The document discusses how to overhaul a design without upsetting users. It recommends: 1. Making changes based on evidence from user research like metrics, feedback and competitive analysis. 2. Having an ongoing user-centered design process in place to continuously collect the right evidence. 3. Deciding if a redesign is truly needed by determining the size of any issues and what may be gained or lost. 4. Redesigning with the right expertise, using additional strategy, research, testing and simplification. 5. Being prepared for potential backlash by having a communication plan, considering power users, and providing training.

1. How to Overhaul Your Design Without Upsetting
Your Users
Mary Piontkowski, Macadamian
Brian Lawley, 280 Group

2. Agenda
PART 1
Meet the Speakers
PART 2
WHEN to Consider Overhauling
Your Design in the Seven Phase Life Cycle
PART 3
HOW to Overhaul Your Design
Without Upsetting Your Users
2

3. Introductions
Brian Lawley Mary Piontkowski
CEO & Founder Director, User Experience
280 Group Macadamian
Brian Lawley is the CEO and Founder of Mary Piontkowski, Macadamian’s
the 280 Group and the author three Director, User Experience, has worked
best-selling books, The Phenomenal with other high-profile companies such
Product Manager, Expert Product as Adaptive Path, Organic, and
Management and 42 Rules of Product Macromedia. Through her strategic
Management and is the former President approach, creative expertise, and
of the Silicon Valley Product mastery of a variety methods for
Management Association. Brian was design and innovation, Mary has
awarded the Association of International helped build robust experiences for
Product Marketing Management award Fortune 100 and 500 companies such
for Thought Leadership in Product as Macy's, Levi's, PayPal, Sun
Management, and has been featured on Microsystems, Hasbro, Sprint, AT&T,
World Business Review and the Silicon Allstate, and Microsoft.
Valley Business Report.
Confidential 5/19/12 3

4. About 280Group
Helping companies deliver products that delight their
customers and produce massive profits™
Assessment – Training – Certification – Consulting – Contractors – Templates – Mentoring – Books
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5. About 280Group: Seven Phase LifeCycle Book
- Everyone gets a copy
- www.tinyurl.com/freeoppbook
- Please share!
5

6. About Macadamian – Research, Design, & Development
Confidential 5/19/12 6

7. PART 2
WHEN to Consider Overhauling
Your Design in the Seven Phase
Life Cycle
7

8. Seven Phase LifeCycle™
• Phase: Stage in the product lifecycle
• Gate: Critical decision point ending a phase, and starting the next
• Product LifeCycle: phases from conceive to retire
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9. 9

10. 10

11. PART 3
HOW to Overhaul Your Design
Without Upsetting Your Users
1. Make changes based on evidence
2. Have a process in place to collect the right kind of evidence
3. Decide if a redesign is in order
4. Redesign with the right expertise & process
5. Be prepared for backlash
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12. 1. Make changes based on EVIDENCE
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13. Evidence vs. Subjective Ideas & Debates
Evidence Subjective Ideas & Debates
• Goals • Endless UI debates
•
•
Metrics / performance
Observation VS. •
•
Pet projects
Feature creep
• User feedback • Tunnel vision
• Competitive landscape • Unnecessary facelifts
• Dogmatic advice
13

14. 2. Have a PROCESS in place to collect
the right kind of evidence
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15. User-­‐Centered
Design
Process
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16. Tools for Gathering and Making Sense of Evidence
• Personas and customer journey maps
• Metrics and satisfaction scores
• Ongoing usability and observation
• Ongoing competitive analysis
• Value & opportunity assessment
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17. Research
Should
Be
Ongoing
− Observa)on
− Usability
− Contextual
inquiry
− Surveys
− Par)cipatory
design
− Internal
brainstorms
with
SMEs
− Card
sor)ng
and
structured
in
person
ac)vi)es
17

18. Consider
Context
When
You
Seek
Feedback
Where?
What
Else
is
Going
On?
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19. Experience
Maps:
Diagram
Your
Customer’s
Journey
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20. Personas:
Paint
a
Picture
of
The
MoIvaIons
and
Key
Use
Cases
• People
typically
connect
with
stories
beDer
than
reports
• Paint
a
picture
of
key
user
types
• Demonstrate
use
cases
and
priority
tasks
• Use
a
quote
to
express
the
impact
the
product
has
on
the
user
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21. Have a Process in Place to Collect the Right Kind of Evidence
• Keep Complaints in Check
• Get to the Bottom of the Real Issues
• Be “proactive” not “reactive”
“Your Product Sucks!” ( )
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22. 3. Decide if a REDESIGN is in order
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23. With Evidence, Determine the True Issues
• Big or small?
• Extreme or expected?
• What is there to lose? What is there to gain?
− Customers?
− Investors?
− ROI?
− Image?
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24. 4. Redesign With the Right
EXPERTISE & PROCESS
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25. Design With the Right Expertise & Process
• Is additional expertise required?
• Is additional strategy or research required?
• Inside vs. outside?
• Don’t be afraid to simplify!
• Test your concepts first!
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26. 5. Be PREPARED for Backlash
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27. Be Prepared for Backlash
• Backlash – The biggest form of flattery
• People resist change
• Be patient, don’t panic
• Listen
• Process the feedback in context
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28. Be Prepared for Backlash
• Have a communication plan, consider your power users
• Have the foresight to respond quickly
• Consider a phased roll-out
• Is training & education required?
• Can product features/notifications help with the transition?
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29. Thank You!
• Slides: URL will be emailed to everyone
• Giveaways
− Product Management LifeCycle Toolkit™
− One copy of each book
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30. Contact Us
Mary Piontkowski
mpiontkowski@macadamian.com
Follow Macadamian on Twitter: @macadamianlabs
Brian Lawley
CEO & Founder
280 Group LLC
contact@280group.com
Follow 280 Group on Twitter: @the280Group
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31. Design Resources
Books:
• The Designful Company: How to build a culture of nonstop innovation, Marty
Neumeier
• Innovation Workshop, Marty Neumeier
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspired
Innovation, Tim Brown
• Inside Apple, Adam Lashinsky
Experience Map Resources:
• http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/the-anatomy-of-an-experience-map
• http://desonance.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/customer-experience-mapping/
• http://nform.com/blog/2010/02/experience-maps-cross-channel-experiences-
deliverable-for-gamers
• http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-models/
Persona Resources:
• http://www.cooper.com
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