Designing for disruptive innovation with Robert Barlow-Busch Presented on March 07 2015 at FITC's Spotlight UX/UI More info at www.fitc.ca OVERVIEW Sometimes we get so focused on winning small victories of the present — like sign-off on UX or design support — that we’re blindsided by larger issues from the overall business context. In this case study, Robert Barlow-Busch describes how he journeyed with a team who experienced this first-hand. Hear the story of a project in which field research and design saved the day by uncovering an incredible business opportunity. And find out what happened when they presented that opportunity to an executive team wrestling with disruptive innovation. OBJECTIVE Demonstrate the potential of design to influence product strategy and the importance of understanding business context. TARGET AUDIENCE Designers, researchers, and product managers FIVE THINGS AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL LEARN Why not to trust a focus group, ever again. The basics of how to conduct in-context user research and analyze findings. Involving skeptics in your process may be the best way to make them evangelists. The characteristics of disruptive innovation. How destroying assumptions may be a design team’s most important contribution.

1. Robert Barlow-Busch
VP User Experience, Boltmade
@becubed
Designing for Disruptive Innovation
Photo by MonkeyC.net

2. Photo by MonkeyC.net
vs

3. What would it mean
to“ship”a document
online?

4. Photo by Michael Verhoef on FlickrPhoto by Michael Verhoef
Security really matters
The big assumption

5. Photo by Michael Verhoef on Flickr
Document exchange website
The preconceived solution
Recipient
Receive email alert
Log in securely
Sender
Log in securely
Upload document
Send to recipient Download document

6. Meet Joanne
The hero of our story
Product Manager
Photo by Ricky Tang
We’re going to build the best damn document
exchange website we can.
—

7. How did Joanne know
customers wanted
this product?

8. Photo by Michael Verhoef on FlickrPhotos by Chris Smith, David Yu, and Thomas Hawk
Focus groups!

9. What we heard
“Security is a huge concern.”
“We never send documents by email. Are you crazy?”
“It’s the biggest problem we face today.”

10. Hell, yeah!
Give me a secure document
exchange website

11. Meet Steve
The villain of our story
Consulting technologist
Photo by Esther Mari
We know what to do. My guys are
already building it.
—

12. Hold on, buddy.
We’re going to do
this right.
Okay, fine.
Grumble, grumble.
——

13. Field studies
20 users in US and Canada

14. Goals
Tasks
Inputs/Outputs
Tools
Environment
Relationships
Burning needs

15. 1. Compiled key observations

16. 2. Arranged them into categories

17. 3. Identified patterns within categories

18. 4. Assembled patterns into groups

19. Wants to get things done. Is highly
motivated by finishing the day’s work.
Wants to be in control and confident of
what’s happening at all times.
Would be happy with more security, but
values convenience more.
Uses email as a detailed archive of
project activity.
Uses FTP to exchange files too big for
email.
Strives to be seen as indispensible to
customers.
Is more concerned about quality than
deadlines.
Sends documents by courier when they’re
too big for email.
Really doesn’t care about security.
Has limited computer skills outside
AutoCAD.
Strives to save money for the
organization.
Held accountable for downtime due to
technical issues.
Cannot plan ahead. “Fights fires” all day.
Loves the challenge of juggling priorities.
Has a dedicated email account for IT
emergencies.
This produced distinctive skeletons…

20. That we fleshed out into personas

21. Convenience trumps security
Photo by Nick Carter

22. Email as filing system
Photo by Theen Moy

23. Large files suck
Photo by slimmer_jimmer

24. Opportunity!

25. The design concept

26. Reaction to prototypes
Hooray!
Photo by Keith Ellwood

27. Wait for it…
Hooray!

28. So Joanne took the project for executive approval
Solid customer insight
Differentiated product
Evidence of market demand

29. How will this increase
shipments in our trucks
and airplanes?

30. – Um, it won’t.
– That’s kind of the point.

31. Won’t this encourage
people to ship online
instead of in airplanes?

32. – Um, maybe.
– That’s kind of the point, too.

33. No!
Project cancelled.

34. WTF?WTFWTW

35. We got blindsided by…

36. Disruptive innovation
New-market disruptionLow-end disruption

37. The very processes that
create a market leader can
cause it to fail in the face
of disruption

38. Photo by Michael Verhoef on Flickr
”What business are we in?”

39. Photo by Michael Verhoef on Flickr
What’s the job to be done?

40. Lessons learned
Have a champion in a position of influence
Include the skeptics in your process
Don’t trust self-reported behaviors
Define the business and the job to be done

41. Robert Barlow-Busch
@becubed
www.boltmade.com