The language of design and the language of business don’t often connect, yet each has their own important role in the success of the organization. In this presentation you'll see how to better ensure alignment with the overall goals of the enterprise.

1. Strategy Patois
Language & tools to connect
design and business value
UX London 2011
#uxlondon #strategypatois
Kate Rutter, Experience Designer
kate@adaptivepath.com
@katerutter

2. Hi, I’m Kate.
I’m a designer and strategist. Designing delightful
experiences makes me tick. Making things visual and
visible makes my heart sing.
Over the past few years I’ve been highly motivated to
get better at connecting design with business success.
Adaptive Path
Adaptive Path is a User Experience strategy and design consultancy.
Our mission is to help companies make products and services that
deliver great experiences that improve people’s lives.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 2

3. e journey

4. the end result
blah blah blah
what we what he blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah
said! expected blah blah blah blah
blah
blahblah blah blah
blah blah blah
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 4

5. is was me
on the outside.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 5

6. (is was me
on the inside.)
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 6

7. blah blah blah
blah blah blah
what we what he blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah
expected blah blah blah blah
said! blah
blahblah blah blah
blah blah blah
We literally didn’t have the right words.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 7

8. We had different languages
~ words
~ delivery style
~ perception of key points
} Trying to answer
the same questions
e meeting was frustrating.
e credibility of the design team suffered.
We knew we had to do better.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 8

9. 3 Learnings from the journey
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 9

10. 3 Learnings from the journey
1 } Align the dialects
Understand & heal the language difference
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 10

11. 1 } align the dialects
Patois:
A regional dialect, especially one
without a literary tradition.
Nonstandard speech.
http://www.wordnik.com/words/patois!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 11

12. 1 } align the dialects
Strategy Patois:
A business dialect comprised of specialized
and often quantitative terms, optimized to
communicate the nancial performance of
a company.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 12

13. 1 } align the dialects
buzzword:
A word or phrase connected with a
specialized eld or group that usually
sounds important or technical and is used
primarily to impress laypersons.
http://www.wordnik.com/words/buzzword!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 13

14. 1 } align the dialects
“! I think when people make
up words, they are trying
to be more expressive,
not less.
“!
~ Erin McKean, American Lexicographer
CEO of Wordnik and former Principal Editor of
e New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_McKean!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 14

15. revenue model
shareholder value
return on investment
market segmentation
competitive analysis
bottom-line impact
value proposition
benchmarking
cost leadership
total quality management
cost-benefit analysis
business innovation
design thinking
cost management
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 15

16. user experience! experience strategy!
key user flows! look & feel!
human-centered design! touchpoints!
design thinking! user engagement!
usability! interactions!
empathy experiences!
participatory design!
qualitative research! user journey!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 16

17. 1 } align the dialects
specialized
business
term!
ple
sim g!
me anin
specialized
design
approach!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 17

18. 1 } align the dialects
Translate the terms
} A glossary of simple
meanings
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 18

19. 1 } align the dialects
Strategy Patois } e Biz
this... means this...
Value proposition Why people buy our stuff.
Revenue model How we make money.
Bottom-line impact Will this help our overall pro ts?
ROI When is this going to pay off and
by how much?
This initiative has a high ROI
is product has the chance to pay
=!
and a compelling value
proposition. Based on our off big, and there are clear reasons
current revenue model, this why people will buy it. is should
should have a positive bottom- make us money this year.
line impact this fiscal year.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 19

20. 1 } align the dialects
Translate the terms
} A glossary of simple
meanings
Product Management means this...
Market segmentation Who are our customers and why?
Competitive analysis What is everybody else doing?
Cost/bene t analysis Will we be better off if we do this?
Product Design means this...
User-centered design Making sure a person using our product is successful
Key user ows e steps a person takes when using our stuff
Empathy experiences Watching how people use our stuff and using this
knowledge to make our products better
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 20

21. 1 } align the dialects
what we can do
Listen and ask for de nition
~ listen for patois terms
~ ask for & offer clari cation
~ identify the simple meaning
} Trying to answer
the same questions
Address specialized business terms with
design solutions that align with business
performance.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 21

22. 3 Learnings from the journey
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy
Use strategy tools to connect design work
with business impact
3 } Don’t bury the lead
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 22

23. 2 } show the strategy
trat egy!
s
business
design
technology users
engin eering!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 23

24. 2 } show the strategy
Signs you need a strategy... What’s the
is redesign will expected ROI
on this design?
x everything.
We need to create a
product/service platform
or multi-channel
experience. NOW.
Everyone agrees Everyone agrees on what the
something has to be design must accomplish,
done about the design, but everyone has a different
but no one is sure what. idea of how.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 24

25. 2 } show the strategy
What is a design strategy?
A plan of action to produce commercially successful
offerings that re ect the constraints of business,
technology and user needs.
}
1. Where can design be most effective?
What questions 2. What kind of experiences do potential
does an effective features deliver?
strategy answer? 3. How will success be valued and measured?
4. How will the product evolve in the future?
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 25

26. 2 } show the strategy
Where can design be
most effective?
What kind of experiences
} Ishikawa diagram
Prioritization chart
do potential features deliver?
How will success be
valued and measured?
How will the product
evolve in the future?
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 26

27. 2 } show the strategy
Ishikawa diagram : A diagram of a problem broken
down into it's principal root causes
Stock photo failure!
Can’t
complete
Can’t
get
image
details
property
release
Unsure
how
TUTORIAL
Date
image
taken
is
unknown
Owner
unwilling
Owner
unknown
Country
unknown
Too
much
effort
Photos
are
selected
which
are
impossible
for
editors
Form too hard
to
process
USABILITY
to complete
Can’t
iden?fy
Lost
original
person/model
Can’t
contact
person
Taken
at
a
low
Model
unwilling
resolu?on
SEARCH
to
sign
seCng
Can’t
get
a
There
is
no
model
release
higher
resolu6on
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 27

28. 2 } show the strategy
Prioritization chart: A forced-ranking activity that determines
which problems to solve rst.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 28

29. 2 } show the strategy
Prioritization chart: A forced-ranking activity that determines
which problems to solve rst.
Form is
difficult to Focus
People unsure complete!
how to get
property Your
design
must
release! address
these
Reduce
Severity
photos taken
Owner is a low
unknown! resolution!
Consider
Your
design
should
accommodate
these
Model
unwilling
to
sign
Date is Unwise
use
of
?me
Neglect
unknown! to
address
these
Value
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 29

30. 2 } show the strategy
Prioritization chart: A forced-ranking activity that determines
which problems to solve rst.
Project Design Priorities
1. Ensure that photos selected for editors are possible to process.
The design will And And this is what
address these accommodate we’re not going to
issues: these: address:
Form is Reduce Model
photos taken unwilling to
difficult to a low
complete! resolution! sign!
People unsure
how to get Owner is Date is
property unknown! unknown!
release!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 30

31. 2 } show the strategy
Where can design be
most effective?
What kind of experiences
}
do potential features deliver?
How will success be
Storyboards
(with a twist)
valued and measured?
How will the product
evolve in the future?
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 31

32. 2 } show the strategy
Storyboards: A comic-style illustration that tells the story of
people interacting with the product or service.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 32

33. 2 } show the strategy
Storyboards: A comic-style illustration that tells the story of
people interacting with the product or service.
Brainstorming
Refined version
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 33

34. 2 } show the strategy
Where can design be
most effective?
What kind of experiences
do potential features deliver?
How will success be valued
and measured? } Conversion model
How will the product evolve
in the future?
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 34

35. 2 } show the strategy
Conversion model: A visualization that displays data metrics
for each step in a multi-step process.
Travel organizer!
Enter trip Confirm trip Access .70
Register! Log in! details! details! details on trip! .29
.38
x .20
.0154
10,000
70% 29% 38% 20% x .0154
154
154 users
access their
trip details
for every
10,000! 7,000! 2,000! 760! 150! 10,000 that
register
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 35

36. 2 } show the strategy
Conversion model: A visualization that displays data metrics
for each step in a multi-step process.
Travel organizer!
Forward trip Confirm trip Access
.70
details! Log in! details! details on trip! .29
Offer
more
x .38
Automa?cally
create
account
ways
for
user
.0771
and
send
email
to
access
trip
data
10,000
x .077
770
70% 29% 38%
770 users
access their
trip details
for every
10,000! 7,000! 2,000! 760! 10,000 that
register
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 36

37. 2 } show the strategy
Where can design be
most effective?
What kind of experiences
do potential features deliver?
How will success be
valued and measured?
How will the product
evolve in the future? } Product evolution map
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 37

38. 2 } show the strategy
Product evolution map: Describes the evolutional stages of a
product, including features and revenue model.
Photo-sharing
Product evolution!
stage
Beta
Gamma
Delta
Online photo A platform for sharing, A brand for visual
management and organizing, and expression and
sharing application exploration yourself exploration
through photos
features
Upload
Interes?ngness
Flickr
events
Store
Organizr
Flickr
travel
groups
View
Geo-­‐tagging
Flickr
local
Tag
Order
prints
Share
Blog
integra?on
Contacts
Mobile
connec?vity
Free
accounts
Prin?ng
Partnerships
revenue
Premium
accounts
Adver?sing
Licensing
fees
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 38

39. 2 } show the strategy
what we can do
Practice our strategy chops
~ nd the right tool for the job
~ host participatory sessions with
biz folks
~ capture and reinforce decisions
} Increase con dence
in design choices
Decisions informed by thoughtful, intentional
choices. But we need to make the time to focus
on the impact, not just the interface.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 39

40. 3 Learnings from the journey
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead
Develop short, concise answers to key questions
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 40

41. 3 } don’t bury the lead
“! If I had more time,
I would have written
a shorter letter.
“!
~ T. S. Eliot
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 41

42. 3 } don’t bury the lead
Designers = storytellers
Sometimes we need punchlines,
not stories.
Attention, focus and the credibility that the
design team has its shit together.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 42

43. 3 } don’t bury the lead
Know what will be asked.
Practice brevity
} Biz Buddy
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 43

44. 3 } don’t bury the lead
the end result
blah blah blah
what we what he blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah
said! expected blah blah blah blah
blah
blahblah blah blah
blah blah blah
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 44

45. 3 } don’t bury the lead
Biz Buddy: A helpful insider with knowledge of the priorities
and perspectives of our business colleagues.
what is she She’ll ask: when
you can get it
going to done, and how much
ask?! money will it save.
can I run
this by you
how long first?!
Sure. I’d be
She listens happy to
do I have?! for about give a
2 minutes listen.
max.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 45

46. 2 } show the strategy
Know what will be asked
Practice brevity
} e pitch
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 46

47. 3 } don’t bury the lead
e pitch: A short, concise and relevant summary of the work.
elevator pitch! For [target customers] who are dissatisfied with [current
market offering], [product name] is a [new product
category] that provides [key benefit]. Unlike [product
alternative], we have [differentiating attribute] that helps
customers accomplish [key need.]
____________________________________
twitpitch *! ____________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________
* Coined by Stowe Boyd in 2008
 Focus on what it is and why it matters.
 Introduce the how it works only if asked.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 47

48. 3 } don’t bury the lead
what we can do
Be a great pitcher
~ answer questions in short form
with just the facts
~ consider what biz folks
are hearing
} Build 2-way
credibility &
mutual respect
Be collaboration partners
~ facilitate design strategy
conversations
~ embrace participation } Build empathy &
understanding
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 48

49. 4 3 Learnings from the journey
1 } Align the dialects
2 } Show the strategy
3 } Don’t bury the lead
4 } Keep your soul
Protect your passion and sense of self in
a culture with a different value system.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 49

50. 4 } Keep your soul
e reallyreally big picture
Products & services that delight, that
inspire and that improve the lives of the
people who use them.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 50

51. 4 } Keep your soul
4 keys to happiness:
 Have satisfying work to do
 e chance to be good at something
 Connections with people we truly like
 e opportunity to be a part of
~ Jane McGonigal
something bigger Game designer &
Director of Game Research
& Development at the
Institute for the Future
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_McGonigal!
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 51

52. 4 } Keep your soul
When it all works
A shared organizational commitment to
products & services that delight, that
inspire and that improve the lives of the
people who use them.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 52

53. e journey

54. Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 54

55. Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 55

56. Suggested Reading
reference: blogs:
Building Design Strategy: Design inking, Tim Brown (IDEO)
omas Lockwood and omas Walton, ed., (2008) http://designthinking.ideo.com/
Corporate Strategy: Metacool: Diego Rodriguez (IDEO)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Porter http://metacool.typepad.com/metacool/
Ishikawa Diagrams: A Designer’s Guide to Strategy, Brandon Schauer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram (Adaptive Path) www.brandonschauer.com/blog
Elevator Pitch: Customer Experience Matters, Bruce Temkin
Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm (2002) (Forrester) http://experiencematters.wordpress.com/
Sticky Ideas: e Berkun Blog, Scott Berkun (indie)
Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick (2007) http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/
Illustrating Concepts: McKinsey: What Matters, Misc. (McKinsey)
Dan Roam, Back of the Napkin (2008) http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/
Adaptive Path, Subject to Change (2008) Good Experience, Mark Hurst (indie)
http://goodexperience.com/
Corporate Philosophy:
Yvon Chouinard, Let My People Go Sur ng (2006) Putting People First, Experientia
http://www.experientia.com/blog
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 56

57. More UX goodness
Amsterdam: April 18-21
www.adaptivepath.com/events
twitter: #uxintensive
15% off with code FOKR
San Francisco : August 23-26
www.uxweek.com
twitter: #uxweek
15% off with code FOKR
Shout-out to Henning Fischer and Brandon Schauer for the strategy tools
slides, and to all the Adaptive Path folks who shared their project work.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 57

58. thanks!
e slides are
on slideshare at:
www.slideshare.net/intelleto
Kate Rutter, Experience Designer
kate@adaptivepath.com
www.adaptivepath.com
twitter : @katerutter
@adaptivepath
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 58

59. colophon
Primary typeface is Adobe Garamond Pro.
Business dialect typeface is Lucida Console
Design dialect typeface is Bradley Hand ITC!
Inner voice typeface is Handwriting - Dakota!
Image credits:
Title slide: Public Domain Image of World Map from Page 3 of the book, Spokesman-Review Handy Atlas of the
World, "Published Expressly For e Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash. 1911", Copyright 1910 C.S. Hammond
&Co., New York
Journey image: http://www. ickr.com/photos/32920110@N07/3484895197/sizes/l/
Madonna: http://www. ickr.com/photos/28668451@N00/77567133/
Rosetta stone: http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/dept/hist/PublishingImages/Rosetta%20Stone.jpeg
Myths of innovation cover : http://fyi.oreilly.com/9780596527051_lrg.jpg
* Other images credited on slides
Illustrations
Storyboard illustrations by Brandon Schauer
Hand sketches by Kate Rutter.
Strategy Patois | UX London 2011 | April 2011 | 59