Introductory workshop delivered at the University of Edinburgh, for the Learning Teaching and Web Division of Information Services. 7 July 2016.

1. Collaborative sketching
Research through design
Neil Allison
UX Manager
Website & Communications
@usabilityed
IS Learning, Teaching & Web awayday
7 July 2016

2. About this session
• We’re going to solve a design “problem” together
• We’re all going to participate
• Sketching, sharing, collaborating
• Don’t worry about your design skills
• This is about ideas and communication
• It’s not about beautifully formed interfaces
Source: Adaptive Path

3. • http://bit.ly/UoE-collaborative-sketch

4. Today’s challenge
Design a ‘Page not found’ (404-error) page for the University

6. What to think about
• Who would encounter this?
• What might they be doing when this happens?
• How would they feel?
• How could we help?
• Consider:
• Appearance: design elements that reflect the University’s reputation
• Functionality: what would help the website visitor?
• Words: what we say and how we say it has a big impact on what happens next

7. Step 1 – sketching on your own
• Sketch as many ideas for ‘Page not found’ 404 error pages as you can
• Use the 6 screen template
• You have only 5 minutes!
Source: Adaptive Path

8. 5 minutes left

9. 4 minutes left

10. 3 minutes left

11. 2 minutes left

12. 1 minute left

13. Time up!

14. Step 2 - share your sketches
• Take turns to share your ideas with your group
• 1 minute each

15. 6 minutes left

16. 5 minutes left

17. 4 minutes left

18. 3 minutes left

19. 2 minutes left

20. 1 minute left

21. Time up!

22. Step 3 – sketching with others’ ideas
• Refine your sketch ideas
• You must use at least one idea
from someone else
• Use the 6 screen template
• You have only 5 minutes!
Source: Adaptive Path

23. 5 minutes left

24. 4 minutes left

25. 3 minutes left

26. 2 minutes left

27. 1 minute left

28. Time up!

29. Step 4 - share your sketches again
• Take turns to share your ideas with your group
• 1 minute each

30. 6 minutes left

31. 5 minutes left

32. 4 minutes left

33. 3 minutes left

34. 2 minutes left

35. 1 minute left

36. Time up!

37. Step 5 – paired sketching
• Work with a partner to produce one refined sketch
• You must use at least one idea
from someone else again
• Use the single screen template
• Use a Sharpie
• You have only 5 minutes!
Source: Adaptive Path

38. 5 minutes left

39. 4 minutes left

40. 3 minutes left

41. 2 minutes left

42. 1 minute left

43. Time up!
Put your design on the wall
+ Names
+ Table number

44. What just happened here?
• We collaborated & shared
• We explored a problem & got inside other people’s experiences
• We sketched & listened more than we talked
• We generated ideas - around 300 in under an hour

45. Further reading & resources
• Adaptive Path
• Sketchboards: Discover Better + Faster UX Solutions
http://adaptivepath.org/ideas/sketchboards-discover-better-faster-ux-solutions/
• UIE (User Interface Engineering)
• Design Studio Workshop: Adding Up the Benefits
https://articles.uie.com/design_studio_workshop/
• LTW Website & Communications
• Rapid collaborative prototyping enhances mobile search results
http://bit.ly/UoE-collaborative-sketch

46. Thank you
Neil Allison (@usabilityed)
UX Manager, Website & Communications
Join the UX Mailing list: ux@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk