1.
Great Design through People Skills or ... nice guys finish first <ul><ul><li>Christina Wodtke </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web </li></ul></ul>

2.
Why bother? <ul><li>Problems </li></ul><ul><ul><li>They don’t understand what I do </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>We get called in too late </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>I don’t want to be a colorist </li></ul></ul>

3.
<ul><li>Desires </li></ul><ul><ul><li>I want to be taken seriously </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>I want my design to see the light of day </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>I want to get promoted </li></ul></ul>

4.
The Foundation of Influence <ul><ul><li>Understand your network </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Know your value </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Articulate your value </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Prove it </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Advertise your successes </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Package yourself </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Use persuasion strategies </li></ul></ul>

5.
Understand Your Network <ul><li>People are everything </li></ul>

6.
Your Network Keeps You Afloat <ul><li>When you have a problem </li></ul><ul><li>When you need advice </li></ul><ul><li>When you need information </li></ul><ul><li>When you need to build consensus </li></ul><ul><li>When you don’t even know you need them… </li></ul>

7.
Your Work Network <ul><li>People with direct effect on your job </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Your boss </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Product management </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Marketing </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Accounting </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Your employees </li></ul></ul>

8.
Your Extended Work Network <ul><li>Who do you know who </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Does what you do – else where </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Knows things you need to know </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Knows the people you know </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>How far up can your network go? </li></ul></ul>

9.
Persuasion Strategy #1 Authority <ul><li>“ Just doing what I was told” </li></ul><ul><ul><li>The Milgram Studies </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The Holocaust </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Japanese Internment Camps </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Titles </li></ul><ul><li>Clothes </li></ul><ul><li>Body language </li></ul><ul><li>Sell down, not up </li></ul>

10.
Your personal network <ul><li>Casual Contacts </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Security </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Coffee shop </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Receptionist </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Professional </li></ul><ul><ul><li>AIGA, CHI, AIfIA </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Alumni associations </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Fellow travelers </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Personal </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Friends, family </li></ul></ul>

11.
Nurture the Network <ul><li>Be friendly and polite always </li></ul><ul><li>Small talk is exercise– good for you </li></ul><ul><li>Don’t always ask for something </li></ul><ul><li>Notice people </li></ul><ul><li>Listen </li></ul><ul><li>You have time for this. </li></ul>

12.
Persuasion Strategy #2 Liking <ul><li>We prefer to say ‘yes’ to the requests of people we know and like </li></ul><ul><li>Friends </li></ul><ul><li>Physical attractiveness </li></ul><ul><li>Similarity </li></ul><ul><li>Compliments </li></ul>

13.
Grow your network <ul><li>Use org charts to identify people </li></ul><ul><li>Target the people who affect your work </li></ul><ul><li>Use your network to meet them </li></ul><ul><li>Do research first </li></ul><ul><ul><li>What is their background? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What do they think of design? </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Understand company and department issues </li></ul><ul><li>Meet them– then meet again. Nurture. </li></ul><ul><li>Follow up with an email, article or report. </li></ul>

14.
Persuasion Strategy #3 Reciprocity <ul><li>We are obligated to repay what another person has done for us </li></ul><ul><li>“ Free” gifts and samples </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Calistoga water </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Mailing stickers </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Hari Krishna flowers </li></ul><ul><li>“ You would do the same for me” </li></ul>

15.
Help others grow their network <ul><li>It’s nice </li></ul><ul><li>It promotes good feelings </li></ul><ul><li>People will do the same for you </li></ul><ul><li>Peter Merholz: master of the introduction </li></ul>

16.
Know your value <ul><li>Why are you valuable? </li></ul>

17.
Know your value <ul><li>Why are you valuable to the business ? </li></ul>

18.
What are you reading? Hint: you can read both… and your company’s memos, reports and goals.

19.
Know your value <ul><li>Why are you valuable to the business that is unique to your role ? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Why can Design help </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Why can IA help </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Why can User Research help </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Do you know the answer? </li></ul></ul>

20.
Exercise <ul><li>List your strengths.. All of them </li></ul><ul><li>Cross out those that aren’t relevant to business </li></ul><ul><li>Cross out those that others can offer </li></ul><ul><li>Now you have your core value </li></ul><ul><li>(Note: great to do in a weekly staff meeting!) </li></ul>

21.
User Experience Design is Valuable Because… <ul><li>Understand consumer needs and wants </li></ul><ul><li>Understand how those can be executed in product choices </li></ul><ul><li>Can prototype and test the value before expensive building </li></ul><ul><li>Can innovate and create unique products </li></ul><ul><li>More examples? </li></ul>

22.
Articulate your value <ul><li>The elevator pitch </li></ul><ul><li>What do you say when people ask you what you do? </li></ul><ul><li>What do you say when you can say more? </li></ul><ul><li>I create the visual manifestation of the business strategy as set by the board of directors and the CEO </li></ul>

23.
Spin Doctor <ul><li>“Yes, you have your story of what you've done in your job, but you have to put the best twist on it. On each gig, you must be marketing your worth, marketing Me Inc. “ </li></ul><ul><li>-- Tom Peters </li></ul>

24.
User Experience Design is Valuable Because… <ul><li>Through an understanding of core customer desires, needs, and behavior, we design products that are desirable, useful, innovative and keep the company profitable. </li></ul>

25.
Prove it <ul><li>Excellence is not enough </li></ul><ul><li>But it’s still required </li></ul><ul><li>The proof of the pudding is in the tasting </li></ul><ul><li>Make good pudding every day </li></ul>

26.
Become a Master <ul><li>“Competence in many skills is important, but it's not enough. The act is finding the stuff you love and getting so damn good at it that you become an indispensable human being. “ – Tom Peters </li></ul>

27.
Advertise your successes <ul><li>Case studies </li></ul><ul><li>Posters </li></ul><ul><li>Diagrams </li></ul><ul><li>PowerPoint </li></ul><ul><li>&quot;Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.&quot; </li></ul><ul><ul><li>- Steuart Henderson Britt </li></ul></ul>

28.
Package You <ul><li>Design yourself </li></ul><ul><li>Don’t buy into the designer myth </li></ul><ul><li>Appear to be what you want to be </li></ul><ul><li>Strategize your stage presence </li></ul>Would you trust this man with a million dollar project if you were CEO?

29.
How do you communicate? <ul><li>Three pitcher types </li></ul><ul><li>The Showrunner </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Practical intelligence </li></ul></ul><ul><li>The Artist </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Bleeds creativity </li></ul></ul><ul><li>The Neophyte </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Wants to learn </li></ul></ul><ul><li>How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea </li></ul><ul><li>by Kimberly D. Elsbach </li></ul><ul><li>Harvard Business Review September 2003 </li></ul><ul><li>Reprint Number R0309J </li></ul>Will you play the artist? Will you go to important meetings? Do you want to?

30.
Everything you do is you <ul><li>What questions do you ask? </li></ul><ul><li>What issues do you pay attention to? </li></ul><ul><li>How are you in meetings? </li></ul><ul><li>What meetings do you attend? </li></ul><ul><li>What does that say about you? </li></ul>

31.
Part Two You In Action

32.
The Project Lifecycle <ul><li>Four Key Human Moments </li></ul><ul><li>Requirements gathering </li></ul><ul><li>Design presentations </li></ul><ul><li>Sign off </li></ul><ul><li>Surviving the launch </li></ul>

33.
Requirements gathering <ul><li>Critical for </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Meeting people </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Making them feel heard </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Hearing them </li></ul></ul>

34.
Requirements gathering <ul><li>Create a requirements document </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Living but stable document </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Provides reference to motivators </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Offers background </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Captures decisions </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Records sign-off </li></ul></ul>

35.
Requirements Document <ul><li>Project Overview </li></ul><ul><ul><li>What are we doing </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Why are we doing it </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Why are we doing it now </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>What will be a successful outcome </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Category Review </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Who are the competitors? The players? </li></ul></ul>

36.
Requirements Document <ul><li>3. Target Audience </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Everyone on the web? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Strategic advantage of focus </li></ul></ul><ul><li>4. Company Portfolio </li></ul><ul><ul><li>What else do they have? </li></ul></ul><ul><li>5. Design Objectives & Execution Guidelines </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Style guides and exceptions </li></ul></ul>

37.
Requirements Document <ul><li>6. Project Scope, Timeline and Budget </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Talk them through </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Do phases </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Justify each one </li></ul></ul><ul><li>7. Research Data </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Collect all previous </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Add your own as you go </li></ul></ul><ul><li>8. Appendix </li></ul>

38.
Persuasion Strategy #5 Consistency <ul><li>Once we make a choice or take a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment </li></ul><ul><li>Signing petitions & non-binding contracts </li></ul><ul><li>The foot-in-the-door technique </li></ul><ul><ul><li>“ Drive Safely” study </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Long sales pitches </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Bait-and-switch </li></ul>

39.
Understand your Players <ul><li>What kind of person is the key stakeholder? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Power </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Recognition </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Social </li></ul></ul><ul><li>What are their design tastes, concerns </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Mood boards </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Competitive reviews </li></ul></ul>

40.
Mood Boards <ul><li>Opportunity to gather values </li></ul><ul><li>Invite stakeholders to play </li></ul><ul><li>Understand their tastes, phobias </li></ul>

41.
Presenting your design <ul><li>Before the presentation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Get feedback early </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Collect body of work– how we got here </li></ul></ul><ul><li>At the presentation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Recap the history of the project </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Reiterate goals (memes good) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Discuss process to arrive– research good! </li></ul></ul>

42.
Presentation <ul><li>Walk through your design (findings, architecture) </li></ul><ul><li>Explain reasoning </li></ul><ul><li>Avoid Jargon </li></ul><ul><li>Keep it impersonal and opinion-free </li></ul><ul><ul><li>NEVER use “I like” or “I thought” </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Only “It works because…” </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Refer to your consensus activities </li></ul>

43.
Persuasion Strategy #7 Social Proof <ul><li>We view a behavior as correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it </li></ul><ul><li>Canned laughter </li></ul><ul><li>“ Priming” tip jars </li></ul><ul><li>Seeding the audience </li></ul><ul><li>“ Best selling” & “Most popular” </li></ul>

44.
Presentation <ul><li>You can ask to have all question held until the end </li></ul><ul><li>If you don’t know, say so. (But promise a time for the answer) </li></ul><ul><li>Turn pixel criticism into discussions </li></ul><ul><li>Take notes! </li></ul><ul><li>If you are angry, defer. </li></ul><ul><li>Say you will address the issues, but don’t cave. </li></ul><ul><li>Thank people for their time. </li></ul>

45.
Sign off <ul><li>Get sign off at each critical point </li></ul><ul><li>Get it in writing </li></ul><ul><li>Note the logic behind it… you’ll need it later </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Open question: who should have sign off? </li></ul></ul>

46.
Holding on during launch <ul><li>Earlier Sign off is critical </li></ul><ul><li>Remind panicker of previous logic </li></ul><ul><li>Discuss risk of change </li></ul><ul><li>Discuss time pressures </li></ul><ul><li>Sleep on it </li></ul><ul><li>Be stubborn when it counts </li></ul>

47.
Persuasion Strategy #8 Scarcity <ul><li>Opportunities seem more valuable to us when they are less available </li></ul><ul><li>Supply and demand </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Scarce resources are more valuable </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>More valuable resources are more scarce </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Limited time offers </li></ul><ul><ul><li>“ X minutes left to call” </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>“ 1-Day Only!” </li></ul></ul>

48.
So Remember <ul><ul><li>Understand your network </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Know your value </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Articulate your value </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Prove it </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Advertise your successes </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Package yourself </li></ul></ul>

49.
And use Persuasion Strategies <ul><li>Reciprocity </li></ul><ul><li>Consistency </li></ul><ul><li>Social proof </li></ul><ul><li>Liking </li></ul><ul><li>Authority </li></ul><ul><li>Scarcity </li></ul>

50.
Conclusion <ul><li>We aren’t artists </li></ul><ul><li>We aren’t a service </li></ul><ul><li>We are partners in business success </li></ul><ul><li>KNOW YOUR VALUE AND HYPE IT </li></ul><ul><li>Be great every day </li></ul>

51.
Reading List <ul><li>Books </li></ul><ul><li>Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being </li></ul><ul><li>Remarkable by Seth Godin </li></ul><ul><li>ISBN: 159184021X </li></ul><ul><li>Learn to speak to marketing… </li></ul><ul><li>First, Break All the Rules: What the World's </li></ul><ul><li>Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus </li></ul><ul><li>Buckingham (Author), Curt Coffman (Author) </li></ul><ul><li>ISBN: 0684852861 </li></ul><ul><li>It’s what your managers are reading… </li></ul><ul><li>Make It Bigger by Paula Scher </li></ul><ul><li>ISBN: 1568983328 </li></ul><ul><li>Look ma, a design book! Learn to sell down, not up…. </li></ul><ul><li>Building Strong Brands by David A. Aaker </li></ul><ul><li>ISBN: 002900151X </li></ul><ul><li>Brand is the easiest way to express design value </li></ul><ul><li>The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from </li></ul><ul><li>Ideo, America's Leading Design Firm by Tom </li></ul><ul><li>Kelley, et al; </li></ul><ul><li>ISBN: 0385499841 </li></ul><ul><li>Ideo knows how to sell design solutions </li></ul><ul><li>Harvard Business Review Articles </li></ul><ul><li>How to Pitch a Brilliant Idea </li></ul><ul><li>Publication Date: Sep 1, 2003 </li></ul><ul><li>Author(s): Kimberly D Elsbach </li></ul><ul><li>Product Number: R0309J </li></ul><ul><li>What Is Strategy? </li></ul><ul><li>Publication Date: Feb 1, 2000 </li></ul><ul><li>Author(s): Michael E. Porter </li></ul><ul><li>Product Number: 4134 </li></ul><ul><li>Subscribe, there are many more…. </li></ul><ul><li>Other articles </li></ul><ul><li>Soft Skills for Information Architecture </li></ul><ul><li>By Jeff Lash </li></ul><ul><li>http://www.digital-web.com/columns/ianythinggoes/ianythinggoes_2003-09.shtml </li></ul>

52.
Q&A <ul><li>Christina Wodtke </li></ul><ul><li>[email_address] </li></ul><ul><li>www.yahoo.com </li></ul><ul><li>LEARN MORE! </li></ul><ul><li>book : : www.blueprintsfortheweb.com </li></ul><ul><li>zine : : www.boxesandarrows.com </li></ul><ul><li>blog : : www.eleganthack.com </li></ul><ul><li>peeps : : www.aifia.org </li></ul>DRINK MORE! AIfIA F2F Day: Wednesday Oct 15th Time: 8- until we are done Location the Cambridge Brewing Company (two blocks from conference hotel) See website http:// www.cambrew.com /