These are the full lecture slides from the 2011 UPA workshop I delivered with Georgia Spangenberg.

1. Creating an Experience-Driven Strategy Creating and using capstone statements to articulate, evangelize, and adhere to your strategy. presented by Dante Murphy and Georgia Spangenberg

2. Background Introduction: the evolution of a process for social change

3. The Need for a New Approach Many strategic initiatives include diverse information sources… primary and secondary research domain knowledge and subject-matter expertise established constraints and conventions project and organizational history …and a wide network of contributors… designers strategists stakeholders technologists …who fail to achieve their potential because… information is siloed communication is intermittent meetings do not foster innovation

4. Objectives of the Synthesis Framework Consolidate information sources focus on information relevant to the project leverage the contextual knowledge of the presenter provide a common baseline of understanding Facilitate collaboration ensure equal opportunity to contribute strengthen commitment through collective decision-making maximize efficiency and timeliness Deliver executable innovation apply “idealized design” tactics across the environment align with the needs and values of key customers achieve significant, extensible ROI

5. Breaking out of the silos Why does information that is clearly critical to the success of the project stay locked in a silo? There are too many meetings, and not every participant can make all of them It is impractical for a domain expert to share all of her knowledge and experience Information is consumed and interpreted differently by individuals on the project team An idealized process… Eliminates iteration by developing the strategy in a single unified flow Enables experts to share their knowledge contextually and efficiently Activates an effective “group mind” that ensures mutual understanding and agreement through consistent and open participation

6. Replacing communication with collaboration What stymies effective communication? Most media do not convey emotional, contextual, and temporal information effectively Participants are fearful of being perceived as foolish, frivolous, or impertinent Agendas and alliances divide participants into factions An idealized process… Allows communication to happen in real time, face to face Encourages a volume of ideas and a diversity of perspective that is inclusive and tolerant Facilitates consensus and sustainable agreements Attributes all outcomes to the team

7. Innovating in real time Why are meetings and presentations unsuitable vessels for innovation? Neither generally promotes divergent thinking Most involve a single dominant presenter or a Q&A format Participants frequently do not know what is expected of them Short meetings preclude immersion, and long meetings invite fatigue An idealized process… Involves divergent, emergent, and convergent thinking Requires full and active participation from every attendee Presents an actionable, directional objective that may evolve during the course of the session Is a contiguous, activity-oriented event with a finite time requirement

8. Process capstone statement The resulting process… …maximizes the accessibility and value of all available information... … through progressive disclosure… … and transparent collaboration, that… …requires equal and active participation… …from experts across many disciplines.. …with diverse professional and personal perspectives, that… …triggers a thematically aligned suite of innovative concepts… …to emerge and evolve… …in real time, that… …represents meaningful value… …to client business objectives… …and customer goals, that… …results in a plan… …that is accurately prioritized… …and meaningfully phased.

9. Selected case studies Healthcare professional online services platform for global healthcare client Our client came to us asking for a company portal. Our instincts and anecdotal observations told us this was not what their audience wanted. The research supported us…but what should we propose as an alternative? We needed a quick way to generate a new idea. This was the origin of the strategy statement and the prioritized release plan. Global digital marketing strategy for global healthcare client The size and scope of this project necessitated an approach that thrived on complexity, context, and collaboration. We added structured notes and the synthesis framework to our existing process, distilling over 11,000 observations into a single volume of planning, design, and execution guidelines. Social media research and partnership plan for global healthcare client Exploring the possibilities afforded by social media in a heavily regulated environment required an approached designed to deliver innovation. Adding the knowledge market as the final piece of the process enabled the inclusion of a greater variety of research inputs and unified the synthesis process.

10. Today you will… take meaningful notes that will enrich research observation and facilitate innovation collaborate to synthesize observations into insights using an integrated, flexible process use storytelling to elicit features and behaviors craft a capstone statement that defines specific tactics, addresses target audiences, and articulates a unified strategic objective present your strategy and tactics for constructive critique

11. Taking structured notes Section 1: get more out of your research observations

12. Observation is NOT a passive activity Active observation yields a lot more data A focused acuity that keeps participants energized and vigilant A greater volume of observations applies a quantitative veneer to qualitative research There is no inherent success metric to standard note-taking Our minds are inherently editorial Most note-takers only write down what they think is important or meaningful at the time it happens Thinking interferes with observation Our observations often have meaning to others In a collaborative process, you owe it to the group to record everything you see so that others can respond to it based upon their expertise, experience, perspective, and personality

13. The categories Functional Needs “I need to make Thanksgiving dinner for my in-laws.” Emotional Drivers “I am afraid they will be disappointed by my cooking.” Current Behaviors “For big events, I usually call a caterer.” Desired Experiences “I wish I had an experienced chef to help me.” Ideas and Solutions Maybe she could do what she is an expert at…a personal favorite recipe, or decorating, or dessert, and put the focus on that…

14. Structure can be flexible Most observations can align with one of the listed categories Accuracy is less important than capturing as many observations as possible The template provides a consistent language and shorthand The template reminds us of the elements of an experience-driven strategy Column labels enable most observations to be recorded much more quickly An example: Full text (42 words): “Doctor Jones needs to get the correct dosing for the drug, but doesn’t use the manufacturer’s website because they require him to register before he can see that information and he doesn’t want to get a lot of SPAM, so he uses Medscape instead.” Structured template (7 words): Functional Need: “dosing” Emotional Driver: “fear of SPAM” Current Behavior: “Medscape” Desired Experience: “no login”

15. The template The more you use structured notes, the more natural it becomes. Let’s start by practicing now.

16. The collaborative synthesis framework Section 2: refine observations into insights

17. The elements of the framework Knowledge Market presentations by subject-matter experts Affinity Mapping observations into insight groups Delphic Sort of insight groups into coherent themes Story-Plotting tactics for key audiences A Capstone Statement that aggregates key tactics into a unified strategy

18. The Knowledge Market Subject-matter experts share key knowledge with the entire core team, providing all participants the same baseline information while understanding and internalizing each others’ perspectives Each presenter shares information such as customer personas, business metrics, technology constraints and brand guidelines Presentations are short (10-20 minutes each) and focused only on information of immediate relevance to the project Participants record their observations into a structured template Functional needs Emotional drivers Current behaviors Desired experiences Individual ideas and impressions Observations are numbered and carried forward into subsequent activities Time estimate: 1-2 hours

19. Affinity Mapping Participants group and apply labels to their collected observations using printed sheets that make the collected wisdom of the group visible and tangible Each observation from the knowledge market is printed on a single sheet of paper in random order Sheets are distributed to participants in equal-sized stacks Participants create or find clusters and apply labels that describe a common thread to the collected insights The activity is led by a facilitator, who encourages active discussion and editing, combining, or splitting clusters When a participant gets stuck, she trades stacks with another participant Every observation must be placed and every cluster must be given a label Time estimate: 30 minutes

20. Delphic Sort Participants review initial clusters through two rounds of review and revision, ensuring distribution of perspective Each participant selects a cluster and goes through observation, shifting observations between clusters, creating new clusters, or modifying the label of the cluster The facilitator encourages open discussion, tracks the progress of the activity, and urges action over analysis Once a participant has completed a cluster, he initials the cluster label and moves on to another cluster Activity continues until each cluster has been reviewed and initialed by two different participants Any cluster which represents a theme that is beyond the scope of the project can be excluded, but only by unanimous consent of the group Time estimate: 30 minutes

21. Story-Plotting Participants create stories that articulate the realities of the current situation for a cluster and describe idealized solutions that represent possibilities or address fears for specific audiences The facilitator distributes the completed clusters among the participants, mindful of the relative “weight” of each For each cluster, a “story-plot” cover sheet is distributed Participants map each observation to a quadrant of the story-plot Individually, participants draft a brief narrative about their cluster that describes the situation and offers an innovative design solution for a specific targeted audience Participants report their stories to the group Group members respond with constructive or additive feedback The activity continues until every cluster has been reported Time estimate: 60-90 minutes

22. The Capstone Statement The team works together to craft a single sentence that defines the expected outcome and audiences of the project The facilitator may display a “mad-lib” template to use as a starting point The facilitator projects the working draft onto a screen for all to see The group works together to formulate, modify, and finalize the strategy statement The statement indicates: the overarching objective of the project the key tactics it contains the audiences it serves the benefits those audiences will derive from it the timing of its completion Time estimate: 30 minutes

23. Timing and Effort The process can be as short as a single day, but should never take more than a week Sample timeline: Pre-requisite: collect or complete all inputs Knowledge Market on morning of Day 1 Print all observation sheets over lunch break on Day 1 Complete all activities through strategy statement afternoon of Day 1 Project management team drafts phased release plan on Day 2 Team re-convenes on Day 3 to finalize plan

24. Group Exercise Using the provided sets of observations… Affinity map the observations into clusters Announce new clusters as you create them Verbalize your process Don’t over-think it, just get it done Delphic sort each cluster Aim for coherent themes Get help and give feedback

25. Using storytelling Section 3: apply innovation and vision to problems and opportunities

26. What is storytelling? Storytelling uses the story triangle to activate the collective experience, expertise, and imagination of the team The storyteller interacts with the story, modifying it based upon his perceptions of the audience and his prior experience The audience interacts with the story, interpreting it and visualizing details based upon their own experiences The audience and the storyteller interact, responding to literal, contextual, and non-verbal feedback Storytelling resource Storytelling for User Experience by Kevin Brooks and Whitney Quesenbery

27. Plotting the insights At this stage of the process, you will have around 15 stacks of insights labeled with unifying themes. The facilitator places a story-plot template on top of every stack Each participant assigns the numbered observations in the stack to a position on the grid Brief notes should accompany each unique concept on the grid to facilitate the creation of the narrative later in the activity Duplicate or similar observations can be clustered or arranged to represent a continuum Let’s take a few minutes to do this with the stacks you’ve been provided.

28. Deriving meaning from insights Group insights by theme and time Grouping illustrates the “density” of an observation Position determines whether a solution is literal or requires discovery Once all observations are placed, the participant adds another layer of analysis and meta-information Identify areas of opportunity for innovation or differentiation Articulate tactics that deliver meaning or value Attribute the story elements to a customer profile or persona

29. A sample completed story-plot

30. Framing out the narrative Drive to action in the future The strategy and resulting design live in the near future defined by today’s capabilities focused on today’s issues contextualized by today’s cultural and regulatory realities Realize possibilities, avoid fears and anxieties Focus not only on what your product or service can do, but what customers can and will do for themselves start with customer goals work back to the enabling content, tool, service or feature Understand that as a product or service market matures, features give way to usability and desirability

31. Telling the story Stories are about real people doing real things Every story must align with a specific customer profile or persona Avoid “magic bullet” stories that are more representative of the dreams of the client than of the goals of the customer Stories do not have to be complete narratives; vignettes are usually best to illustrate a tactical opportunity How many stories do you need? Every cluster of observations has at least one meaningful story Only tell multiple stories when each one illuminates a unique customer goal or design element The goal of each story is to provide fodder for group discussion and ideation, not to represent an articulated solution

32. Group exercise Create your narrative Plot insights against the grid Analyze the plot and develop themes Outline a real story about a real customer Present the story to the group Use the medium most comfortable to you Don’t worry about how an idea will work, only that it is meaningful Telling the story is “putting the ball in play” Invite and encourage teammates to enrich and evolve your story Capture compelling elements Rich opportunities Differentiating tactics Unanticipated customer profiles

33. Creating a strategy statement Section 4: unify your project team

34. Elements of the capstone statement The capstone statement… …describes key tactics, such as content, tools, services, and features… …aligned with measurable objectives and articulated goals… …of existing and prospective business and customer audiences. A template helps to align and unify the many elements derived from the storytelling phase Different types of elements Different levels of detail Different priorities

35. Sample template The <thing you are creating> will… …provide <a specific kind of value>… …to <a targeted customer segment>…<or two>…<or three>… …by providing <tactic one>…<tactic two>…<tactic three>… …<at some specified time>… …<under some specific conditions>… …that <achieves some business objective>…<and another>… …supporting <the client’s>…<position in the market>.

36. Who writes the statement? Collaborative writing Project a template and live-edit Use a whiteboard “Magnetic poetry” method The role of the lead strategist Alternately, an experienced strategist can draft a strategy statement to present to the group for critique and refinement The most important thing is that only one statement is in play; the goal is for the team to be unified.

37. Sample :: US healthcare professional information platform The e-Services Platform is… …a common set of content and tools that provide services and information to physicians in support of their patients and practice… …and enhances their relationship with <client>… …available on the physician section of each <client> brand website, …and accessible by mobile devices… …with content and services organized according to their timeliness… …supported by a physician profile which grows over time… …informed by explicitly stated preferences, search terms entered and acted upon, and other online patterns of use… …designed to provide increasingly personalized content and tools, based on the evolution of the physician profile… …which can be accessed on each individual brand site, or can be aggregated in a personal, customizable physician landing page… …that includes personal messages and alerts, physician-specified links to content and tools, and access to information that does not have a dedicated brand website or outlet.

38. Sample :: Global digital communications strategy The Global Online Customer Experience Strategy… …informs and recommends up-to-date content, usable tools and timely services that are… …validated, corroborated or aggregated from multiple sources… … able to be annotated, rated, shared or provided by HCPs or HCCs… …transparent in source and genuine in intention… …localized with regard to language, standards of practice and care, cultural conventions and regulatory guidelines… …responsive to the evolving boundary of where digital interactions are welcome… …and are quickly and easily accessible across prevalent online channels and digital devices, including mobile. …enables trusting and collaborative relationships between and among… …healthcare professionals…including pharmacists, nurses, medical assistants, and other practice extenders… …and healthcare consumers…including caregivers and those who manage care for others… …merging live and digital interactions, inclusive of human contact… …while recognizing and supporting the emotional needs of patients, caregivers and families. …articulates the value of treatment and prevention to improving patient outcomes… …by clarifying the benefits of treatment and prevention versus the risks of unchecked progression of disease… …through enhanced communication, education, and monitoring… …designed for individuals with diverse learning styles and levels of understanding… …that uses approaches that enhance engagement and retention… …and personalized for the specific concerns and context of each audience. …facilitates partnership in the healthcare relationship… …enabling healthcare consumers to become more proactive in managing their own health… …and enabling healthcare professionals to maximize their contribution to patient care. …evolves a relationship of value and trust with <client>… …that is cognizant of the time limitations faced by all HCPs and HCCs… …and is conscious of the financial pressures faced by patients and payers.

39. Sample :: Social media strategy for pharma manufacturer Social Media is… …the confluence of peers and information… …influencing attitudes and behaviors… …by amplifying immediacy, plurality, breadth, and depth of interaction… …characterized by an elastic mix of transient and enduring relationships… …that can be shaped and controlled by the user.

40. Let’s try one… The <thing you are creating> will… …provide <a specific kind of value>… …to <a targeted customer segment>…<or two>…<or three>… …by providing <tactic one>…<tactic two>…<tactic three>… …<at some specified time>… …<under some specific conditions>… …that <achieves some business objective>…<and another>… …supporting <the client’s>…<position in the market>.

41. Presenting a detailed strategy Section 5: formulate a meaningful, executable plan

42. Getting tactical The divergent and emergent thinking about the strategy is now, for the most part, complete. The rest of the creativity will happen during design. To get there, you need a tactical plan. Identify and list each unique tactic Rate each tactic on Customer value Business value Feasibility Develop weighting formula Modify formula and ratings until consensus is reached Group list segments into releases and apply timing Create a tactical map

43. Extracting the tactics Most of the tactics by now have been described, either in the project brief or as part of the storytelling or capstone exercises. Each tactic should be Independent Finite Aligned to a customer Traceable to its origin

45. It’s OK to have multiple ratings for any audience type

46. Just remember that you have to come up with a formula, so don’t make ratings any more complex than they have to be

47. Rate from 1-5, where 5 is highest

48. Don’t haggle over decimal points

51. Modules in a system

52. Project teams

53. Audiences

55. Sample tactical map :: e-Services Platform

56. Sample tactical map :: Global Online Customer Experience

57. Finalizing the strategy The creation of the tactical map signals clear consensus among project team members on direction and execution. Where possible, prioritization and phasing should be done with the whole project team present If not, remember to get their feedback before presenting the strategy to stakeholders In the time remaining, feel free to practice any of the techniques we’ve covered and ask any questions you might have. Also, please be sure to fill out a session evaluation, and sign our mailing list for updates and additional resources related to this material.

58. “Ask…what together we can do for the freedom of man.” Closing

59. Thanks! Dante MurphyGlobal Experience Director, Digitas Health @dantemurphy oxbyd.wordpress.com Georgia SpangenbergSenior Information Architect, Razorfish Health @247ux