Invited talk given to xHub Innovative Society in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Talk abstract at http://www.xhubaddis.com/xhub-speaker-series-design-methods-and-lessons-for-application-development/.

1. Design Methods and Lessons
for Application Development
Kathleen Ludewig Omollo
Staffer @ University of Michigan Medical School
Presentation to xHub Addis on October 15, 2015
Today’s slides: slideshare.net/tag/xhubaddis
Except where otherwise noted, this work is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Copyright 2015 The Regents of the University of Michigan.
Talk abstract at:
http://www.xhubaddis.com/xhub-speaker-series-design-methods-and-lessons-for-application-development/.

2. Why I Am in Ethiopia 2
Photo of Dr. Tedros and Dr. Senait Fisseha is All Rights Reserved, University of Michigan.
Source: https://michiganinethiopia.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/at1_2404.jpg.
Interactive Map of (33) Ethiopian Medical Schools:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z3uiKq-XwqtE.kLzfB2_WTmvs&usp=sharing..
Visionary Leadership for
Health in Ethiopia
March 25, 2011:
Dr. Senait arranged for Dr. Tedros to
visit University of Michigan Medical
School to discuss the expansion of
medical schools in Ethiopia.
I was invited to join.

3. Why This Intrigued Me: My Core Interests 3
Bold,
complex,
new
challenges
Bold,
complex,
new
challenges
Multi-
cultural,
global
collaboration
Multi-
cultural,
global
collaboration
Creative uses
of
technology
Creative uses
of
technology
Potential for
dramatic
social impact
Potential for
dramatic
social impact

4. How I Connected with xHub 4
SPHMMC Logo is trademarked. Image of Lia Tadesse is All Rights Reserved by the Regents of the University of
Michigan. Image of Teddy Tadesse is All Rights Reserved by Erik Hersman,
http://whiteafrican.com/2014/05/12/experiencing-ethiopia-tech-hubs-part-2/
Visionary Leadership for
Workforce Development
in Ethiopia
I met Lia and Teddy Tadesse in
April 2012 on my first trip to Ethiopia.
Teddy mentione his vision for a
tech innovation hub in August 2013.

5. Why xHub Inspires Me 5
The ICT industry in Ethiopia is still nascent. You are the
emerging leaders in technology in your country.
Ethiopia is the fifth-fastest growing economy of the 188
member countries of the International Monetary Fund
(http://brook.gs/1fbnu0N).
Through the relationship with the Center for African
Leadership Studies xHub has a competitive advantage.
xHub is empowering a holistic, young technology workforce
that blends the entrepreneurial mindset, a culture of
leadership, and technology skills.
Only a year after the official launch, xHub has already
attracted international press, from AFP News Agency
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWs4s1K2cg4)

6. Focus for Today’s Session 6
In a career that has included a variety of roles
(programmer, business systems analyst,
research assistant, and project manager), I
have learned lessons and methods about
software applications in the areas of:
•Assessing and Selecting
•Designing
•Developing
•Adapting
•Integrating
•Promoting

7. My Path: From My Programmer Days 7
Hathi Trust manages millions of digital
books at a consortium of universities,
including those scanned by:
NetSpy is a java
programmable network
analyzer for teaching
computer science students
about packet structure.
Images on this slide are all rights reserved.

8. My Path: From My Programmer Days 8
Interactive version at
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kludewig/RADTreeNavigator.htm.

9. My Path: Selection, Design, Adaptation 9
The adapted
content
management
system (based on
Drupal) that
currently runs
open.umich.edu
A prototype
with dynamic
analytics
integration
Google and
YouTube
http://open.umich.edu/connect/projects#oerbit

10. My Path: Selection, Design, Adaptation 10
Open Case Builder (http://openmi.ch/casebuilder) is an open source downloadable web
app that can be used to create simple instructional modules such as patient cases,
quizzes, and readings. Neither an Internet connection nor knowledge of HTML or web
page design is required.

11. Connecting More Complex Systems
(My Current World)
11
Learning Cycle Diagram by
Dr. Charles P. Friedman,
University of Michigan
A Learning Health System is an
organization or network of
organizations that can
continuously study and improve
itself. Fundamental to the
concept, which was pioneered by
the Institute of Medicine in 2007,
is the capacity and commitment
to reshape every healthcare
interaction to rapidly study and
adapt the system.
- http://LHS.medicine.umich.edu/LKS/learninghealthsystem

12. Original video at http://bcove.me/jb6n5ac3 (Under 3 minutes).
See also the article at https://hbr.org/2008/06/design-thinking.
Design Thinking: Introductory Video 12

13. Design Thinking: Fail 13
Image is all rights reserved. Source unknown.

14. Design Thinking: Fail 14
Image is all rights reserved.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/PUSH-PULL-Closed-Double-Sided/dp/B008VF0L8M

15. Design Method: Market Research 15
Image is all rights reserved.
Source:
http://www.rankhigher.ca/top-3-
.
Alerts.Google.com can
be used to setup email
alerts when new pages
that match your
keywords are indexed
in Google’s search
engine. This can be
used to monitor web
content about your
products, your
competitor(s), or your
field.

16. Design Method: Interviews, Focus Groups16
Image CC BY IICD, https://www.flickr.com/photos/iicd/5351690749/.
Keep the
interviews –
whether one on
one or with a
small group -
low-tech.
Listen.
Observe.
Use post-its or
whiteboards.

17. Design Method: Interview Incentives 17
Image CC BY
CCFoodTravel.com,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cu
.
Start the conversation
over coffee.

18. Design Method: Observation (Video) 18
Menlo Innovations, a design firm in Ann Arbor, the city
where I live, calls their design approach “High-Tech
Anthropology®”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHrKx8HWSeo. (2 min)
The only way to understand what makes a new system
successful is to study and observe the potential end users in
their native environment. This includes gaining an
understanding of the differences between users of the
software, the kinds of mistakes each are prone to make, and
how those differences should drive the design...
[We] have a self-stated goal: to end human suffering in
the world as it relates to technology™.”
http://www.menloinnovations.com/our-method/high-tech-anthro

19. Design Method: Personas 19
A persona is made up
personality who has
similar, representative
characteristics to the
person(s) who are
targeting as your
primary audience. You
create these based on
interviews, observations,
surveys, and other
market research.
Image is an example
persona from the Open
Case Builder team.

20. Design Method: Personas 20
You cannot design for
everyone. You need to
identify your target
audience(s), rank them
according to priority,
and design for the
highest priority persona.
Image is example
persona ranking from
the Open Case Builder
team.

21. Design Method: Rapid Prototypes 21
Menlo Innovations' High-Tech
Anthropology®
Scaffolding in Ethiopia. Image CC BY Eugene Kim,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eekim/2321041593/.
Scaffolding
enables you to
build in phases.
It supports you
as you
construct the
next phase. It is
not meant to
be robust
enough to be
the final,
permanent
product.

22. Design Method: Simple Mockups 22
A little
whiteboard
sketching
goes a long
way.
Image CC BY Arthur Araújo, Source
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutzstyle/8617223351/

23. Design Method: Simple Mockups 23
GLIFFY.com
has templates
and graphics for
screens for web
applications
(Free)

24. Design Thinking: Practice 24
Take a course from one of the
thought leaders in design
(who wrote one of the core
books in the field):
https://www.udacity.com/cou
rse/intro-to-the-design-of-
everyday-things--design101

25. Design Thinking: Practice 25
These books, guides, and free downloads are all great
destinations to help you routinely innovate and solve big
problems.
http://www.designkit.org/,
by IDEO (one of the premiere design companies)

26. • Be aware of balancing perfectionism and timing.
"Good is excellence in motion.” (quote from
executive coach at XX in Health conference)
• "Let yourself create those imperfect, yet amazing
ideas.” (quote from slideshare.net/denisejacobs)
• “Fail faster” by sharing demos and prototypes early
and often. Become comfortable sharing your work in
progress with trusted partners.
• Keep designs simple. “Innovation is radical common
sense.” (quote from AAMC 2014 Annual Meeting)
• Learn from kids. Foster a culture of play and
experimentation.
Application Dev.: Other Takeaways 26

27. This presentation is Copyright 2015 The Regents of the University of
Michigan. Except where otherwise noted, this work is available under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Connect with Me 27
kludewig@umich.edu
umich.edu/~kludewig
slideshare.net/kludewig
Today’s slides:
slideshare.net/tag/xhubaddis
@kathleena20
Linkedin.com/in/KathleenLudewigOmollo

28. Connect with xHub Addis Community 28
https://www.facebook.com/xhubaddis/
@xhubaddis
xhubaddis.com