A brief presentation I did at 'Microsoft Expression for Art's Sake' - a 3 Day Silverlight Camp held in Wellington, New Zealand in April 2009. It makes the simple point that, while Expression is a great tool-set, you still need to follow a design process to get good results for users.

1. EXPRESSION FOR ARTS SAKE ZEF FUGAZ : CLICK SUITE USER EXPERIENCE ADVISOR

2. A FANTASTIC TOOLKIT

3. CREATE A RICH USER EXPERIENCE WITH EXPRESSION STUDIO!

4. YEAH RIGHT

5. USABILITY PLUG-IN NO

6. MOOD DETECTION NO

7. MIND-READING PROBE NO

8. ‘ MAKE ME HOT’ FILTER NO

9. NO “ YOU’VE GOT TO BE JOKING”

10. CREATE A RICH USER EXPERIENCE WITH EXPRESSION STUDIO?

11. CREATE A RICHER USER EXPERIENCE WITH GOOD DESIGN USING EXPRESSION STUDIO

12. USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN ON SPEED

13. Get some clarity around your idea. Creating a simple ‘value proposition’ is a good way to get started. A value proposition is a carefully crafted, clear, and simple statement that reflects the essence of the value a business will provide to a target market. The value proposition has three main parts: 1. Who is the target customer? 2. Why should the customer use/buy our offering? 3. What are we promoting/selling? THE IDEA

14. The skeleton statement below provides a good template for building a clear and compelling value proposition. “ For ______________ who _______________, we provide ________________________________ that _______________________________. Unlike other [products], who _______________________, [concept name] will __________________________ that ________________________.” For the target customer Who specific needs, requirements, demands, buying criteria We provide solution name/description That gives specific business benefits/value to clients Unlike the competition Who provide solution, features, functions, benefits Our initiative more/better approach, solution, functions, benefits That offers a better customer experience

15. EXAMPLE: “ For teenagers who think they are healthy , we will provide an online comparison tool that gives them a reality check . Unlike other nutrition and fitness websites, who focus on specific health issues and advice, our initiative will compare teens to their friends, sport stars and celebrities then motivate them to get advice and change their lifestyle for the better.”

16. THE USERS Identify who you are designing your product or service for. Understand the users point of view, motivations and goals. Simplify the design process by putting energy into what matters for users and your business. Focus your team to create better software for the right people.

17. THE PROTOTYPE Prototyping ensures your product is easy to use, enables your audience to meet their goals intuitively and returns value for your business. The prototype can be as simple as a sketch on paper or whiteboard. Prototyping is a great way to: 1. Identify issues early. 2. Enhance the user experience through continual improvement. 3. Ensure the design is technically feasible. 4. Prove the user interface will work for users.

18. THE REALITY CHECK Test your idea, sketches, prototype and beta product. Use someone who matches your user profile as best as possible. Testing the idea & sketches: Gather ad-hoc feedback. Check that people ‘get’ the concept. Testing the prototype or beta: Use a more structured approach. Set your users a task with a goal (e.g. “Use this tool to locate a photo of a rubber duck”). Don’t tell them how to do it, just observe what happens.

19. ZEF FUGAZ [email_address] www.clicksuite.co.nz Blog www.zefamedia.com