This document summarizes a workshop on fast-paced user research, synthesis, and ideation. The workshop covers conducting guerrilla user research through observation and interviews, synthesizing findings, generating opportunities and solutions, developing personas and scenarios to tell stories, and prototyping ideas through wireframes, mockups, and tangible "boxes". The goal is to move quickly from user research to understanding users' needs and challenges to generating ideas to address them.

1. From user research
to ideation
Workshop on fast paced,
guerrilla user research,
synthesis and ideation
Maruša Novak & Damjan Obal @ blok_blok / Mladi.info / Mb, October 2012

2. “The creation and synchronization
of the elements that affect users’
experience with a particular
company, with the intent of
influencing their perception and
behavior.”
Unger & Chandler

3. “The creation and synchronization
of the elements that affect users’
UX
experience with a particular
company, with the intent of
influencing their perception and
behavior.”
Unger & Chandler

4. Getting there
User-centered Design (UCD),
Goal-directed Design, Double Diamond ...
http://colly.com

5. The Undercover Manifesto*
★ Introducing UX from the ground up
★ Change comes through small victories
★ Delivery, not deliverables
★ Good design today is better than great design
next year
★ Working with people, not against them
★ Action, not words
* Bowles & Box

6. The Undercover Manifesto*
★
r i lla
Introducing UX from the ground up
e r
★ Change comes through small victories
u
g
★ Delivery, not deliverables
★ Good design today is better than great design
I Y
next year
D
★ Working with people, not against them
★ Action, not words
* Bowles & Box

8. Why research, you ask...

9. Why research, you ask...
Research = insight =
understanding = better UX
= :)

10. But research is...
Expensive!
Long! Waste of time!
We lack skills for it!

11. But research is...
Expensive!
s it ?
i
Long! Waste of time!
We lack skills for it!

12. Let’s see, shall we?
9:00-10:00 - User Research 101
10:00 - 11:00 - Go-out-and-play
11:00 - 11:30 - Research synthesis & Ideation
11:30 - 13:00 - Define the damn thing
13:00 - 14:00 - Lunch
14:00 - 15:00 - Fill. Make. Sell.
Oy, and coffee?!?

13. User research (for today)
The topic: Youth unemployment.
Research in-the-wild:
★ Observation
★ Contextual inquiry & Interviews
★ Focus on interviews & forget target groups
★ Be a ninja but not a voyeur
Weapons of choice: notepad, video & photo
(phone is more than enough)

14. Interviewing 101
★ PLAN AHEAD!
★ Interview where the interaction happens
★ Ask open-ended questions (look for HOW & WHY)
★ Avoid a fixed set of questions
★ Avoid leading questions (eg. What’s wrong with
your existing mobile application?)
★ Focus on goals instead of tasks
★ Encourage storytelling
★ Ask for show & tell
★ Master your small talk & improvise

15. Observation 101
★ Explore the broader context (how does it all fit
together? what channels, what touchpoints?)
★ Look for challenges
★ Discover “hacks” and shortcuts
★ Consider edge cases and extreme users

16. Observation 101
feeling / thinking / doing
motivations framing behaviors

17. Your turn / Interview Exercise
Topic: What was your first working
experience like?
Time: 2 minute each
Roles: Interviewed / Interviewer / Observer

18. Your turn. Again.
Go out and play. Explore.
Observe. Talk. Interact.
Take notes. Discover.
& be back by 11:00

19. Get it all out
Note all observations, challenges
and findings in short form. Each
on a post-it. Also look at the
photos, videos from the field.
Start alone, then in group.
(5 min)

20. Gather meaning
Create an Affinity Map. Cluster notes. Now.
(10 min)

21. Research synthesis
Synthesis = sense-making through an iterative
process of refining gathered data*
★ Identify opportunities (generative, change we
can envision. Opportunities = solutions)
★ Identify patterns
★ Discover the stories
* borrowed from Steve Portigal. Thanks Steve :)

22. Towards Ideation
From findings(it is hard to get a job) to
opportunities (improve the recruiting
experience) to ideation questions (how can we
improve...?) to strategies (connect youth with
jobs) to solutions (mobile job board).
Only ideas - not refined yet!

23. Your turn. Ideate!
Define:
From findings(it is hard to get a job) to
opportunities (improve the recruiting
experience) to ideation questions (how can we
improve...?) to strategies (connect youth with
jobs) to solutions (mobile job board).
(20 min)

24. Tell stories.
Part 1: The hero.
Persona - user model, a composite archetype
based on research with real users.
★ Personifications, presented as a real person
★ Persona vs. Stereotype
★ Distinct set of behavior patterns
★ Can represent nonusers
★ Persona types: Primary, secondary,
supplemental, customer, served, negative

25. Part 1: The hero. Persona.
A design tool that also helps resolve the issue of:
★ The elastic user
★ Self-referential design
★ Edge cases

26. Tell stories.
Part 2: Goals.
Goals are drivers behind behaviors.
★ Motivate usage patterns
★ Don’t ask for goals. Reconstruct them.
★ Each goal in a simple sentence.
★ Three types of goals:
★ experience goals (have fun)
★ end goals (find a job)
★ life goals (be successful in...)

27. Tell stories.
Part 3: Scenarios.
Narrative as a design tool.
Scenarios vs. Journey Map vs. Experience Map
★ Context scenario
★ Key path scenario
★ Validation scenario

28. Part 3: Scenarios.
Touchpoints vs. Channels
Channel: A medium of interaction with users.
(TV, Mobile, Internet, Newspaper)
Touchpoint: A point of interaction involving a
specific human need in a specific time and place

29. Your turn. Design personas.
Name: Eli Roth
Age: 5
Hobbies: Chasing my tail
Daily routine: Eat. Drink. Sleep.
Likes: Foooood.
Dislikes: Walks in the park.
Goals: Live long and prosper. Find
that darn bone. Have a blast.
(10 min)

30. Your turn.
Tell/sketch the story.
Pair context scenario with a storyboard and
introduce your solution(s).
How is your persona tackling the everyday
challenges of work, volunteering, education...
with the help of your solution?
Sketch & combine.
(30 min)

32. n o t

33. Your turn.
Wireframes & lo-fi prototypes
Add UI mockups/wireframes/screens of your
lo-fi prototype, glue to existing scenario.
(20 min)

34. Lunch
Back at 14:00

35. Your turn.
Design the Box.
Make your idea tangible.
1. Fill the box
(names, users, features, functions...)
2. Make the box (tagline, for who, compelling features, design)
3. Sell the box
(30 min)
http://www.gogamestorm.com

36. Fun?
Maruša Novak / @marusanovak
Damjan Obal / @damjanobal
blok_blok