1. Effect Mapping:
A Better Way to Get
Really Usable Results
Out of IT Projects
Jonas Söderström
InUse, Sweden

2. proposed hashtags
#effectmap
#ias11
@jonas_blind_hen

3. tweet note
(ipad)
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d
eive it
conc mm
at IA Su !
2010

5. Swedish government
Swedish parliament
IKEA
SonyEricsson
1994

7. Case #1:
Örebro Municipality
Photo: Joakim Johansson
(Alendri)/ flickr

8. Full focus on user’s needs

9. Among top 3 municipality web sites
(of 290) in three different evaluations

10. No traditional specifications document

11. Case #2:
The Swedish Pensions Agency
Photo: Tobias
Bjorkgren/ flickr

12. Voted
”Best public
sector web
site 2010”
by the users
The Web
Service
Award

13. { methodology
effect mapping

14. effect mapping
{ artifact

15. Plug in for project models

16. tweetable
Project models focus on
time and budget, but in fact
ignores the quality of the
delivered product.

17. tweetable
Effect mapping puts focus
on the quality-in-use
of the end product.

18. 1 Effects
2 Effect agents
effect mapping
3 Usage goals
4 Actions

19. 1 Effects
effect mapping

20. ”Userfriendlyness”

21. effects
results
value
benefits

22. Desired benefits arise only in use.
If it isn’t used, it won’t have any
effect whatsoever.

23. means
metrics
desired effects

24. ”implement ”need a much
version 2.0 of ☞ more stable
system X” platform”
”shift to a ”want to
more modern ☞ publish faster,
CMS” with less effort”
”get more ”must increase
visitors to the
web site”
☞ revenue from
ads and sales”

25. ”need a much ”downtime
more stable ☞ less than
platform” 0.1 %”
”want to ”decrease time
publish faster, ☞ to publish page
with less effort” from 10 to 2 min”
”must increase ”conversion
revenue from
ads and sales”
☞ rate up from
x to y %”

26. • Interviews with stakeholders
• 2 – 3 workshops with decision makers
• ”Why? Why? Why? Why?”
• What should be the lasting
improvement, after the project is over?
• Buy-in on desired effects, KPI / metrics

27. effect mapping
{ artifact

29. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %

30. This is not entirely new.
What has proved succesful
is the way to tie the goals
to users and their
usage goals.

31. 1 Effects
effect mapping

32. 2 Effect agents
effect mapping

33. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %
? ? ?
Which users can create
the desired effects?
(If it isn’t used, their will be no effects.)

34. User research
Interviews
Observations
Log analysis
Contextual analysis
Whatever!

35. demographics

36. People with similar needs,
expectations or behaviour
when using the product.

37. What interface do
you like? Are you
computer literate?

38. Can you help us to
reach the goal? How?

39. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %
Effect Order
agents recipient

40. Real-world examples

41. Case #3:
The National Board of Health
and Welfare’s web site
Effects Follow our rules!
✘
Effect
agents
nurses doctors health admins

42. Case #3:
The National Board of Health
and Welfare’s web site
Traditional web site with ”news”
Interviews with +40 users
Noone was interested in news or read them!

43. Case #3:
The National Board of Health
and Welfare’s web site
Get answers!
Medical questions, specific
Advice on malpractice issues

44. Effects Follow our rules!
✘
Effect
agents
need want
fact advise

45. Case #3:
The National Board of Health
and Welfare’s web site
Get answers!
Medical questions, specific
Advice on malpractice issues
Have my say!
Want to influence, critizise, suggest

46. Effects Follow our rules!
✘
Effect
agents
need want want
fact advise to
speak

47. 2 Effect agents
effect mapping

48. effect mapping
3 Usage goals

49. Usage goals
What are the user’s goals?
Why would they use it?
The key to success is
Understanding user’s goals
... and aligning them with business goals.

50. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %
Effect Order
agents recipient
Usage Want fewer
incomplete
#
incomplete
orders -75 %
goals forms

51. The solution must satisfy all goals
Usage Want Must
goals
Need

52. Effects Follow our rules!
✘
Effect
agents
Usage
goals • need
fact
• want
advise
• want
to
• must • must speak
follow follow • must
rules rules follow
rules

53. Real-world document
The Swedish Social
Insurance Agency

54. effect mapping
3 Usage goals

55. effect mapping
4 Actions

56. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %
Effect Order
agents recipient
Usage Want fewer
incomplete
#
incomplete
orders -75 %
goals forms
Validation ✔ ✔ Simplify order form
Actions
✔ ✔

57. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %
Effect Order
agents recipient
Usage Want fewer
incomplete
#
incomplete
orders -75 %
goals forms
Validation ✔ ✔ Simplify order form
Actions
✔ ✔

58. Effects
More efficient
order management ✘ #
#
time/order -30 %
mistakes -60 %
Effect Order
agents recipient
Usage Want fewer
incomplete
#
incomplete
orders -75 %
goals forms
Validation ✔ ✔ Simplify order form
Actions Input to IA,
✔ ✔ interaction,
graphic design

59. Case #4:
Big pharma: retro-fitting effects

60. IT system tracking samples
After 3 years:
+300 change
requests
Go back:
What were the
original benefits
expected?

61. IT system tracking samples
90 request were
irrelevant
to the desired
benefits
Saved: 1,5
years of system
development

63. To summarize:
Increased buy-in
Unified document
Goal in sight
Tracability
Built-in measurements
Focus on benefits for the
organisation ...
... and qualities of use
for the user

64. Questions?
• Effect managment?
• UX/IT in Sweden?
• My book ”Stupid
bloody system! –
UX as a cause of
stress in the
workplace”?
• The welfare state?
• The Swedish
Bikini Team?

65. Be in touch!
jonas.soderstrom@inuse.se
Twitter:
Jonas_Blind_Hen
Slideshare:
Jonas_inUse
In English:
www.javlaskitsystem.se/english
Cell:
+4673–660 32 14
Photo: Björn Falkevik