SlideShare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
SlideShare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details.
Successfully reported this slideshow.
Activate your 14 day free trial to unlock unlimited reading.
The F-Word... Fail Failure as
a part of the design process David Farkas The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
I Failed 10:45AM - Last
Day Philadelphia Design and Strategy TammanTech @dafark8 #FailBtrUX The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Failure intransitive verb a: to
fall short <failed in his duty> b: to be or become absent or inadequate <the water supply failed> c: to be unsuccessful; specifically :to be unsuccessful in achieving a passing grade http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fail?show=0&t=1359568111 http://hans.gerwitz.com/2011/03/07/fail-stamp.html The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Mistake transitive verb a :
to blunder in the choice of <mistook her way in the dark> b : to misunderstand the meaning or intention of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistake?show=0&t=1360945111 http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v2vlvFk9lxI/Tz1N-wTEHoI/AAAAAAAAeYI/ZrR2uzz0iSc/s1600/dewey-defeats-truman.jpg 115 The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Redefined, Failure a: a time
of personal discomfort, or a time you feel you could have done better b: a bad day c: an instance or event where things when differently then planned The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Failure Experience “Experience is what
you get when you didn’t get what you want” - Randy Pausch The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Experience (fail) has a Stigma
http://www.theleadtype.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Stooges-Nun.jpg The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
I Have Failed Experienced ✤
Presentations gone awry ✤ Timelines missed ✤ Failed meetings ✤ Arguments with clients ✤ Arguments with teammates ✤ Not meeting my own expectations ✤ Expecting the worst, not pushing myself The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Leads to Success “I have
not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways NOT to make a light bulb” - Thomas Edison The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Learn from Others Failure Experience
Type: Communication Failure Experience: Large client with rotating project team http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan4th/2402329882/sizes/l/in/photostream/ The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Learn from Others Lessons: Document
early and often Teach: Exercises and samples of clear/unclear documentation http://xkcd.com/1015/ The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Experience Humility Failure Experience Type:
Personal Failure Experience: Dropped the ball on a presentation with a major client The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Experience Humility Lessons: Assume nothing.
Teach: Take time to prepare and review http://survivingtheworld.net/Lesson362.html The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Build Trust Failure Experience Type:
Social Failure Experience: Kickstarter got grief for not showing failed projects I found one! The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Build Trust Lessons: Be honest
about your motivations and intent. Teach: Play ‘devil’s advocate’ http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/37933367386/g-g-the-book-g-g-on-facebook-g-g-on-twitter The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Expose Process Failure Experience Type:
Business Failure Experience: Project ended prematurely due to misalignment of expectations of process. http://www.flickr.com/photos/suburbanadventure/8240533220/sizes/h/in/ photostream/ The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Expose Process Lessons: Don’t be
sneaky and address concerns up front Teach: Environment of trust http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2009-12-22/ The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Consistency Failure Experience Type: Process
Failure Experience: No formal process for the team or client to follow leading to srcabmle http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HCatlRPRyCk/TbaBN8yAGQI/AAAAAAAAALg/ gHJx8ShWBOc/s1600/chutesladders.gif The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Consistency Lessons: Don’t skimp on
process Teach: Shadowing and learning from each other’s roles http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=459 The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Value of Experience Value of
failing experiences Value of sharing failures experiences The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Learn to Fail Better “...I
am convinced that unless I talk openly about what I’ve learned so far - unless I hold myself accountable in public - then the lessons will not last. I will lose the only consolation of my failure, which is the promise that I will not fail like this again. That I might, one day, find a way to fail better. ” - Jonah Lehrer http://www.jonahlehrer.com/2013/02/my-apology/ The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Take It Home! • Share
experiences with clients • Make it part of your presentations • Document document document! • Text Open workshops and brainstorming • Share discarded ideas • Write about it • Talk about it The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
So Remember •Failure is a
part of life •Don’t call it failure •We all do it •Discuss Experiences •Internally and with clients •Fail often and fast http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Turtleback-Library-Binding-Edition/dp/0613685725 The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
Resources Mindfire: Big Ideas for
Curious Minds, Scott Berkun Success Through Failure: The Paradox of Design, Henry Petroski Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong, Alina Tugend We Learn Nothing, Time Kreider Juice: The Creative Fuel That Drives World-Class Inventors, Evan I. Schwartz Smart Ways to Talk About Failure, http://philanthropy.com/blogs/the-giveaway/smart-ways-to-talk-about-failure/968 Various TEDtalks http://www.ted.com/talks/tags/failure Kickstarter Responds to “Hidden Failed Project” Claims http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/31/kickstarter-responds-to-hidden-failed-project-claims/ Jonah Lehrer, open letter apology http://www.jonahlehrer.com/2013/02/my-apology/ http://hadonejob.com Exploring the Al-Chet Prayer http://www.aish.com/h/hh/yom-kippur/guide/Exploring_the_Al-Chet_Prayer.html http://hadonejob.com/ The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX
In Closing “An expert is
a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field” - Niels Bohr The F-Word, FAIL IASummit April 2013 David Farkas @dafark8 #FailBtrUX