don’t over-think it, just get it done
Delphic sort each cluster
Aim for coherent themes
Get help and give feedback

Using storytelling
Section 3: apply innovation and vision to problems and opportunities

What is storytelling?
Storytelling uses the story triangle to activate the collective experience, expertise, and imagination of the team
The storyteller interacts with the story, modifying it based upon his perceptions of the audience and his prior experience
The audience interacts with the story, interpreting it and visualizing details based upon their own experiences
The audience and the storyteller interact, responding to literal, contextual, and non-verbal feedback
Storytelling resource
Storytelling for User Experience
by Kevin Brooks and Whitney Quesenbery

Plotting the insights
At this stage of the process, you will have around 15 stacks of insights labeled with unifying themes.
The facilitator places a story-plot template on top of every stack
Each participant assigns the numbered observations in the stack to a position on the grid
Brief notes should accompany each unique concept on the grid to facilitate the creation of the narrative later in the activity
Duplicate or similar observations can be clustered or arranged to represent a continuum
Let’s take a few minutes to do this with the stacks you’ve been provided.

Deriving meaning from insights
Group insights by theme and time
Grouping illustrates the “density” of an observation
Position determines whether a solution is literal or requires discovery
Once all observations are placed, the participant adds another layer of analysis and meta-information
Identify areas of opportunity for innovation or differentiation
Articulate tactics that deliver meaning or value
Attribute the story elements to a customer profile or persona

A sample completed story-plot

Framing out the narrative
Drive to action in the future
The strategy and resulting design live in the near future
defined by today’s capabilities
focused on today’s issues
contextualized by today’s cultural and regulatory realities
Realize possibilities, avoid fears and anxieties
Focus not only on what your product or service can do, but what customers can and will do for themselves
start with customer goals
work back to the enabling content, tool, service or feature
Understand that as a product or service market matures, features give way to usability and desirability

Telling the story
Stories are about real people doing real things
Every story must align with a specific customer profile or persona
Avoid “magic bullet” stories that are more representative of the dreams of the client than of the goals of the customer
Stories do not have to be complete narratives; vignettes are usually best to illustrate a tactical opportunity
How many stories do you need?
Every cluster of observations has at least one meaningful story
Only tell multiple stories when each one illuminates a unique customer goal or design element
The goal of each story is to provide fodder for group discussion and ideation, not to represent an articulated solution

Group exercise
Create your narrative
Plot insights against the grid
Analyze the plot and develop themes
Outline a real story about a real customer
Present the story to the group
Use the medium most comfortable to you
Don’t worry about how an idea will work, only that it is meaningful
Telling the story is “putting the ball in play”
Invite and encourage teammates to enrich and evolve your story
Capture compelling elements
Rich opportunities
Differentiating tactics
Unanticipated customer profiles

Creating a strategy statement
Section 4: unify your project team

Elements of the capstone statement
The capstone statement…
…describes key tactics, such as content, tools, services, and features…
…aligned with measurable objectives and articulated goals…
…of existing and prospective business and customer audiences.
A template helps to align and unify the many elements derived from the storytelling phase
Different types of elements
Different levels of detail
Different priorities

Sample template
The <thing you are creating> will…
…provide <a specific kind of value>…
…to <a targeted customer segment>…<or two>…<or three>…
…by providing <tactic one>…<tactic two>…<tactic three>…
…<at some specified time>…
…<under some specific conditions>…
…that <achieves some business objective>…<and another>…
…supporting <the client’s>…<position in the market>.

Who writes the statement?
Collaborative writing
Project a template and live-edit
Use a whiteboard
“Magnetic poetry” method
The role of the lead strategist
Alternately, an experienced strategist can draft a strategy statement to present to the group for critique and refinement
The most important thing is that only one statement is in play; the goal is for the team to be unified.

Sample :: US healthcare professional information platform
The e-Services Platform is…
…a common set of content and tools that provide services and information to physicians in support of their patients and practice…
…and enhances their relationship with <client>…
…available on the physician section of each <client> brand website,
…and accessible by mobile devices…
…with content and services organized according to their timeliness…
…supported by a physician profile which grows over time…
…informed by explicitly stated preferences, search terms entered and acted upon, and other online patterns of use…
…designed to provide increasingly personalized content and tools, based on the evolution of the physician profile…
…which can be accessed on each individual brand site, or can be aggregated in a personal, customizable physician landing page…
…that includes personal messages and alerts, physician-specified links to content and tools, and access to information that does not have a dedicated brand website or outlet.

Sample :: Global digital communications strategy
The Global Online Customer Experience Strategy…
…informs and recommends up-to-date content, usable tools and timely services that are…
…validated, corroborated or aggregated from multiple sources…
… able to be annotated, rated, shared or provided by HCPs or HCCs…
…transparent in source and genuine in intention…
…localized with regard to language, standards of practice and care, cultural conventions and regulatory guidelines…
…responsive to the evolving boundary of where digital interactions are welcome…
…and are quickly and easily accessible across prevalent online channels and digital devices, including mobile.
…enables trusting and collaborative relationships between and among…
…healthcare professionals…including pharmacists, nurses, medical assistants, and other practice extenders…
…and healthcare consumers…including caregivers and those who manage care for others…
…merging live and digital interactions, inclusive of human contact…
…while recognizing and supporting the emotional needs of patients, caregivers and families.
…articulates the value of treatment and prevention to improving patient outcomes…
…by clarifying the benefits of treatment and prevention versus the risks of unchecked progression of disease…
…through enhanced communication, education, and monitoring…
…designed for individuals with diverse learning styles and levels of understanding…
…that uses approaches that enhance engagement and retention…
…and personalized for the specific concerns and context of each audience.
…facilitates partnership in the healthcare relationship…
…enabling healthcare consumers to become more proactive in managing their own health…
…and enabling healthcare professionals to maximize their contribution to patient care.
…evolves a relationship of value and trust with <client>…
…that is cognizant of the time limitations faced by all HCPs and HCCs…
…and is conscious of the financial pressures faced by patients and payers.

Sample :: Social media strategy for pharma manufacturer
Social Media is…
…the confluence of peers and information…
…influencing attitudes and behaviors…
…by amplifying immediacy, plurality, breadth, and depth of interaction…
…characterized by an elastic mix of transient and enduring relationships…
…that can be shaped and controlled by the user.

Let’s try one…
The <thing you are creating> will…
…provide <a specific kind of value>…
…to <a targeted customer segment>…<or two>…<or three>…
…by providing <tactic one>…<tactic two>…<tactic three>…
…<at some specified time>…
…<under some specific conditions>…
…that <achieves some business objective>…<and another>…
…supporting <the client’s>…<position in the market>.

Presenting a detailed strategy
Section 5: formulate a meaningful, executable plan

Getting tactical
The divergent and emergent thinking about the strategy is now, for the most part, complete. The rest of the creativity will happen during design. To get there, you need a tactical plan.
Identify and list each unique tactic
Rate each tactic on
Customer value
Business value
Feasibility
Develop weighting formula
Modify formula and ratings until consensus is reached
Group list segments into releases and apply timing
Create a tactical map

Extracting the tactics
Most of the tactics by now have been described, either in the project brief or as part of the storytelling or capstone exercises.
Each tactic should be
Independent
Finite
Aligned to a customer
Traceable to its origin

Rate the tactics
Use a group rating exercise to help determine priority of each tactic
Keep business and customer ratings separate
It’s OK to have multiple ratings for any audience type
Just remember that you have to come up with a formula, so don’t make ratings any more complex than they have to be
Rate from 1-5, where 5 is highest
Don’t haggle over decimal points
Do a first pass, then go back and re-calibrate

Create the valuation formula
Creating a valuation formula will help articulate the criteria you are using and provide direction on items that are unclear or in contention
Your formula can include conditional clauses
Use exponents to give specific factors greater influence
Use subtraction to zero to establish baselines
Iteratively modify the formula and your ratings until the list looks right
The purpose of the formula is to explain prioritization that you believe is correct

Align tactics to categories
At any time during the process you can begin aligning specific tactics to meaningful categories
Phases in a timeline
Modules in a system
Project teams
Audiences
Geographies

Create a tactical map
To gain approval from the client or key stakeholders, it may help to create a conceptual overview of the strategy.
Represents all of the key tactics
May also include constraints or guidelines
Aligns tactics with audiences
Represents priority or scheduled release

Sample tactical map :: e-Services Platform

Sample tactical map :: Global Online Customer Experience

Finalizing the strategy
The creation of the tactical map signals clear consensus among project team members on direction and execution.
Where possible, prioritization and phasing should be done with the whole project team present
If not, remember to get their feedback before presenting the strategy to stakeholders
In the time remaining, feel free to practice any of the techniques we’ve covered and ask any questions you might have.
Also, please be sure to fill out a session evaluation, and sign our mailing list for updates and additional resources related to this material.

“Ask…what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Closing

Thanks!
Dante MurphyGlobal Experience Director, Digitas Health
@dantemurphy
oxbyd.wordpress.com
Georgia SpangenbergSenior Information Architect, Razorfish Health
@247ux

Creating an Experience-Driven Strategy: full 2011 UPA presentation

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Creating an Experience-Driven Strategy: full 2011 UPA presentation Presentation Transcript